Orange you glad it's Friday!

 As PreShrunk winds down this weekend, we'd like to share some fun citrus inspired art which we're sure you'll find "ap-peeling". You can also view the full exhibition online HERE       

Let's "shoot the squeeze", and start things off with these "orange-inal" paintings by Sarah Sehl.  

Sarah Sehl, Blood Orange Pile, 5" x 4", acrylic on board

Sarah Sehl, Anthocyanin, 5" x 4", acrylic on board

Sarah Sehl, Orange Cappucino, 5" x 4", acrylic on board

Now that we've got your creative juices flowing, here's another "orange-ment" of citrusy goodness from first-time PreShrunk contributor Myndi Arsenault;

Myndi Arsenault, Clementine, 5" x 4", acrylic on board

Beat the daily "rind", and treat yourself to one of these zesty delights by gallery artist George Spencer;

George Spencer, Clementine and Sugar, 5" x 4", oil on canvas on board

George Spencer, Study of 3 Clementines, 4" x 5", oil on canvas on board 

No matter how you "juice" it, "squeeze" the most out of your weekend, and drop by the Gallery and check out some amazing art.  Keep your eyes "peeled" for some exciting new items in March... 

Featured artworks are available for purchase, and priced at $175 + HST (each). For details, contact us at (902) 425-9456, or via email at gallery@argylefa.com

It's VOTING TIME! PRE-SHRUNK AWARD OF AWESOMENESS!

 Have you heard the news?!  Pre-Shrunk 2021 has been e x t e n d e d and now we have time to VOTE for the winner of the PRE-SHURNK AWARD OF AWESOMENESS!  Last year's winner returned the miniature trophy, so we've set up a VOTING SURVEY RIGHT HERE! VOTE BELOW NOW!

VOTE SURVEY LINK

We collected the data from Flickr and these SIX images were the most viewed works in the show at this time! SELECT YOUR FAVOURITE ONE  and share the link with friends! 

*VOTING ENDS on Saturday, March 6th*

*Winner will be able to display the mini trophy at their home with pride for the year and WIN a $50 DeSerres Gift Certificate!

 

Choose from works by Isobel Hamilton, Gwendolyn Frankton, Diane Redden, Kimberley Eddy, Amber Gillespie and Chelsea Legge! Congrats folks!

 

Here's a photo of the winning artwork and  happy winner from 2020 by  Brigitte St-Arnaud! We could all get together and celebrate last year...here's hoping for more time together in the coming years! Once we get this Covid thing figured we'll be back at it, eh?

Pre-Shrunk is not just for painters!

One common misconception about the Pre-Shrunk submission process is that the artworks are limited to paintings and drawings...not true! In fact, we receive works from a variety of different mediums which include sculptural and textile works! 

This week we'll be featuring some alternative mediums you may not be accustomed to, but are sure to inspire future Pre-Shrunk contributors...

First up are these ceramic works by Jessica MacDonald;

Jessica MacDonald, Dwelling No. 3, air dry clay, acrylic and polyurethane

Jessica MacDonald, Dwelling No. 3, air dry clay, acrylic and polyurethane

Jessica MacDonald, Dwelling No. 1, porcelain

Next, we have these amazing embroidered pieces by Gallery Artist Yoko White. The patterns are intricately woven into the canvas using a series of french knots.  To see more of Yoko's work, you can follow the link HERE

Yoko White, Honeycomb 1, 5" x 4", hand embroidered cotton on canvas

Yoko White, Honeycomb 2, 5" x 4", hand embroidered cotton on canvas

Another fan favorite of this year's PreShrunk is this work by Diane Redden, inspired by "Where the Wild Things Are" children's book.  If you look closely, you can see the piece is composed of re-purposed zippers!  To see more of Diane's work, you can follow the link HERE

Diane Redden, Untitled 4 (Where The Wild Things Are), 5" diameter, zipper, ink on canvas

Lastly, we're thrilled to introduce these "outer worldly" textile pieces by Leah Mark.  Composed of fabric and thread, the layers have been mounted to the standard 4 x 5 inch cradle board.

Leah Mark, Going Back Home, 5" x 4", Fabric mounted on wood

Leah Mark, Harvest Moon, 5" x 4", Fabric mounted on wood

Featured artworks are available for purchase, and are $175 each. For details, contact the gallery at (902) 425-9456, or via email at gallery@argylefa.com

Pre-Shrunk 2021 is WUNDER - ful!

 Just as our little Pre-Shrunk 2021 show was beginning, we got an unexpected and exciting message from the good folks at WUNDER- a fabulous award winning creative agency right here in Halifax! They loved the idea of our small art show and just so happened to have two very teeny tiny billboards on hand.

They had received them from a past client and wasn't really sure how to implement them into a project until this little show came along! We are so thankful that they reached out to us with their brilliant ideas! This campaign showcased our Pre-Shrunk 2021 exhibit to a broader and diverse audience and our participating artists are thrilled!

WUNDER photographed  and filmed these little art billboards around town and they even posted up miniature posters around the city! Have you seen them in the wild? 

We hope to work with them again on another artful project this year, but also would like to highly recommend them if you are looking to get your message out creatively and really stand out from the crowds with your own business or unique idea!  

THANK YOU SO MUCH WUNDER...you are wonderful indeed and this was such a thoughtful and creative way to support our small business and so many artists at the same time too.

 HOORAY FOR COMMUNITY!  Keep helping and supporting one another during these strange and challenging times, and always folks, wherever you may be!.

CHECK OUT THIS GREAT VIDEO by WUNDER  below and make sure to pop by the gallery soon to see the show of  small art or visit it online! Each piece in the Pre-Shrunk show is 4"x5", and sells for $175. They are made by artists from all over Canada and there is such a variety in mediums and approaches.  

Feathered Friends Looking for Forever Homes

Hello there! Today is another wintery day here in Nova Scotia, but at least there is art to enjoy online anytime (provided the power stays on...fingers crossed!)  

We are still excited to be showcasing our Pre-Shrunk 2021 show, where all the works are 4" x 5" and are just $175 each-- which you can enjoy in it's entirety  HERE. 

We gathered up some of our feathered friends from the show, that are still looking for their forever homes for this blog post. Speaking of homing, check out these pigeon paintings by Chantel Elysia!

But wait....there's another pigeon painting too! This one is by Susan Gilson!  We love seeing how everyone approaches a similar subject so differently! Coo Coo Cool!

Because it's a storm day today, this HARPY is appropriate! In Greek mythology and Roman mythology, a harpy is a half-human and half-bird personification of storm winds.This watercolour and ink original by Jessica Peatman has an old-world fantasy vibe, like something you may discover in an illustrated manuscript from long ago....

Speaking of birds of storms or winter, has anyone noticed there are quite a few more cardinals around at the feeders these days? We love this hand-beaded and felted work by Chelsea Legge. So brilliantly coloured and filled with texture.

These rainbow like bird darlings flew all the way from Ontario to be part of the show! They would like to nest in Nova Scotia! Just look at those colours!  These paintings are by Christopher Hall. TWEET! So Sweet!

Speaking of colourful birds, check out this PAPER COLLAGE work by the artist known as "zanahoy".  So much fine paper and collage work happening here lately! This one is best enjoyed in person to appreciate the intricacies and detail. 

Here's another work on paper- by Jodie Hansen. Many of you know Jodie as our pop-culture card maker extraordinaire, but she always looks forward to participating in Pre-Shrunk each year to showcase her watercolour and ink drawing skills. Such a fanciful bird in flight!

Love them or hate them, crows are part of our lives and certainly grab the attention of many of our artists year after year. These two paintings are by Cathy Cusack and were late arrivals, so they didn't get noticed as much as we think they should have. Come see this duet in person soon!

 

Cawwwwwwwwwwwwwww!  Swoop on by the gallery soon and see what you can see. We are open for in-person art enjoyment each week  Wednesday- Saturday 11am-5:30pm, and can also be open for special appointments. Find us over on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram too for daily art posts to brighten your days!

LEAP for JOY with new art by Gwendolyn Frankton!

 Pre-Shrunk 2021 has launched and what a blast it was this past weekend! These adorable little critters by artist Gwendolyn Frankton hopped all the way from Ottawa to be in our Pre-Shrunk show and we are so pleased to have them!

 

These works really need to be seen in person to be appreciated  in their full glory- there is so much texture and life, with a good dose of humour too! All pieces are pen, ink and watercolour on birch panel.

All frog species are found in Nova Scotia and all are included in the citizen science initiative FrogWatch, Nova Scotia where participants send observations as to which frogs they have heard calling and when.  Something to look forward to when Spring time rolls around, before too long!

HOP ON BY and SAY RIBBIT....and HELLO!