Did You Know? Bike Week is Just Around The Corner!!

...and there's an Art Crawl tailored especially for all you wonderful Bicycle enthusiasts!! Saturday, June 1st at 5pm is the group bike ride / art crawl. You'll notice that many venues around the city will be showcasing bike related artworks - and we're included in those venues!! (Click here for more details on which venues are participating) In fact, we're pretty darn excited about what we have in store; Super neat bike pendants by artist Brenda Diabo, and fantastic "up-cycled" objects by William Rudolph:

There's more bike related work coming our way shortly - keep your eyes and ears peeled for info coming shortly. In the meantime, stop into the gallery and see these incredible pieces in person! :)

HOOT HOOT! : A great way to end the day!

Phew...it's been a whirlwind of a day! Lots of fun things happening  to HOOT about soon... Many people dropping by enjoying the sunlight and new projects underway. Can't wait to share some exciting news soon!

We were so busy in fact, that we almost forgot to do a blog entry, but we found a few wee moments  to share this little fellow with you, whom we have only just rediscovered, which is priced at just $65. It's clay, amazing and by artist Amy Rosa. It looks great on a small easel or you could frame it.We just love him and wish he'd find the perfect home!

Carved clay, 4" x 5", Amy Rosa, $65

MORE special works on SALE especially for YOU

Hello Everyone!  Well...today we have finally been greeted with a rare glowing ball in the sky-otherwise know as the SUN!  And that makes us think of road trips and planning vacations.  With that in mind, may we present a few more specially priced works in that theme.

Here's a very large and amazing work by artist Dylan McHugh that we'd love to find a home for....
 If you were looking for something off the beaten path, contemporary but with a vintage or  illustrated novel feeling, look no further! Do you happen to know what type of car or truck this may be from?

Roadtrip; Oil on Canvas, 60"x 48", Dylan McHugh Originally $2200 NOW: $600

So, get in your car...maybe it's a vintage car like this one and set-out to discover....

On the Road, 4" x 5", Acrylic on Canvas, Kathy Richards, $95

Or take a walk in the park!  Wherever you live, we're sure you can find a quiet place to walk in the sun, like this little beauty of the Point Pleasant Lodge by Kathy Richards as well:

Point Pleasant Lodge, 4" x 5", Acrylic on Canvas, Kathy Richards, $95

While your on your "road trip" make sure to enjoy everything around you like the shoreline or the skyline...

St Margaret's Bay Beach Pebbles, Oil on Board, 4" x 5", P. Melanson,  $95

Sandbar, Acrylic on Canvas, 4" x 5", Jenny Johnson, $95

Remember to stop and smell the roses....like these wild roses found along our shorelines as well...

Wild Roses in Forgotten Field, Acrylic on Board, 4" x 5"., Vaughn Gray, $95

And if you just want to relax and hang out closer to home, perhaps do a little bit of gardening...maybe grow some BOK CHOY ( we hope that if you do, your bok choy comes to life just as much as this little guy)

Bach Choy, Acylic on Board, 4" x 5", Mirco Chen, $95

Adrienne Godbout, 4" x 5", Acrylic on Canvas, $95

 Don't forget to enjoy the birds wherever you are.....tweet tweet....Summer is on it's way!  ENJOY THE JOURNEY wherever you travel this season! 

Please drop by Argyle Fine Art anytime-there's always something new arriving.

Remember: GREAT ART IS AFFORDABLE and makes wonderful, lasting memorable gifts from your trip to Nova Scotia or for friends and family and their special occasions.

"A little pick-me-up!"- Pick up a little work today and make May a little Brighter!

Depending on where you are living, you may be experiencing a grey, cold and wetter than normal MAY. If that's the case you may also be wishing for warmer days..never fear, they will soon return!  But in the meantime, why not treat yourself to an original work of art! These little works, all from past miniature shows measure 4" x 5". They were originally $175 but we've priced them extra special for the month of May to $95! (the works on paper indicated with the images, are actually $75 each!)

They make perfect gifts -especially great as wedding gifts or graduation gifts! If you are in the area, pop by to see a selection of other works available. We have just shared some of our favourites here! ENJOY!

Purse- Oil on Canvas, Kimberly  Cote Floyd

SOLD- Laundry- Acrylic on Canvas, Ernst Pittman

Pencil/watercolour, ON PAPER, Bryanna Chapeskie ($75)

Pencil/watercolour, ON PAPER, Bryanna Chapeskie ($75)

Pencil/watercolour, ON PAPER, Bryanna Chapeskie ($75)

Farm, Acrylic on Canvas, Twila Robar-DeCoste

-SOLD Shed, Acrylic on Canvas, Twila Robar-DeCoste

Sunset, Acrylic on Canvas, Jenny Johnson

Peggy's Light, Acrylic on Canvas, Kathy Richards- SOLD

Acrylic on Canvas, Kathy Richards-SOLD

Mixed Media on Canvas, Isabelle Pineau

Photo Media on Canvas, Jane Rovers

Photo Media on Canvas, Jane Rovers

Kitty 1, Ink drawing, ON PAPER, Pamela Marie Pierce ($75)

Kitty 2, Ink drawing, ON PAPER, Pamela Marie Pierce ($75)

SOLD- Bridge and Terminal, Oil on Canvas, Mary Garoutte

-SOLD- Cogswell Street, Oil on Canvas, Mary Garoutte

Photo, Metal on Board, Angela Carlsen-SOLD

Photo transfer, On board, Angela Carlsen

Drawing on PAPER, by Ed Beals ($75)-SOLD

SATURDAY 1:30 - 3:30 ARIST DEMONSTRATION with ADRIENNE GODBOUT

We're in for a real treat this Saturday, with a special visit and demonstration from artist, Adrienne Godbout. Adrienne is kind enough to drive in from Shediac, New Brunswick so that she can set up her easel and paints here in the gallery - wouldn't you love to see how she's able to achieve her beautifully crisp architectural lines against her softly variegated skies? She'll be demonstrating these techniques on a work in process for us lucky observers. This event is open to the public and there's no admission fee! We encourage everyone (young and old!) with an interest in painting to swing by and have a look. Adrienne will be here from 1:30 -  3:30. 

She'll also have this new painting on show, and we're quite excited to see in person -

It measures 40" x 40" and is titled in both English and French: 

"Maison Blanche Au Troite Rouge, Etang-du-Nord, Iles-de-la-Madelaine" or 

"White House with Red Roof"

Hey Look! It's Argyle Fine Art ...in ART and a Postcard you can soon buy too!

Hello Everyone and welcome back to the blog, after what some of us at least in Canada experienced was "colder than the normal temperatures for this time of year Long Victoria Day Weekend".Brrrrr....pretty much sums it up. To our American friends, we hope for the best for your holiday weekend fast approaching.

It sure is hard to get back to the regular activities and responsibilities after a break, but with great new projects on the horizon, it makes the task easier like this postcard we are printing, with ARGYLE FINE ART on the front. Do you recognize any of the artworks inside?  We especially like the ever-popular squid which adorned our windows for a few months. He has since found a loving home.

This is what we gave to the artist, Bryanna Chapeskie, as a working photograph for the commission:

Quick snapshot of the outside of Argyle Fine Art on a clear May day by Crystal Ross

And this is the wonderful watercolour she created, which is being made into postcards as I write this.

Original artwork by Bryanna Chapeskie that will be on a postcard soon! Ask to see the original work when you're in next!

 Make sure to drop by Argyle Fine Art and pick a few of these up for friends and one for yourself too!

 If you do happen to attend a  "Local Tasting Tour" (check out  amazing tour outlines here:    http://localtastingtours.com/) you will receive a little coupon to trade in for one of these little beauties from us! Check out these tours, especially if you have guests visiting; it's a unique way to see the city and taste things along the way.

Just ask for the Brian Porters...

Next time you find yourself in the gallery, ask us about Brian Porter. He's an original through and through, and there's no one quite like him in the world. His work resonates with us deeply, and whenever it arrives via the local courier, there's often a surprising scene tucked in amongst his pretty paintings. Fans are a special breed of collectors who have a taste for darker images, and paintings that have a great range in feeling. Just ask and we'll show you his work, some of which we won't post online... ;)

This latest series is a collection of watercolour paintings on paper:

 

Everyday ART Challenge: Art is Everywhere

"Art is Everywhere folks!"- is what I want to call out to people in my big outside voice,  when I  hear people say things like, "I don't really like art". This statement boggles my mind on so many levels!  As a person working in a gallery, I need to respond in the best possible way  to statements not unlike this one. I can accept that not everyone may enjoy original art as much as the next and so I usually try to offer examples of art that lives amoung us in our daily lives,  that often isn't thought of as "art".

I suppose the confusion may come from what is considered art, but to me, so many things can fit the definition. From the music we listen to, to the beautifully devices we listen to that very music on, to theatre, films and advertisements in magazines and television and online, architecture and design of all sorts all around us-the clothes we wear, the cars we decide to drive, even your haircut or the food we eat, heck...even nature if you want to get really inclusive! The point here is art is for everyone, it doesn't have to be found in a gallery. Art adds beauty or  meaning to our daily lives, it can help us think of things in a different way, it can even save lives. Sometimes it may present itself in what ways that seem mundane ....but if ART ceased to exist (or the wonderful creatives that keep inventing new ways of sharing)  we'd ALL miss it eventually- that I am certain of!

ART doesn't have to cost anything! It's free to experience whenever and wherever you are; you just have to become more aware of it, which of course comes from looking and building an appreciation.

An example of this everyday beauty can be found on the outside and inside of the Bank of Nova Scotia Bank Building in downtown Halifax.  I took myself on a walk to this very building and wonderful example of historical public art in a place of business just the other day. 

I challenge you to take some time for art...find it wherever you are. Look up when you walk down your city streets...look around the corner or down a back road if you're in the country.  I challenge you to discover ART.

Artist  John M. Lyle designed the Bank of Nova Scotia, built in Halifax in 1930, "which represents the passing of an era. A shifting of popular taste toward modernism, coupled with the severe economic conditions of the Depression, meant that this was to be Lyle's last design in the classical style, employing artisans for a traditional, handcrafted and elaborate sculptural and decorative program."   Read more about the building and it's  very special features here: http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/bank-of-nova-scotia-halifax

Here are just a few snap shots I captured...a great way to spend a lunch-time walk!

Carefully painted and sculpted art fills the ceiling and walls

The Banks Coat of Arms predominantly displayed upon entering...

There's a great binder in the bank that shows great examples of the initial drawings for many of the designs around the building, amoung this one of Neptune.

Alexis Doiron and Jenny Morton

Artists Jenny Morton and Alexis Doiron are two new additions the Argyle Fine Art landscape, and we couldn't be more delighted with the pieces they've brought for their show "Tea and the Garden"... Truly stunning. Repeating patterns, glowing colours and unusual, textured shapes are some of the elements that bind this show together, and although they each produce ceramics that are completely distinct from one another, displaying their work together feels natural. Come have a look and see for yourself - they really do compliment one another so well...

Small Flower Pot - Alexis Doiron

Line Cups - Jenny Morton

Pod Pot - Alexis Doiron

Flower Mugs - Jenny Morton