HANGING UP MY GALLERY HAT FOR A WEE WHILE...

It's old news by now, but as many of you know, I've been growing a tiny little human in my stomach over the past number of months... By some miracle of nature, that tiny human has expanded into the size of a medicine ball, and I've developed a not so fashionable waddle that keeps me humble. Yup, these nine months have caught up with me quickly, and it's officially time to hang up my gallery hat to focus on this new (and exciting!!!) chapter called motherhood. I'll be away on maternity for about a year, but I'm leaving you all in the best, most capable hands. Caitlin McGuire is an absolute gem!! And I know you'll all agree that she's a great fit with our little Argyle family. As a recent NSCAD grad, and a superbly talented artist, Caitlin brings invaluable insight when speaking about art and fine craft, and beyond that, she has a kindness that will make you all feel at home. Great find, eh?!!!

So this is my little farewell to you all, but not goodbye!! You'll still find me poking my head into the gallery from time to time, for visits with my tiny little human.. and surely you'll see me roaming the streets, pushing a stroller in an exhausted daze. Don't be a stranger - make sure you give me a tap on the shoulder and say HI!! I know I"ll be looking to keep up my adult language skills as much as possible :)   

If you're nearby, I'll be puttering around the gallery until Friday (unless.. you know...)

Ta for now!  
xoxoxoxo
Crystal 

"Baby Momma" (White) Screenprint on Paper, edition of 16, 19" x 25" Michelle St. Onge

Threes Company!

"Come and knock on our door... (Come and knock on our door)

We've been waiting for you.... (We've been waiting for you)
Where the kisses are hers and hers and his,
Three's company too. "

 

- Three's Company Theme Song circa 1970s-80s

This painting's title, "Threes Company"  made us break into song- and well, also it's just wonderful!  The lastest work by Andy MacDonald is painted on a skateboard but of course, can hang on the wall.  You can almost imagine Mr and Mrs Roper living next door. Come and experience it in person!  

Masked Bandit Makes A Gallery Appearance!

This (not so little) fellow is the newest addition to our ever rotating display of  handmade treasures. Carved by Basil Doucette, this variety of folk art raccoon isn't as menacing as the scrappy city raccoons we hear hooting 'n hollering in our green bins... Nope, this feller is as friendly as a kitten, and by the looks of it, he may even be part cat. No matter - he's available for adoption, and would 

love to find a family who will love and care for him. 

 *caring instructions : place him in a spot of honor. Give him a pat on the head from time to time, along with a few words of encouragement. No fish bones or old pizza slices required.    

Featured Prints: A Local Take on Art Nouveau with Murray Bain

Murray Bain wears many hats. Not only is he an artist and an animator, but he's also a partner and founding member of local animation studio, Copernicus Studios. Today we're featuring his Art Nouveau inspired piece "Halifax Seasons", and before you ask, yes, we have prints for sale of all the seasons together as well as individually.

"Halifax Seasons" - Come and see the original work, which features watercolour pencil, in the gallery today!

"Halifax Seasons" recalls the the work of 19th century Czech painter and illustrator, Alphonse Mucha, who like Murray was very innovative for his time. His personal style heavily influenced the graphic style of the time that became known as "Art Nouveau".

"Les Saisons" by Alphonse Mucha

Mucha's imagery often features stylized women in flowing garb, surrounded by floral elements and his most identifiable feature, halos that frame the subject. Can you identify the local landmarks Murray features in the halos of "Halifax Seasons"? Click on the images below to find out!

 

Great ART....and we have AIR CONDITIONING too!

It's the beginning of the Atlantic Film Festival in Halifax, Nova Scotia and although the industry has been struggling to say the least due to cuts by our Provincial Government which we won't get into here....we just wanna say CONGRATULATIONS to all the film folks out there and everywhere who continue to create wonderful things for our eyes, our ears, our souls....we can't imagine what life would be like without your art!  

New works by Angela Carlsen you don't want to miss are hanging around the gallery- Come see!

And  speaking of art, we'd  also like to remind you to come and see our ART by the amazing amount of visual artists waiting for you to discover while you're visiting Halifax.

Looking at art before heading into a film is the perfect way to beat the hot hot summer September days out there (YES- we have air conditioning and it's glorious!)

**Even better- show us a ticket stub from a screening at the Atlantic Film Festival or your festival pass and we'll give you a FREE gift while supplies last**  So hop on by and BUY!

A MINIATURE food truck rally!!

JUST in time for today's HFX food truck party, is our very own miniature corral of food trucks!! Of course, ours is staring artist Kim Danio, and her hand crafted versions of popular local eateries. We've got hotdogs, tacos and icecream, all in shoe form!! Come and get' em!! 

There's still time! Our miniature paintings are now on SALE!

Our selection of hand picked 4" x 5" pre-shrunks are still on sale here at the gallery!! Down from $175, these wee gems are now priced at $95. There's no lack of extraordinary artwork on the wall - here's a small smattering of what's available :   

Shelley Mitchell

George Spencer

Mary Reardon

Paulette Melanson

Brianna Corr Scott

OPENING TONIGHT! “Water and Wharfs” and “Before Homogeneity”

TONIGHT we're bringing you a double header of spectacular new work with openings by artist’s Brianne Williams and Angela Carlsen.

 

Serene and playful there is plenty to see for land-lovers and seafarers alike!

Both shows open tonight, Thursday Sept 10^th from 6:30-9pm, and run until October 6^th.

Come by land or sea, but don’t miss these shows!  You can view all the images by clicking over to our NOW SHOWING page HERE!

"Sea Levels" by Brianne Williams

"Four Winds" by Angela Carlsen

Last Call for SMALL! $95 for amazing small original works of ART

Until September 15th, we'll be featuring a variety of 4" x 5" works by various artists from various years of our annual PRE-SHRUNK show at $95 each (regularly they are $175 each)  This is the perfect time to find a special gift for someone or treat yourself.

Here are just a few of the wonderful works that await you! Come in for a look on our "little" wall and discover these and many many more your favourite artists.

 

SOLD

Opening Thursday, September 10th- New Work by Brianne Williams not to be missed!

While the rest of you may be off enjoying the last bits of summer holiday, we're working away today and preparing for two opening exhibits happening on THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10th! 

We've  already wrote about one of those shows here, but today we wanted to share a few works by emerging artist Brianne Williams who will also be featured in our upper gallery beginning this week, with her electric blues and greens in Water and Wharfs. These works have already received a lot of buzz from our collectors! This young artist is someone to keep your eyes on! Her hard work, determination and enthusiasm never ceases to amaze us!

Brianne speaks about her works in her own words:  A serious yet whimsical view of East Coast ubiquitous structures used to connect people to their vessels. Built to withstand the harsh conditions of the Atlantic Ocean, wear and tear from bustling fishing communities begins to show, painting the aged wharfs a vibrant shade that combines the colours of rust, algae and the sea. The connection of water to each structure is demonstrated by unique reflections.

Opening September 10th >>> ANGELA CARLSEN, Before Homogeneity

Join us on Thursday, September 10th from 6:30 to 9:00 for opening receptions highlighting two new exciting exhibitions; Brianne Williams's "Water and Wharfs" and Angela Carlsen's "Before Homogeneity"

It's been a few years since we've had the pleasure of hosting new work by Angela Carlsen, and so we're especially excited about this collection. She's been busy working on new techniques, and is now working with tarnished aluminum! The effect is incredible - you'll definitely want to see these in person. Have a looky-loo at some of her in studio shots, for a glimpse of what's to come:

Angela speaks about her new show:
"I've titled the show "Before Homogeneity" which to me means, before there were major chains and big box stores where everything is predictable and looks the same, there were roadside signs vying for your business. Makes me think of people I know who drive to Florida every winter and stay at the same place and eat at the same place because they know what they are getting; they like the predictability of it all. Whereas, I choose the places I eat and sleep when on a road trip by the signs that lure me in, which are becoming harder and harder to find. And as you know, these big companies and interstate highways by-pass these places, making it near impossible for these places to continue to exist."

BACK TO SCHOOL Specials! 20% off ALL WORKS on PAPER and 15% off ALL CARDS! C'mon!

Remember that first day of school...the new school supplies, the new outfit, the fresh scribblers still unmarked, seeing old friends, the smell of soup and hot dogs filling the air from the school cafeteria down the hall....ahhhh.....

You know what makes back to school even better?!?  ART in your lunch box! Now with the technology made famous by "scratch-ticket" technology are these brand new Lunch Note Cards by artist Jodie Hansen.

Each pack includes five cards with great jokes to surprise your little one. You will be known as the coolest parent ever!  Come get some today....because they are 15% off, as are ALL OUR CARDS but only until September 9th.

Lunch Box Notes by Jodie Hansen are awesome and funny!  Get yours today!  (lunch bag and water bottle not included) 

Flash forward......you're now in your first days of university. New roomate, big auditoriums for classrooms and Mr. Noodles for supper. You know what could make things better?  ART on your walls...and not those over-priced posters from the traveling poster salesman....real art by local artists....from right here in your community!    From now until September 9th, all works on paper are 20% off, so invest in some great new works. You'll be so happy you did....(take it from an "old" working person- those posters I purchased are  looooong gone, but the art I picked up along the way I still adore!)

Original prints from our Art Subscription Service which is affordable and fun; original works of art delivered to you like a pizza! Each month is super awesome!

Samples of just a few "Creative Editions" all framed up and being enjoyed!

May we  also suggest the 3-D prints by Yo-Rodeo....complete with 3-D glasses! So many works to choose from!

Prints and Cards by Kate Mitchell will make anyone's day better...we guarantee it!

Check this out!  Prints by Murray Bain inspired by our local landmarks....can you spot them all?

And of course, we have so so so so so many cards that are Star Wars inspired, Star Trek inspired and more!  HOP TO IT!  September 9th is the last day to take advantage of the savings!

Remember when....we hung a Picasso and a bunch of Andy Warhol paintings?

From Argyle Fine Art's very humble beginning at 1574 Argyle Street, we've always welcomed emerging artists with open arms but we've also hosted  works by some internationally known artists..like, oh you know...umm...#Picasso and #AndyWarhol. No big!

The Picasso was here and gone pretty quickly, months before the current owner of the gallery came onto the scene. Apparently the little mention in the paper caused quite a stir.

But probably one of the most exciting  times for our little gallery was the time we hosted a series of Andy Warhol works.  It was a teensy bit stressful too, as we were in charge of organizing the works safe passage as they travelled across borders and then lived on our walls for 4 days. There was also the matter of security, and keeping the works safe from thief. Afterall, at the time each work was estimated at 1.5 million dollars, (FYI- these works are now valued between 3-10 million each).  Originally we had thought that just sleeping overnight at the gallery with Andy would do the trick, but then thought maybe we should hire a security company instead, although we still like to think about how we'd fight off the art thieves with paint brushes and exacto knives.

Here's some of the old Argyle Fine Art gang, after a successful opening night, celebrating with Andy!