PRE-SHRUNK VOUCHERS!

 Hello Hello! It's that time of year again... PRE-SHRUNK VOUCHER TIME!!!!!

Vouchers go on sale THIS FRIDAY at NOON.

In case you are new to Pre-Shrunk vouchers or just need a refresh... Here's how it works:

Any questions you can always reach out ☺

NOCTURNE RECAP! in case you missed it :)

Hey Folks! As you may know this past weekend was NOCTURNE 2025! We had 3 new bodies of work on display at the gallery by Belle, DeMont, Amy Ordoveza and Mindy Harris. Each with a story to tell.

Belle DeMont, The 3 Ravens, Oil on Canvas, 20"x23"

Belle DeMont debuted her first solo showcase with us during Nocturne. Titled: When the Veil is at its Thinnest, Belle explores a time when the boundary between this life and the next is said to grow thin. Rooted in the weeks surrounding Samhain, these paintings come from that quiet seasonal space where fog settles, the light shifts, and the natural world seems to pause. 

Belle DeMont, The Sea Witch, Oil on Canvas, 48"x60"

Belle DeMont, Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, Oil on Canvas, 20"x24" - Seen with AR text

In this series, DeMont explores a liminal space, a borderland between reality and dreams, where the veil between the visible and invisible begins to wear away. DeMont aims to invite viewers into moments of stillness, reflecting the quiet transitions that come with the changing seasons. She is drawn to these in-between spaces, where the ordinary world begins to feel sacred. It’s during this time of year that she feels most tuned into the land around her, and most able to respond to it through paint.

Belle DeMont, The Weird Sisters, Oil on Canvas, 11"x14"

Come see the show! It will be on display until November 5th or you can view it online HERE

Amy Ordoveza, Lady Slippers with Bumblebee, Gouache on Paper, 7"x10"

We also had a brand new collection of work from Amy Ordoveza titled: Under the Forest Canopy.

Over the course of late spring, summer, and early autumn, Amy has been making a series

of visits to forested areas in the Halifax region. Finding places where she can closely observe the

flora and fauna of the forest floor, and pause there to quietly sit and experience the sights,

sounds, and atmosphere of the forest respectfully, taking care to avoid disrupting the plants

and animals in their habitat. She records what she notices in small sketches and gouache

studies done on the spot.

Amy Ordoveza, Asters and Bumblebee, Gouache on Paper, 5"x7"

Ordoveza has drawn inspiration for these paintings from the Sottobosco, a sub‐genre of still‐life

painting that became popular in the Netherlands in the 17th Century, practiced by artists such

as Rachel Ruysch and Marsius Van Schreick. In their depictions of the forest floor Ruysch and

Van Schreick offer the viewer a wealth of textures of tree stumps, moss, mushrooms, and

prickly thistles. In this shadowy setting, lizards, snakes, and toads face off with each other and

hunt butterflies and other insects; all the drama one might find in a history painting is present

on a microscale.

Amy Ordoveza, Dragonfly and Sweatbee, Gouache on Paper, 7"x5"

While we now live in a very different time and place, Ordoveza sees qualities

and themes in these paintings that she brings to her own work as she paints local,

contemporary sottoboschi: the importance of direct, close observation of nature, the theme of

regeneration and renewal, conflict present in a microcosm, and the significance of small

creatures.

Amy Ordoveza, Forest Light Study, Gouache on Paper, 5"x7"

See all the details in person or check out the full collection online HERE

Mindy Harris, the Public Gardens, Hand Embroidery on Linen, 24" Diameter

Last but not least we have the incredibly detailed work of Mindy Harris.

In a world plagued by threats of environmental collapse, pandemics hold us hostage and vulnerable, while outside our shuttered windows, the biota thrives. Science has a long history of organizing the world into predictable categories for easier comprehension and control, separating us from what we perceive to be simple life forms, but what if we approach our biological limitations with acceptance rather than fear?

An Immense and Miraculous pattern is a collection of Embroideries that aim to challenge the

binaries between nature and civilization, self and other. Inspired by ancient myth and modern

anxieties, Mindy uses Hybrids to examine our uneasy relationship with the natural world and

the artificial boundaries we draw between ourselves and other fauna.

Mindy Harris, Peggy's Cove, Hand Embroidery on Linen, 21" Diameter

Armed with equal parts evolutionary proposal and dark humor, her work invites reflection on environment, mortality, and the narratives we use to understand and accept the world around us.

An Immense and Miraculous Pattern leans into the absurd to highlight the importance of

changing course, asking if transformation is the key to survival or if the notion of humans

finding harmony with nature is just as frivolous. Borrowing from mythology, science fiction, and

natural history, Harris endeavors to disrupt the margins between past and present, fiction and

future.

Mindy Harris, Citadel Hill, Hand Embroidery on Linen, 16" Diameter

Mindy Harris, Three Sisters (based on the rock formation in Advocate Harbour) , Hand Embroidery on Linen, 24" Diameter

To see everything up close and personal drop by the gallery before November 5th or see it online HERE

Fall is HAPPENING

With the colour changing leaves and the chilly weather... we can tell, FALL IS HAPPENING... and honestly we couldn't be more excited!

Paper Garland by Lucky Sprout Studio

This season we have a few fun things happening at the gallery. Most notably would be NOCTURNE which is happening OCTOBER 18th from 6:00pm - MIDNIGHT.

This year we are featuring three new collections by Amy Ordoveza, Belle DeMont & Mindy Harris.

Each show will be on display until November 5th, so if you can't make it to opening night, it's okay! You will have plenty of time to enjoy the beautiful work from these ladies.

Although Nocturne will be really fun and cool and you should definitely come. 😊 Just sayin'

Speaking of fall, we also have some new pieces by Chris Warburton Hulme that have arrived at the gallery just in time for spooky season....

Chris Warburton Hulme, Resting Witch Face, Mixed Media on Board, 10"x10"

Chris Warburton Hulme, Bow to the Crone, Mixed Media on Board, 11"x14"

Chris Warburton Hulme, Hag With Standards, Mixed Media on Board, 12"x12"

Looking at our collection of work it is really impressive that we have art for every season... EVEN Fall/Halloween! We have put together a few things that we think you will enjoy.

Emmy Lao, Witch Flounder, Wool and Mixed Media, 6.5”x4.5” (Framed)

Caileigh Lambie, Spook, Acrylic on Canvas, 8"x10"

Sharon Cave, Fritz and Fiona, 12" x 12", Acrylic on Board

Annie Murray, Forest Dweller, Oil on Canvas, 10"x10"

I think that is it for now, we have been busy busy getting ready for the upcoming season.

As always you can check out the latest updates on our social media @argyle_fine_art or sign up to our newsletter to get weekly updates right to your inbox!

Have you heard of Inktober?

You may have seen on our socials that we are hosting a sketching event October 4th in celebration of Inktober. And we have gotten some questions asking... What is Inktober?

Inktober Drawing by Bee Stanton

Known mostly to artists, Inktober is a month long art challenge created by artist Jack Parker that is focused on improving skill and developing positive drawing habits. Every Day for the month of October anyone participating in the Inktober challenge creates an ink drawing and posts it online.

We are invite you to join us at the gallery from 2:30 - 4:30 October 4th.

Try your hand at sketching from the official Inktober prompt list or bring your own! We will have plenty of sketching supplies available.

Chat, Sketch, Enjoy ☺

We also have a second event happening October 4th from 1:30-3:30 in our gallery windows!

Take a walk by and get yourself sketched RIGHT ONTO OUR WINDOW!

Artists Amber Solberg, Shannon Long & William Froude will be here drawing city folks. Filling our windows with your beautiful faces!