A feast for the senses, PreShrunk 2022's tactile textiles...

A common misconception about our PreShrunk exhibition, is that it's limited to 2 dimensional mediums like drawings and painting...not so! Each year we're thrilled to exhibit works by mixed media, sculptural and textile artists.

We'd to take a moment to share some of this year's amazing textile work!

First up, we have these spectacular embroidered desserts by Yoko White! If you're not familiar with the french knot stitch, take a closer look at the surface texture of these incredibly detailed works...   

Yoko White, (Left) "Rainbow Cake", (Right) "Vanilla Cupcake",
5" x 4" (each) hand embroidered cotton on canvas

Yoko White, "Strawberry Shortcake", 4" x 5", hand embroidered cotton on canvas

Yoko White, (Left) "Triple Chocolate Mousse", (Right) "Blueberry Cheesecake",
5" x 4", hand embroidered cotton on canvas

Yoko has an amazing body of work available at the gallery, to see more be sure to drop by the gallery or visit our Flickr page HERE...

Next up is this fabric and mixed media by Brigitte St-Arnaud, a frequent contributor to PreShrunk in recent years this is the last of her "Enchanted Garden" series...  

Brigitte St-Arnaud, "Chicken in the Enchanted Garden", 4" x 5", fabric and mixed media

Nancy Wilson, Jessica Gay, Alexandrea Bateman, and Katharine Sharpe, deliver some exciting new works that's "outside the box", pushing the limits of our 4" x 5" submission format...

Nancy Wilson, (Left) "Bryn's Garden Too", (Right) "Tracy From Cape Breton", 
4" x 5", wool felt and roving in wood

Jessica Gay, (Left) "Crescent", (Centre) "First Quarter", (Right) "Earthwise",
4" diameter, embroidered hoop

Katharine Sharpe, "Dance Forest Green", 18" x 4" x 5", needle felt

Alexandrea Bateman, Rug Hooked Garden Series, 5" x 4", wool, burlap on board

Rounding off the list, we have this incredible embroidered work by Mindy Harris! Part of a larger series featuring famous women in the arts, this is the last one available from PreShrunk!  

Mindy Harris, Emily Dickenson, 5" x 4", hand embroidered cotton on canvas

You can see more of Mindy's work by visiting our Flickr page HERE...

Featured artworks are available for purchase, for details contact us at

(902) 425-9456 or via email at gallery@argylefa.com

We're always open online!

Visit us at www.argylefineart.com

You can view the entire PreShrunk Collection on our Flickr page HERE

Enjoy PreShrunk 2022's Abstract Showcase!

Today we're exploring some of the amazing abstract paintings of PreShrunk 2022! We're always thrilled to see Abstract Art being submitted each year. Vibrant colors, mixed with energetic brushstrokes always fill the gallery with positive vibes!

We've got a great selection to choose from, with different mediums being represented here..take a moment to scroll through some of these amazing paintings from our abstract showcase!

First up, we have Gallery Artist, Paulette Melanson;

Paulette Melanson, A Day at the Carnival, 4" x 5", acrylic on board

"As I was finishing these abstract paintings for Pre-Shrunk show, I realized they reminded me of the fun times we had going to the yearly local carnival with my parents when I was a child and later with my friends as a teenager.  It was one of the most exciting events of the year, on par with Halloween and Christmas!" - Paulette Melanson

Paulette Melanson, (Left) Clowns and (Right) Tilt A Whirl, 4" x 5" (each), acrylic on board

Paulette Melanson, "Send In The Clowns", 4" x 5", acrylic on board

Paulette Melanson, (Left) "Bubble Gum" and (Right) "Cotton Candy", 4" x 5" (each),
acrylic on board

You can see more of Paulette's larger works by following the link to our Flickr page HERE

Next is Trudy Callbeck! Trudy has been a regular contributor to other group shows, and occasionally has other works available at the gallery...be sure to inquire to see what's available!

Trudy Callbeck, Standing Strong, 5" x 4", acrylic on board

Susan Black has also contributed to other PreShrunk exhibitions in recent years...

Susan Black, "Patience With It All", 5" x 4", mixed media on board 

Susan Black (Left) "Good Natured" and (Right) "Parkdale", 5" x 4" (each), mixed media on board

Susan Black, Admire Admire, 5" x 4", mixed media on board

Susan Black, "Where the Pavement Ends", 5" x 4", mixed media on board

Newcomer, and NSCAD student Yasir Jawad has also been enjoying his first time exhibiting with PreShrunk...

Yasir Jawad, (Left) Breaking the Cycle 3, (Right) Breaking the Cycle 1, 5" x 4" mixed media on canvas

Yasir Yawad, Breaking the Cycle 2, 5" x 4", mixed media on canvas

Last but not least is Brenna Frasier! Brenna's work has also been featured in our Poster Pole Gallery last summer..

Brenna Frasier, Landscape Strata 4, mixed media on board

There's still lots of amazing artwork to discover at the gallery, with NEW ARRIVALS adoring our walls constantly!  Be sure to drop by and check back often!

Featured artworks are available for purchase, for details, contact us at

(902) 425-9456, or via email at gallery@argylefa.com

We're always open online! Visit us www.argylefineart.com

You can also view the entire PreShrunk collection online HERE

Knock! Knock! Take an art inspired tour of Italy with Mary Doane...

Each year the PreShrunk Selection Committee filters through hundreds of submissions to decide the shape and scope of the exhibition. Artists are permitted to submit up to 5 mini works with their application. While there's no "theme" required, we do enjoy seeing how individual artworks connect to one another.

We'd like to explore the works of one such contributor today with this vintage "Door Knocker" series by Mary Doane. Inspired by her trip to Italy, Mary shares her passion for watercolour painting while site-seeing abroad...

Mary Doane, "Knock Knock" Series, PreShrunk 2022

Originally from Nova Scotia, Mary lived in Quebec for 37 years before moving back "home" in 2015. It was during her training in interior decoration that she first used watercolour as a medium to render perspective drawings. 

Mary Doane, Knock Knock #5, At or Near the Palazzo Della Cancelleria, Rome Italy,
5" x 4", watercolour on paper on board

Palazzo Della Cancelleria, Rome, Italy 

Mary taught at the Centre de formation professionnelle Marie-Rollet in Sainte-Foy, Quebec, and for 27 years she taught all things concerning colour, harmony, balance…

Mary Doane, Knock Knock #4, 5" x 4", watercolour on paper on board

Mary Doane, Knock Knock #4, Near Via Del Governo Vecchio, Rome, Italy

"I am drawn to the representation of detailed subjects. I enjoy drawing details that would otherwise go unnoticed and draw attention to the textures and forms of the everyday objects around us."  - Mary Doane

Mary Doane, "Knock Knock #3, 5" x 4", watercolour on paper on board
Via dei Baullari, Rome, Italy

"Watercolour is a medium that does not easily forgive; before putting my brush to paper I study my subject to get to know it in the smallest detail and to be able to see, in my mind, the finished product before even wetting my brush." - Mary Doane

Mary Doane, Knock Knock #1, 5" x 4", watercolour on paper on board,
near Fondamento Del Rio Martin O Dei Garzotti,
Venice, Italy

"Preliminary sketches and colour tests allow me to work out all the problems of composition, contrasts, light and shadow. Once these elements have been thought through I can concentrate solely on the watercolour itself, always enthralled to see the colours and shapes appear on the paper." - Mary Doane

Mary Doane, Knock Knock #2, 5" x 4", watercolour on paper on board

Mary Doane, Knock Knock #2, near Via Del Poggiolo, Montepulciano, Italy

Featured artworks are available for purchase.  For details contact us at
(902) 425-9456 or via email at gallery@argylefa.com

Lots of amazing NEW artworks to discover online, visit www.argylefineart.com

You can also view the complete PreShrunk collection online HERE

Exploring The Amazing Landscapes of PreShrunk 2022

As part of Nova Scotia's Heritage Day Celebrations on February 21, the Province will be honoring the Landscape of Grand Pré. For our part, we'd like to share some of the amazing landscape paintings we've received for this year for PreShrunk 2022 exhibition (currently on view!).  

If you're unable to visit the gallery this weekend, there's still lots of amazing art to discover online. You can view the entire PreShrunk collection HERE

Kristen Li, Autumn Impressions, 4" x 5", acrylic on board

Barb O'Neil, Morning Beach Walk, 4" x 5", oil on board

Nova Scotia has been blessed with majestic coastlines and gorgeous landscapes, both rural and urban... 

Sheila Harnish, (Left) "Long Lake, Spryfield", (Right) "Reflections, Frog Pond", 5" x 4", oil on board  

Cheryl Flemming, Cloudy Day on the Ocean, 4" x 5", oil on board

Cheryl Flemming, Dusk At Rogues Roost, 4" x 5", oil on board

The ocean and its beaches are often a major source of inspiration for many Nova Scotian Artists...

Christina Gillis (Left) Lawrencetown Beach, (Centre) Carter's Beach, (Right) Crystal Crescent Beach,
4" x 5", watercolour on paper on board

Sometimes we're drawn to specific locations, both familiar, and those forgotten...

Shaune MacKinlay, (Left) Vacancy II (Pleasant Bay), (Right) Vacancy III (Pleasant Bay),
4" x 5", acrylic on canvas

Catherine Bagnell Styles, Forest Blues, 5" x 4", acrylic on board

Bailey Higgins, (Left) Margaree, (Right) North River Falls, 5" x 4", acrylic on board 

Living in Nova Scotia, we're also grateful to be part of the larger Atlantic Canadian landscape...

Kimberley Eddy, (Left) A Little Piece of New Brunswick, (Right) A Bit of PEI,
4" x 5", acrylic resin, mixed media on board

Gretchen Amirault, Flowers in June, 5" x 4", acrylic on board

There's so much artistic talent to enjoy in our region...

Briana Corr Scott, Untitled III, 5" x 4", oil on board

Deb Bromley, Halls' Harbour, 5" x 4", acrylic on board

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

Sarah French, Imagined Life in the Valley, 5" x 4", oil on board

One of the amazing features of PreShrunk is being exposed to so many different artists and mediums...

Adele Webster, Silver Stratacumulus Series No. 4 (Left) & No. 2 (Right),
5" x 4", resin, mixed media on board 

Installation View, Adele Webster's Stratacumulus Series

As you can see, there's still lots of amazing artwork to discover at the gallery. Why not add something beautiful to your home or office today!

Featured artworks are available for purchase! For details contact us at

(902) 425-9456 or via email at gallery@argylefa.com

www.argylefineart.com

TWOSDAY IS COMING- 02-22-2022

DID YOU KNOW THAT FEBRUARY 22nd, 2022 is coming up soon..... It's called TWOSDAY! (Tuesday, 02/22/2022) and it's a rare and wonderful occurrence.

 

 LET'S HAVE SOME FUN WITH A COMMUNITY ONLINE ART PROJECT!

MAKE A SKETCH USING THE NUMBER 2 as the starting point of your drawing! (see sample below)  We'll post all the contributions on our website on February 22nd at 2pm!  Get sketching...and just have fun! All ages welcomed!  

 Simply email us clear photo in the form of a jpeg of your sketch by February 21st  by NOON to: argylefinearthalifax@gmail.com

If you contribute we'll also enter your name to WIN  a GIFT CERTIFICATE worth $100! One entry per person:-)  

All individuals that send a sketch will be eligible for 22% off selected artwork on February 22nd, 2022

FEBRUARY LOVE AND TWOSDAY FUN!

 

LIKE A GRAB BAG BUT IN A BOX! H A V E  A  H E A R T CHECK OUT OUR VALENTINE GIFT FUN THAT IS WRAPPED AND READY!   PICK A PLAYING CARD FROM OUR DECK INSIDE THE GALLERY (or virtually by request) AND THE HEART THAT SUITS YOU WILL BE THE BOXED HEART YOU TAKE HOME!   Each TWIGGY heart is unique and made locally by artist Roisin Cadieux  $25 each

DID YOU KNOW THAT FEBRUARY 22nd, 2022 is coming up soon..... It's called TWOSDAY! (Tuesday, 02/22/2022)

LET'S HAVE SOME FUN WITH A COMMUNITY ONLINE ART PROJECT! MAKE A SKETCH USING THE NUMBER 2 as the starting point of your drawing! (see sample below)  We'll post all the contributions on our website on February 22nd at 2pm!  Get sketching...and just have fun! All ages welcomed!  Simply email us clear photo in the form of a jpeg of your sketch by February 21st  by NOON to: argylefinearthalifax@gmail.com If you contribute we'll also enter your name to WIN  a GIFT CERTIFICATE worth $100! One entry per person:-)   All individuals that send a sketch will be eligible for 22% off selected artwork on February 22nd, 2022