SALT WATER: New work by Katharine Burns, Opens Fri May 26th

We are so excited for tomorrow night's opening, SALT WATER, new work by artist Katharine Burns. The opening reception is from 7-9PM, Friday, May 26th and all are welcome.

Katharine Burns, Out of Sight, 22"x28", Oil on Canvas Framed

A talented emerging artist, Burns talks about the show in her own words:

“In my new work, my focus has shifted away from shorelines and skies and towards the water itself.  The ocean can be very powerful at one moment yet quietly calming at another.  I have been exploring the different ways water can convey a sense of atmosphere on its own through the use of light, reflections and colour.  While painting this body of work I felt immersed in the subject matter and I want that feeling of immersion in the ocean to come through to the viewer.”

Katharine Burns, Wave Study 4, 11"x14", Oil on Canvas Framed

The show will be available for viewing online when it opens tomorrow evening. We recommend coming tomorrow to see them in person, we have a feeling they won't be around for very long.

A couple new works by artist Luke Naylor also arrived this week at the gallery.

Luke Naylor, Tender, 30"x40", Oil om on Canvas

Both pieces beckon warmer weather and days by the water.

Luke Naylor, Race Day, 11"x14", Oil on Canvas

See you by the Atlantic!

Long Weekend Running & Relaxation

It's time for the long weekend, and we hope you get to enjoy some rest and relaxation. Unless you're running in the Bluenose Marathon, then don't slow down just yet, you've got this!  Are you ready?!!
 

Congratulations to everyone who's running this weekend on all your hard work. My only advice as a non runner is to drink lots of water and stay hydrated.

If you can't make it out of the city maybe these pieces by Danny Abriel will transport you to the lake. His calm serene scenes are almost like looking out the window during a tranquil day by the water.

Danny Abriel, Fellowship at the Pond, 18"x24", Acrylic on Canvas

Or how about a walk through one of our local parks, like Point Pleasant, as a temporary escape?

Danny Abriel, Friendship at Point Pleasant Park, 18"x36", Acrylic on Canvas

If you do make it out to the cottage we have some new prints in by Briana Corr Scott that would be perfect for the calm vibe you're cultivating. Both are reproductions of her original watercolour works.

Briana Corr Scott, Sea Shore Study 1, 11"x4", Watercolour Reproduction Print

Briana Corr Scott, Sea Shore Study 2, 11"x14", Watercolour Reproduction Print

And if you choose to just hang around home and do some gardening, watch out for this season's bees...we've got lots of them at the gallery right now!

New watercolours by Michelle SaintOnge remind us to take care of those animals and insects that need our help! This is "Plumpy" the bee

Hand Embroidered Bee Necklace by Yoko White

Wherever the long weekend takes you we hope it's sunny!

New Works by Wayne Leal

Painter Wayne Leal's work always has more going on than first meets the eye. At first glance you're drawn in by Leal's bright colours and familiar characters. The story and your own interpretation of the narrative goes deeper the more time you spend with the work.

Narrative painting is an art form that communicates or illustrates a story. It has deep roots in the discourse of art history, a well known example being Greek vases that date back to 6th century BCE depicting both myths and real events. Leal's work often references real life events while incorporating politics, philosophy, pop culture and a multitude of other references.

Wayne Leal, Eastwood: On the Rocks, 16"x20, Acrylic on Canvas

Both of Leal's recent pieces are from his Eastworld series and the artist is featured as a figure in each of the narratives, but we'll leave it to you find him. His piece, Eastworld: The Hardening Heart of Humanity may be of particular relevance right now with it's pied piper figure, expressing not just the political climate of the United States but of the world.

Wayne Leal, Eastworld: The Hardening Heart of Humanity, 16"x20", Acrylic on Canvas

These pieces are much more vibrant in person and are works you need to sit with to really engage. We have them up at the gallery right now and welcome you to come spend some time with them, and other pieces by Leal that are sure to captivate your imagination. See more of his pieces online HERE.

Open City & Mother's Day featuring Angela Doak

This Saturday, May 13th, is I Love Local's Open City here in Halifax! There's so much to do around Halifax, check out some of the fun here. Here at the gallery we're going to have artist Michelle St Onge, who's show "Ancestra Obscura" is currently on display, doing some live painting; we'll have the lovely folks from The Halifax Honey Company here doing tastings of their infused honeys; and we'll have Hope for Wildlife on site with Norman the kestrel. You'll definitely have to come out and be part of the fun!

Norman the Kestrel via Hope For Wildlife

When artist Angela Doak found out about Norman's visit she was inspired to create a kestrel collage. She kindly shared some of her process shots with us.

It's particularly fitting that Mother's Day falls the day after Norman's visit, as Doak began her collage work when her children were young, as an artform that was sustainable with young kids but also something she could involve them in. Doak also has an animal alphabet book coming out soon, so keep your eyes peeled for it!

Kestrel collage by Angela Doak

So get downtown for Open City and join us here at the gallery to meet Norman, Michelle, taste some honey and see some artwork that is the bees knees!

TONIGHT! Opening Reception for Michelle SaintOnge!

Happy Friday!  We've got a new show opening tonight for Michelle SaintOnge! You can now see it online HERE but we'd love to have you drop by tonight from 7pm-9pm and experience it in person- the best way to enjoy original art!
 
If you aren't able to drop by this evening, no worries as the show will continue until May 24. Michelle will also be here on Saturday, May 13th for OPEN CITY!

Here are a just a few sneak peeks!

MAY you be looking for fun? Here's our May at a Glance Calendar!

The month of May has just begun, but gosh it's going to be a great one! We can just feel it in the air, which is starting to warm up day by day. This is a great time of year to bring an original work of art into your home and we have some artfully fun ways to get involved with art.  Whether you want to learn about a new technique, meet an artist, apply the art to real life needs and situations and give back to a cause and more we've got it!

But enough rambling...here's the highlights for May at our little gallery. We hope you'll take in a few of the events and bring friends, family or even your dog to see art! (yes, we are pet friendly) .Art is made to be enjoyed by everyone, so spread it around!

For starters, MAY THE 4th DAY is fast approaching, and we'll have new Star Wars stickers by Jodie Hansen ready for the buying along with some other new cards for the occasion. Treat yourself and may the force be with you!

Beginning this Friday, May 5th 7pm-9pm, drop by to celebrate the latest watercolours by Michelle SaintOnge. The show continues until May 24th, so drop by anytime or visit the show online on our blog under the NOW SHOWING tab, once the show opens officially. There will be some extra special treats at the opening, as it's also Cinco de Mayo day.

On Saturday, May 6th,  it's FREE COMIC BOOK DAY, and in celebration we are very lucky to host artist Sharon Cave at the gallery from 2-4pm that day. Although Sharon isn't a comic book artist per say, she certainly creates lot of whimsical characters with her pastel drawings and paintings! So we've asked her to begin a drawing of an unlikely hero, "SUPER CHICKEN" this Saturday.

Throughout the day we invite all visitors to the gallery to pick up a pastel and add something to the original drawing. It will be exciting to see what the final work ends up looking like!

 Sharon will be working on some other drawings throughout the day too, so drop by and meet an artist, make some art and learn a little bit about pastels you may not know. BOK BOK BOK!

Art comes in many forms, and we happily support it all, including a wonderful upcoming play by our neighbours, NEPTUNE THEATRE. Check out the great promo video for the production and a synopsis of the play HERE.

We're happy to be providing extra special treats to their Playscape subscribers in the form of this extra buttery postcard (shown below) by local artist Kim Floyd that will lead them to our gallery to find yet another artful surprise awaiting them!  YAY for collaborations and check out this amazing subscriber package with lots of perks and sneak peeks!  Put this play on your calendar, it sounds like fun-we'll see you there!

This painting has long gone, but we still have some postcards for sale if you are interested, $3

Each Spring and Fall, downtown Halifax and Dartmouth small business owners band together to bring you the ultimate in downtown shopping experiences with I love Local OPEN CITY, on Saturday, May 13th. We stress the experience factor here at the gallery.  We'll be hosting a whole slew of events!  To find out the latest information, make sure check in with our Facebook event page HERE

We'll  be a place to BEE! Beginning at 2pm until 4pm, meet local artist Michelle SaintOnge and see her at work, alongside her most recent body of watercolours in her show Ancestra Obscura; going. gone. And don't miss the delicious TASTE TESTINGS by Halifax Honey Company in the gallery from 2pm-3:30pm. Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz! 

 At 3:30pm-4:30pm, drop by to meet a real life bird from HOPE FOR WILDLIFE! Pick up a BEE BUTTON for just $2 and all the money will go to HOPE FOR WILDLIFE. Buttons made by White Elephant Buttons and artwork provided by Michelle SaintOnge.

**ALL DAY LONG: Pick up a beeautiful card for Mother's Day, Enter to WIN a limited edition print by a local artist &enjoy the latest works by local artists! This day is also a national GALLERY HOP happening throughout Canada which we are part of promoted by the Art Dealers Association of Canada (ADAC). 
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Who says Mondays can't be awesome?!!  We are proud supporters of this great event happening where you can "buy" art without money! Yes- all you need to do is volunteer in the community throughout the year.  The event is called TIMERAISER and it's happening on Monday, May 15th. Find out all the details online at their website or follow them over on Twitter.  Tickets are just $10. We'll be there volunteering and some of our artist's artwork will be up for grabs too. Also excited to announce there will be delicious food and beverages provided by our friends over at Tidehouse Brewing and Garrison Brewing. 

 Are you still reading?  Impressive!   Ok...just a few more dates to tell you about....hang tight!

On Friday, May 26th from 7pm-9pm, we'll be once again hosting an opening reception and party for two new bodies of work by emerging artists Katharine Burns and Luke Naylor. Below is just one example of a work by Katharine Burns. See more about these shows over on our UPCOMING PAGE on this blog. These shows will be up during Oceans Week in Halifax, and the theme of both shows is well suited as they both have to do with the sea.

And finally, we are also happy to host a BOOK LAUNCH for a young writer Melanie Mosher and partnering with Nimbus Publishing on Saturday, May 27th, 3pm. All welcomed! This book is about a fifteen year old protagonist with a love of art!  Find out more HERE

PHEW!   It's going to be a busy month!  Please drop by for visual art, a play, a bookreading and more! Call us with any questions you may have about any of the above. We'd love to hear from you and tell you more!