OPEN CITY: Get yourselves downtown. NOW.

Today's the day that local business have come together to bring excitement and activity to Downtown Halifax. You'll find that there is a TON of events happening as we speak, including an exhibition opening here at Argyle Fine Art. 

Today from 2-4 we'll be absolutely delighted to welcome you to the opening reception of EN Connections, flower and Vessel with pottery by Mindy Moore and beautiful Ikebana displays by Miyako Ballesteros. The gallery has been completely transformed with the art of Japanese flower arrangement, and we think you'll be thrilled with the results. Come in, and refresh your spirits with the works of these two local artists. 

Argyle Fine Art

1559 Barrington Street

Halifax, NS 

P.S. Keep your eyes peeled for a passport book being given out at local shops. Ask the shopkeeper to stamp the passport, for your chance to win lots of neat prizes! Want more information on OPEN CITY? See the link here: http://www.ilovelocalhfx.ca/v1/

 

Artist a Day: May 11th, Coin Coin Designs & Co

Renee Gruszecki (Owner/ Manager and Designer of Coin Coin) is an emerging entrepreneur who's line of coin jewelry is earning lots of attention and praise... and lucky for us, 

she'll be here at the gallery on Sunday!!

If you're feeling as though you need a little extra luck in your day to day adventures, 

have a look through Renee's selection of lucky penny rings 

(sterling silver settings made by Claire MacDonald!) 

They're beautifully designed, and immaculately crafted.  

Here's a little info on the rings themselves: 

"All of our coin rings come mounted on a custom designed, museum quality sterling silver ring with a certificate of authenticity and black velvet bag for safe-keeping. On the inside of your new ring band you will spot COIN COIN’s lucky duck footprint. It’s stamped there to represent a symbol of approval but also as a lucky wish." 

Swing by the gallery THIS SUNDAY, and meet the owner of Coin Coin herself! We'll be open from 12- 5pm, here at 1559 Barrington Street

Painting a Day: May 10th, Mindy Moore

Today's feature is actually a preview of what we'll have in store over this coming Mother's day weekend. You may have heard whisperings of  Halifax's "Open City" scheduled for this Sat & Sun? (Info Here. aaand Here) Well, here's just a small sampling of what we have in line:

Over the weekend, the work of Mindy Moore will be on feature.We'll be highlighting her stunning hand crafted vessels which will  be used as the foundations for the Ikebana flower arrangements by Miyako Ballesteros. Mindy's pottery alone is enough to stop you in your tracks, but with the addition of Miyako's sculptural floral displays, 

this show promises to take your breath away. 

Join us here at the gallery for the opening reception, and meet the artists in person!
Saturday from 2-4pm
(Show continues Sun from 12-5pm and May 16-16th from 10am - 5:30pm) 

Have you heard?! Halifax is an OPEN CITY: THIS SATURDAY AND SUNDAY

You won't find a more opportune time to visit downtown Halifax than this Mother's day  weekend. With 75 participating shops and restaurants, the city will be teeming with fun activities, great deals, and local business showing off their best stuffs.

Barrington street in particular will be a hotspot with Chives offering Side Door Takeout (Bacon Double Cheeseburger Sliders w/ Kettle Chips!! yummmm $5) and North Face (Maritime Summit) hosting a kids drawing contest. Our friends at Attica will have a tax free event, 

while The Discovery Center is organizing a scavenger hunt!! FUN!!

What will WE be doing? Well, for starters we'll have a wonderfully beautiful display of Ikebana flower arrangements created by Miyako Ballesteros, set in pottery by Mindy Moore. We hope you'll join us on Saturday from 2-4 to meet the artists.
(Exhibition  continues Sunday, May 13 from 12-5pm and May 15-16 from 10-5:30pm)  

  

 We'll also have Renee Gruszecki from "Coin Coin designs & Co

on hand on Sunday between 12-5pm.

Ask her about her line of lucky penny rings! 

We're sure you'll adore them..

Oh, and we'll be giving away CUPCAKES to the first 20 moms who visit the gallery on Sunday. Baked fresh by yours truly (some know me under my other hat, Gateaux Rose) 

And if that wasn't enticing enough, we'll also have a ballot for a 

$25 gift certificate here at the gallery.That's an awful lot of excitement for one weekend eh?!?! We can't wait to see you all, so dig out your walking shoes, and prepare yourselves for a lovely weekend in downtown Halifax.

For more information on Open City happenings, simply browse 
through the schedule posted on the I Love Local homepage! 
www.ilovelocalhfx.ca

Painting a Day: May 8th, Rita Van Tassel

Today's feature is the extraordinarily lovely Rita Van Tassel. 

This lady has an impeccable sense of style, so it's always a good idea to accessorize yourself with her wares. You'll never go wrong with Rita at the helm (....of your fashion accessories. Not a real boat.... although she would look fantastic in a captains hat...) 

These hand made leather earrings and pins are really just the tip of the iceberg. We have a fantastic range of colours and styles to choose from at the gallery, and they're all guaranteed to make you look super superb. 

 

Keep your eyes peeled for our new website that is scheduled to launch soon. We'll also be opening our first online shop, so that you can purchase fun items like Rita's jewellery at any hour of the day, all from the comfort of your own sofa. 

Until then, swing by the gallery in person! 

1559 Barrington Street

Halifax, NS 

902.425.9456

 

Painting a Day: May 6th, Yo Rodeo!

No, your eyes haven't suddenly failed you...the image bellow is meant to look a little fuzzy with the naked eye. This screen-printed beauty is created in 3D, so go ahead and rummage through your closets and pull out your old red/ blue tinted 3D glasses for a proper look see!

"Melted Mountain Way" Anaglyphic 3D screen-print on paper
20" x 20" Edition of 50 $200

Yo Rodeo is comprised of  local talents, Paul Hammond and Seth Smith 

who have been making artwork together for a really long time.

 We've featured their artwork here at the gallery for a number of years now, 

so there are many collections to choose from, including works from "Bloc Party" 

and the entire series from "Three Dee Realms"

Swing by sometime through the week and have a look for yourselves!

Painting a Day Series: May 5th, Amy Belanger

We're taking another turn from paintings again, to highlight the work of the wonderful Amy Belanger! Amy's work is delicate, feminine, and always lovely. Using reclaimed teacups and treasured china, Amy finds new purpose for these much loved heirlooms.

 

 I've photographed these pretty little earrings, but you'll find that we have many pendants here too at the gallery. They're definately worth popping in for, especially since that special

day for mommies day is quickly approaching us!! 

 

Painting a Day: May 4th, George Spencer

George Spencer is an artist who really caught our attention during our most recent pre-shrunk exhibition, and after inquiring if he had any other works that we could look at, we were astonished with what he presented us. We featured the first piece titled "Lemon" on the blog a few weeks ago, and the second painting titled "Gin" is still on display here at the gallery.   

This morning we were informed of two new pieces that will soon arrive: 

We have just received these two works in person.

Amazing.

BIKE WEEK: CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

ARGYLE FINE ART

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

Bicycles are wonderful emblems of healthy living, strong community, and timeless transportation – so it’s no wonder that Halifax will soon be celebrating all things bike related during it’s first annual bike week! Want to participate? We’d love to see how our local artists would 

depict this much-loved object.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES:

* Artists may submit any piece with a bicycle theme: 

new and older works will be considered.

* Submissions must be your own original work

*All mediums are accepted. Sculpture, painting, textile, etc will be all be considered.

* Please make sure your works are signed.

* Pieces which are accepted will be for sale at the gallery. Pricing is determined by 

the artist with guidance from the gallery

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS TUESDAY, MAY 22^ND.

To submit your creations, simply send jpegs of your completed work/s to gallery@argylefa.com

If submitting via photo is not possible, then drop by the gallery between 10am-5:30, Tuesday through Saturday with your completed piece/s. Artists will be sent a notice on their application shortly after the submission deadline on Tuesday May 22nd

Pieces that are accepted will be on display here at the gallery for the duration of Bike Week.

Pricing will be determined by the artist, with assistance from the gallery.

Standard gallery commission applies.

Show opens May 25^th, 2012.

QUESTIONS?

Please feel free to call or email us anytime!

We’re happy to answer any questions you might have.

gallery@argylefa.com

902.425.9456

GENERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT BIKE WEEK?

Email: brendan.sutcliffe@gmail.com

Painting a Day: New Sneak of upcoming show by Adrienne Godbout!

We are anxiously awaiting the first of many works to arrive at the gallery by Adrienne Godbout. Although her solo show isn't opening until May 19th, we just couldn't keep all of these a secret...they are just so wonderful.

Here is one example of what is to come...make sure to pop next week...we hope to have some of these in our windows just a little bit earlier than the show.  They will most likely stop people in their tracks, as her work often does.

Painting a Day Series: May 2nd Andrew MacDonald

Lets have a look at this new series by Andrew MacDonald, shall we?

Painted on reclaimed board with acrylic and high gloss resin - these pieces are rendered in Andrews distinct and refreshing style that blend nostalgic boyhood characters with quirk and charm. People aren't quite sure whether to laugh out loud, or marvel at their beauty.. and trust us these pieces are stunning. 

(the photo below can't touch the awesomeness of the originals)    

You might remember Andrews series of trucks and hockey players? 

Well, these wrestlers make the perfect addition to the collection, 

and might even start to give us a clearer glimpse of what goes on 

in Andrews mind....Sure looks like fun in there!!!

If you're wondering what their names are, let us introduce you to them properly: 

Paul "Mr. Wonderful" Orndorff  9.5" x 32"  $395

Jim "the Anvil" Neidhart 9.5" x 32" $395

Hillbilly Jim  9.5" x 32" $395

  

Brutus "The Barber" Beefcake 9.5" x 32" $395

Painting a Day Series: Nick Brunt's "Rod Stewart" May 1st!

It's May Day!! And to kick start our spring spirits into high gear, we're featuring this fine painting by Nick Brunt, titled Rod Stewart. 

It's not clear really, why Nick decided to depict Rod's tremendous nasal voice bursting from the earth at the foothill of the mountains... but what we do know, is that it's awesome.   

Nick Brunt. "Rod Stewart" 4" x 5" $175

Here's a special video to help fuel your love for Rod Steward, on this beautiful first day of May. Don't ask questions.. just sit back and let Rod take you on a colourful voyage 

that only he can guide.

that's it... just click the link and don't look back...