WELCOME TO ARTANYA

A collection of paintings, drawings and non sequiturs. Thanks for looking!

Contact Me

Name

Email *

Message *

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Thank You!

Thanks to everyone who attended the "Arty Parties" this November! In spite of the weather, the ice and the cold both events were delightfully warm and festive.

It was wonderful to share the work with appreciative viewers!

"Where Beauty Goes Unregarded, oil on wood, 2010 sold

"Muscle Memory III", 2010, mixed media on wood sold




Friday, November 5, 2010

Art in Real Life

There are some great arty parties coming up in the next few weeks, and you are cordially invited to attend the openings, and see some of my work in person.
And I would be very glad to see your persons ;)

Up first is the Menagerie show at SIDESHOW GALLERY (9609-82 ave, Edmonton AB) opening next Friday November 12, 2010 from 7-9 pm. Over 20 artists will be on view, so it is shaping up to be a great event!

And on the following Thursday, November 18 2010 another art exhibit and sale is taking place at 29 Armstrong, a contemporary design and furniture store in Downtown Edmonton. Please join me and my fellow artists Erin Elizabeth Ross and Jordan Lee for an exhibit of our recent work:

29 Armstrong
10129-104 street Edmonton, AB
www.29armstrong.com

It will be a festive party, with music, refreshments and objects of wonder.

Please contact me directly for details, or to RSVP . You can also RSVP at info@29armstrong.com

Hope to see you all there!

So Long Dream, 2010 mixed media on wood

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Some New Faces

Over the weekend I had exhibited a few new paintings at a group show in the Old Strathcona Arts Centre.
I thought I'd share a few of the portraits with those who couldn't attend the actual show.
Some of these faces might be familiar to a few of you!


Nathan, 6x8" oil on board

Kirby, 6x8", oil on canvas

Stella II, 4x4", oil on board sold

Saturday, October 16, 2010

"The Cult of Ugliness"

I just came across a 'video rant' by artist Scott Burdick, that I wanted to share.

The basic premise of his rant rests on the notion that a work of art must have 'inherent value', that it must be 'beautiful'.

He doesn't outline any concrete definitions of beauty, but he certainly does have a bone to pick with the art establishment. Mr. Burdick wags his frustrated finger at those critics and curators who are responsible for the 'cult of ugliness' that according to him, dominates our contemporary art world.

This is a rather loaded topic, but I thought I'd put it out there...

So: does art have to be beautiful?

Please discuss.

Oh, and here's a little preview of what I've been working on.

Virginia, oil on board 8x8" 2010 sold

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Art and the City

Here are few works I recently completed for an illustration project, themed 'City vs. The City'.

All are mixed media on paper, and are 11 x 14"












Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Imaginary




I used to keep a journal when I was young. Alongside real events, I would get lost in writing about imaginary happenings.
I re-read the journals recently, and found that it all seemed imaginary now.
It seems the passage of time and memory's trickery smudge the distinctions between reality and imagination.

And to my own surprise this thought appeals to me.

It is a theme that I hope to pursue in future work...

At the Brooklyn Flea Market this summer I rummaged through a box of old black and white photos - images of others, their lives, their living rooms, their moments in the sun. All these people are likely gone now, but their images remain. A few I selected and bought for a $1 - these will remain with me.

And to my own surprise this thought appeals to me.

It is a theme that I hope to pursue in future work...

But for now, all I have to show is this Foot. It is a Bargue study, in graphite. It is contrasted with a piece of cardboard that was part of a package that was recently delivered.

One small step from Summer to Fall...

Friday, June 11, 2010

What's the Latitude for the National Portrait Gallery of Canada?


Apparently, the answer is 53. Latitude 53.

Over the past few months I have been working on a painting of Rich Terfry, a.k.a Buck 65, a.k.a host of "Drive" on CBC Radio 2. He has graciously agreed to be the subject for a portrait that is on view at Latitude 53 until July 17, 2010.

The portrait was completed for a show entitled: National Portrait Gallery, whose curatorial focus stems from constructive criticism on the state of the actual National Portrait Gallery of Canada (the NPG collection is currently warehoused and not available for viewing).

I am thrilled to be a part of this cheeky project. It has been a dream working with Rich Terfry, who has been an incredible inspiration and a true friend.

I am having a very 'proud to be Canadian' Friday night. Maybe at the opening reception tonight, I'll have a Canadian or two. On second thought...





Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Winter Silence is Over




... Here comes the sun.

Life has presented many distractions lately, so artistic productivity has sadly been on the decline. However, I have been plugging away on a rather large portrait of a rather cool guy, for a group portrait show coming up in June. Here's a sneak peak of the 'eyes', in detail. The whole painting is 24" x 36", oil, and I'll post the full view once it is complete.

Thanks for checking out the blog, despite the long winter silence.