Weekend events

Two of my copper pieces (shown above) have been selected for the Craft Council of NL Annual Members' Exhibit which opens at 2pm this Saturday, June 27 (2nd floor of Devon House). On the same day, I'll be a vendor at Some Good Market, Canonwood Hall (St. Thomas' parish hall) on Military Road... just a few minutes walk from Devon House so you could take in both events! These copper pieces, Duelling Squid and Fox Skull, are 11" x 14", framed and limited edition (I'm only making 6 of each design... each one is numbered accordingly). I might have another Duelling Squid with me at the market (working on it today) but you'll find both at the exhibit. Please drop by and check them out! At the market I will also have my usual wares: linocut prints, silk-screened t-shirts, painting reproductions and smaller copper-tooled pieces.

New Hava Java show

Just installed a new show at Hava Java: paintings and prints by myself, Nick Kokis and Kathryn Welbourn. If you're in downtown St. John's, drop by and check it out!

Ice pans painting

Myself and a few other scallywags have been invited back to Hava Java (Water St. location) for another art show which we plan to install next week. I wanted something new to contribute so I started this ice pans diptych yesterday. I'm using acrylics this time in order to meet the deadline.

Hava Java show

I've got some paintings and linocuts showing at Hava Java's The Tower Corporate Campus location (that's the former Littledale facility on Waterford Bridge Road, St. John's). If you've got some business down that way, drop by and check them out! Nine pieces total including "The Daily Squawk"... should be up for the next month or so.

Historic sites gallery

I was really fortunate to get a few pieces in the new Historic Sites gallery on the second floor of their Water Street shop in downtown St. John's. If you get the chance, drop down for a looksy. Should be on until the end of August.

Scallywag show pix

Formal puffins, cartoon kitchen parties, large surreal woodcuts, expressionist landscapes and more! Here's a sneak peek an the Four Scallywags show, on now at Hava Java until mid-September. The Scallywags are Nick Kokis, John Andrews, Bill Ryan and Doug Bird. If you find yourself in downtown St. John's during the next two months, drop by and check it out! It's a great variety of styles, mediums and subjects. 

Scallywags have a show

This Sunday I'll be hanging pieces for another group show with Nick Kokis, Bill Ryan and Doug Bird at Hava Java in downtown St. John's. If you get the opportunity, please drop by and check it out! It's on from July 15 to September 14. There will be a wide assortment of paintings but I'm really looking forward to seeing Nick's woodcuts... he's a very talented printmaker. His "Croc" woodcut is the artwork on our promo material (see above).

The Grand Puffins of Newfoundland

So this is what I’ve been feverishly working on for the last few weeks. It’s my largest painting to date (excluding theatre flats).

It probably requires a little explanation.

The very successful advertising campaign for Newfoundland Tourism inspired it. The ads made me wonder (playfully) about how we got to this point in time where tourism on our North Atlantic rock is a booming business.

I imagined the early days of the campaign... way back to the 1890s where a group of well-dressed gents (Victorian Mad Men?), in a building somewhere off the Thames in London, sat around a large table covered in tumblers and snifters of scotch mulling over the possibilities (but mostly mulling over the scotch) of creating an allure for this cold and foggy rock.

“It’s nothing but fish and fog,” says one.

“Right, right,” others say in agreement.

The snifters get passed around again, glasses clink, cigars are lit and a luncheon order is placed.

Little progress is made.

Amid a feverish conversation of yesterday’s cricket match, a loud crack silences the room.

At the end of the long table, an exasperated Scotsman leans in.

“WHAT OF THE WEE PUFFINS THEN?!”

After an awkward silence, a staffer is called to the room.

“Jenkins, telegraph the muralist. We’ve got a job for him.”

And thus was the origin of the “The Grand Puffins of Newfoundland” campaign.

So that’s where my brain’s been for the last few weeks.

The Grand Puffins will be one of the pieces showing at Hava Java throughout the month of April in a group show with Nick Kokis and Bill Ryan. If you’re in downtown St. John’s, drop by and check it out!

The Grand Puffins of Newfoundland
Oil on canvas
36" x 48"

Printsy interview

There's been little painting or printing these last few weeks.

I'm installing baseboards in our house. The baseboard work snowballed, of course, into replacing all the baseboard heaters at the same time. I would normally be inclined to pay someone to do these things for me (especially the electrical) but getting someone in for a quote, let alone do the job, seems next to impossible. And our last few contractors did very shoddy finishing work. So I'm all about the DIY these days. It's satisfying work but it eats up my free time.

There is a an art to baseboard installation but I don't think I'm at that level yet. Thank god for caulking. And YouTube.

Anyway, there's a few bits of news to report.

First of all, Printsy (Printmakers of Etsy) has an interview with me on their blog this week which I'm very excited about! Thanks Diane!

As well, I've got a painting in a show! The QE II Library at Memorial University has a show every summer  open to faculty and staff. "Salon Des Beaux Arts" opened a few weeks ago and runs until mid-August. Thank you to Joanne Costello and Stephanie Williams for curating a really wonderful and diverse collection. If you're in St. John's, it's definitely worth checking out... 60 pieces by 35 artists!

Also, my ego and pocketbook wish to say thanks to my friends Vanessa, Katherine and Mark who purchased some of my paintings in the last month.