Let's Hear It For The Moms!

It's almost Mother's Day! May 8th for those of you who may need a reminder... How do you properly thank the person who's put up with you for your whole life? You can't really, but we have a few gift ideas that might be a good way to start!

Why not say it with flowers? Flowers that will live on long after Mother's Day is over? We've got a few options for you, like these beautiful flameworked glass pendants (that come with a silver chain) by Jaime Lynn Gardner.

Jamie Lynn Gardner

Jamie Lynn Gardner

There are many more designs and colours of these beautiful pendants to chose from. Or instead of a flower to wear how about one of these Knife Spoon Fork flowers by mixed media artist Al Hattie?

Al Hattie

Al Hattie

They're even more impressive in person! Or if flowers aren't your cup of tea, we have a some new mugs by ceramic artists Jason Desnoyers and Bridget Fairbank that just might be!

Jason Desnoyers

Jason Desnoyers

Bridget Fairbank

Bridget Fairbank

Or if a mug isn't what you're looking for we have lots of other ceramic pieces by Jason and Bridget - planters and platters and teapots, oh my!

Whatever you do for Mother's Day don't forget to pick up a card. We have some great ones in stock from silly to sentimental by Allison Taylor and Jodie Hansen.

Allison Taylor

Jodie Hansen

 And don't forget about Grandma!

Jodie Hansen

Last but not least we want to wish a wonderful first Mother's Day to Crystal Ross, who is currently enjoying her first year of motherhood with baby Velma! We miss you!

Happy Mother's Day Crystal!

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms!

Happy Earth Day!

What a beautiful day to celebrate Earth Day! Spring is upon us and the sun is shining!

We're celebrating in the best way we know how, with art! Artist and naturalist Mark Brennan celebrates nature all year round by venturing out into the wilderness across Canada, capturing it's beauty in his paintings and recorded soundscapes.

We've selected a few of  Mark's most recent works as well as some of his thoughts on nature to get you into the spirit of Earth Day. Enjoy!

Waiting For The Moose, Chic Choc Mountains, 11"x14", Acrylic on Board

“I see the landscape as something pure, containing age old rhythms and patterns, and with each painting I seek this ebb and flow of nature that holds us all together, to form our connection to all things wild. I want to light up the eyes of Canadians, to awaken them to this wonderful land, to bring the wilderness home.”

Summer Hunting Lake, Alder Grounds Wilderness, 11"x14", Acrylic on Board

“My work is derived from a philosophy that to truly represent something in an art form we must become totally immersed in our subject.” 

Morning Rain, Kejimkujik National Park, 11"x14", Acrylic on Board

 

"There are things we must do to ensure the survival of the species we share the Earth with, we all need to develop a deeper understanding of nature, to re-connect ourselves & to tread lightly as we go through life, giving consideration to other living things. We need to develop compassion & come to accept that we don't have the right to reduce the richness of the Earths eco-systems. We need life quality rather than life quantity.”

Through Shoreline Pines, 10"x12", Acrylic on Board

Find more of Mark's work online here and in person at the gallery!

City of Colour

Hello art lovers and aficionados! We hope you've been enjoying this beautiful, warm and sunny day as much as we have been at the gallery! As the weather gets warmer the city also becomes more colourful, and speaking of colour...

We are so excited that Caitlin McGuire, artist and gallery assistant here at Argyle, has turned one of our favourite paintings, Building a City, into a postcard that YOU can colour! Here is the original painting, which stands at 6'x7'!

Building a City, Oil on Canvas, 6'x7', 2015

Here is Caitlin with the piece to get a sense of it's size:

Caitlin stands at about 5'3" normally, 5'5"-ish with her boots on.

And here is the illustration for the post card, which will be 4"x5"!

Building a City, Caitlin McGuire

 A slight difference in scale from the original. Usually a painting comes after the drawing, but Caitlin reverse engineered her painting so you can add your own colourful spin to the Halifax downtown and waterfront!

The postcards will be arriving tomorrow, and are a great way to share your love of the city and also have some fun and play with colour! And once more, speaking of colour...

How great are these colourful lights on our neigbour down-the-street, the Freak Lunchbox's mural by artist Jason Botkin? We are digging it!

It's Record Store Day! Colour your day away while listening to beautiful Vinyl Tunes!

Today is international RECORD STORE DAY!  Everywhere in the world people are flooding their local music stores and showing some love for the beloved vinyl record!  Some of you may be saying to yourselves, "Records? They're back?"....but in reality they've never left.

There's so many great things about buying records, looking at records, listening to records, colouring records...Colouring records? Thanks to Nick Brunt you totally can with this awesome colouring sheet:

Nick Brunt, Colouring Page, 8.5"x11"

Nick's work celebrates his appreciation of vinyl...

Nick Brunt, No Luck,  4"x5", Ink and Acrylic on Board

The festive nature of live musical performance...

Nick Brunt, The Ghosts in the Woods, 16"x20", Ink and Acrylic on Board

And of course, the amazing musicians we listen to on vinyl! A little Rod Stewart, anyone?

Nick Brunt, Rod Stewart, 5"x5", Ink and Acrylic on Board

While you're out scoring your favourite vinyl finds today stop in and check out more of Nick's awesome colouring pages! There's a pairing for every mood your music might induce. Having a brew along with your tunes? There's a page for you:

Nick Brunt, Colouring Page, 8.5"x11"

A late night serenade in the moonlight? There's a colouring page for you!

Nick Brunt, Colouring Page, 8.5"x11"

Tunes around the fire? Nick's gotcha covered!

Nick Brunt, Colouring Page, 8.5"x11"

Stop in to see more work and more colouring sheets by Nick Brunt, and scope him out online here.

Happy Saturday art and music lovers!

Venturing off the highway with Angela Carlsen.

You never know what you might find when you leave the highway and set out on a backroad adventure. That's the kind of adventure artist Angela Carlsen revels in - the uncertainty and discovery of veering off the main track.

Carlsen recently brought in several new pieces from one of her most recent road trips. During this trip she ventured off the highway and ended up in Cario, Illinois, the southernmost city in the state. Cairo is also where the Mississippi and the Ohio rivers meet, steeped in history it's a location that played a key role in the United States Civil War.

Cairo 2, Phototransfer on Aluminum, 10"x10"

As a city that relied heavily on trade from the river and rail lines, the population of Cairo has slowly declined with it's economic hardships, and it's historic downtown is largely abandoned. This historic downtown is what captivated Carlsen, who spoke of beautiful buildings in need of repair alongside building foundations that have stairs that now lead to nowhere.

Steam Heat, Phototransfer on Aluminum, 11"x14"

Carlsen's pieces are all phototransfers on aluminum, a way of working that she has become known for. As such these pieces look as though they're illuminated from within, glowing and changing depending on the light and time of day.

 

 

Cairo 1, Phototransfer on Aluminum, 10"x10"

As with most works these are pieces you have to see in person to truly enjoy their beautiful light reflecting surfaces, colours and detail. You can see more of Carlsen's work online here. 
 

Animal Crossing with Jodie Hansen

If you've been in the gallery you've definitely picked up a card by Jodie Hansen, and it has more than likely made you giggle. A master of puns, Jodie daylights as a Senior Designer at Trampoline Branding, and moonlights as card making mastermind.

In addition to her wonderful sense of humour, Jodie is a highly skilled illustrator. This January she participated in our annual Pre-Shrunk Show of 4"x5" works, creating the adorable owl and fox you see below.

Jodie enjoyed making these pieces so much she decided to expand on them by creating a new series of cards and prints. She's kindly share some of her process with us and we in turn are excited to share it with you!

Here are some of the pieces in their early sketching phase...

Once satisfied with a sketch Jodie methodically inks the work, creating bold graphic lines.

 

 Then comes the BEST step of all (in my humble opinion), the COLOUR!

Jodie's aesthetic is bright and vibrant, making her cards and prints great for collecting, gifting and framing.

Stop in today to see them yourself. You can also follow Jodie on her Instagram page.

CITY: An Urban Exploration

In her latest body of work, CITY, artist Sarah Jones explores the new and old architecture that comprises our urban landscapes. Drawing inspiration from her travels, CITY features paintings of Halifax NS, Portland ME and Boston MA.

Architecture and urban life has long been a popular topic in the history of painting, becoming a fashionable subject with the Dutch Master's in the 16th and 17th century of Western Art.

View of the Meir in Antwerp, Erasmus de Bie, 17th Century

As our urban centres are in constant states of change and growth, Sarah has been able to capture moments in time through her work by preserving aging brick buildings and back alleys and bringing them new life on canvas. Sarah's contemporary take on architectural painting pulls in elements of the 21st century, like the power lines that dance across her canvases or the street lights that loom in back alleys, placing her work firmly in the present.

Winter's Day, Hydrostone, 36"x48", Oil on Canvas

Her use of line and negative space is visually pleasing, leading the eye around the work to discover new and magical moments in each painting. The viewpoints in CITY are non traditional, rather than fully articulating familiar views Sarah's work challenges the viewer through her use of enigmatic perspectives.

Granville No. !, 16" x 20", Oil on Canvas

CITY is a show you want to see in person, as Sarah's scale and texture cannot be read through a computer screen. Her palette glows with bright cadmium reds, strong darks and soft greys, but also features muted greens, blues and yellows that can only truly be appreciated in person.

CITY runs until April 23rd at Argyle Fine Art. You can find the show online here. 

What I Found in the Parking Lot Off Barrington No. 2, 36"x24", Oil on Canvas

CITY: New Works by Sarah Jones launch our Spring Season of Art

Wow...it's been a little while since we've written on this blog! Guess it's just because we've been busy planning out a fabulous year of art exhibits for the season.

The first solo show of the year is about to begin and it's going to be fabulous! All are welcome to join us for the opening reception happening  Saturday, April 2nd, 1:30-3:30pm. Sarah Jones will be in attendance, so make sure to say hello to her while you're here.
 

 We don't normally tell you what to do, but ....umm...this is an artist you should be collecting now- mark our words, she is one to watch!  We've been enjoying the works so much and can hardly wait for you all to see them in person! Here's just a few snap shots from around the gallery this afternoon. Check back tomorrow over at www.argylefineart.com to see the entire show, once the show has officially opened.