I have been working on a new painting that is really different. It is a canvas that is approx. eight feet in length and eighteen inches in height. The right side of the painting has a curve that bends a full ninety degrees. It would look awesome placed in a corner of a room.
I am including a few shots of how it looks today and will update it as it progresses. Keep in mind that this landscape is not one that exists in reality. It is a figment of my imagination and is growing little by little as I manufacture it. It has a three dimensional quality to it that is astounding. Hope you like it.
The photos show a bit of my studio as well. I hope that it is not too distracting.
I would like to announce a sale that will last for the next five weeks.
Sale ends December 8th, 2011
I have chosen 5 copies of 5 of my reproductions and I am placing a 30% discount on those items for 5 weeks or until they are sold out. If you would like to order one please don’t delay because I anticipate that these will sell out fast.
Isn’t it time to get that piece of art that you have been waiting to buy for yourself or as a gift for that special someone on your list?
Click on the images below to see larger view
Fly Fishing I 12” x 72” Edition of 125
Regular price $877.00 Now only: $612.50
Ladder Pool II 12” x 36” Edition of 50
Regular price $650.00 Now only: $455.00
Ladder Pool large size 24” x 72” Edition of 50
Regular price $900.00 Now only: $630.00
Autumn on the Cains 18” x 45” Edition of 50
Regular price: $850.00 Now only: $595.00
Sabbies Morning 12” x 39” Edition of 50
Regular price $650.00 Now only: $455.00
All prints rolled and shipped in tubes add $25.00
Applicable taxes will be added to each order.
Prints can be stretched, crated and shipped. Price upon request.
Contact: andrew@giffinartworks.ca
Thank you. Andrew
The exhibition “What’s in your background?” had it’s public opening on Aug 19th and the evening was a great success. There was a really enthusiastic response to the exhibit overall with a lot of compliments from the large crowd in attendance. Part of the success of the evening can be attributed to the “Uptown gallery hop” that was coincidentally going on the same evening. Many of the Saint John city galleries were cooperating by having openings and events of their own. Many of those that stopped by had been to many of those venues. I was pleased to see many familiar faces out to support my exhibition. The Exhibition continues until Oct. 22.
The exhibition is composed of two parts as I explained in my last blog post. I am going to share the images of those two separate galleries with you here. The first is the portraits of children which goes by the name A.N.Y. Child. The explanation of these paintings follows.
Each of the following images is present in the exhibition. They are numbered according to the placement of their being painted chronologically. I will be painting more and hope to have the exhibit again in a larger gallery someday.
Each of these canvases is 50” x 56” and they dominate the space where they are now hanging. I enjoy very much exploring the paint and the challenge of each new composition.
City of Saint John Cultural Affairs Officer, Bernard Cormier and Andrew Giffin at the opening of “What’s in your background?” Aug 19th
Children are the only form of immortality that we can be sure of.
– Peter Ustinov
A.N.Y. Child 1 Elena
It’s never too late to have a happy childhood.
– Tom Robbins, Still Life With Woodpecker
A.N.Y. Child 2 Jesse
"Men and nations behave wisely once they have exhausted all the other alternatives."
- Abba Eban (1915-2002)
A.N.Y. Child 3 Ty
Children are a poor man’s riches.
English proverb
A.N.Y. Child 4 Dane
The soul is healed by being with children.
Fyodor Dostoyevski
A.N.Y. Child 5 Dane
"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."
- Albert Einstein (1879-1955)
A.N.Y. Child 6 Ella
Every child is born a genius. – R. Buckminster Fuller
A.N.Y. Child 7 Devan
"I am not young enough to know everything."
- Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)
A.N.Y. Child 8 Stephanie
Below is a list of quotations that appear on the walls surrounding the paintings. They are all in vinyl lettering and float on the wall space above the images.
1. Can dreams really come true?
2. Who said that we have to die someday?
3. Isn’t it okay if I get hurt sometimes when I play?
4. I coloured my sky orange and my teacher said it should be blue.
5. Can I be an artist when I grow up?
6. Why can’t I be an astronaut?
7. Why is there war?
8. Singing makes me happy.
9. Why do we have to be quiet?
10. If I want something shouldn’t I just ask for it?
11. Laughing makes me feel better.
12. Why should I stop crying?
13. Are we there yet?
14. I wish that everyone could be happy.
15. Why do we get sick?
16. The sun can shine even when it is raining.
17. Will Daddy ever have to fight in a war?
18. Do we need lots of money to be happy?
19. Why do we put our pollution into the water?
20. Winter time is the best cause I love snow.
21. Why do we dream if we can’t follow them?
22. Where do we go when we die?
23. I want to help.
24. Can I do that?
25. The teacher said not to waste time drawing.
26. Why aren’t any grown-ups dancing?
27. Why doesn’t Daddy like his job?
28. Someone said that this music isn’t good but it makes me happy.
29. Children will not always remember what you taught them but they will always remember how you made them feel.
30. If you give your enemy a second chance, they might turn out to be your best friend.
31. Which religion is the correct one?
32. No matter how much you cry at night, things won’t change unless you help them to change.
33. You should always try, even when you don’t think it will help.
34. A single flower growing where nothing else is growing is a beautiful thing.
35. If you believe in yourself you can do anything Dad.
36. It’s OK to fail, but it’s not OK to give up.
37. Art and music are important to everyone.
38. Winning is fun but not always.
39. I want to teach everyone to be as good as you can be.
40. Math isn’t for everyone.
41. I have an angel looking after me.
42. I will love you forever and ever.
Pixies (nudity)
The other half of the exhibition is an example of the combination of photography the imagination and the computer.
As a child I would spend much of my time seeking out intimate spaces that were affected by light, colour and texture. Quite often I was distracted from the task at hand by these visions. Within the framework of that space I could imagine entire worlds existing. I remember it being a source of entertainment in times when I was alone with my imagination. Our family spent a great deal of time in nature when I was young and that interest led me to explore my surroundings from that perspective. I was very young when I received my first camera and I found it fascinating that I could compose those spaces into the view finder. As I did not have the money to buy film for the camera or get it processed for that matter I took imaginary pictures. Once I acquired a 35mm camera I began to photograph these intimate vignettes.
Upon returning to New Brunswick in 2005 I began the process of familiarizing myself once again with this place that I had left so many years earlier. On a trip to the family cottage one spring day my kids were playing down at the river edge busting up ice that was lying along the shoreline. I asked them to bring some of it to me and I placed it on the railing of the deck. As the sun began to melt it the ice became clear and interesting lines began to emerge. I began setting up landscape like scenes and photographing them. The results were stunning but there seemed to be an element missing. I super-imposed a nude into that first photo but once again it seemed like something was not quite right. I had a photo of a bird with its wings wide open and I cut and pasted one into the photo. By utilizing digital tools and duplicating the wing or changing it completely I found I could get some interesting effects. This initial experiment led to another then another and I found it quite stimulating to create each new one all the while using this one wing in each of the photos. Soon I began to backtrack through much of the photos that I had saved over the years and discovered that these spaces could become a part of this evolving story. The addition of the nude models scaled to the proper size brought new life to these photos. I find that searching for the proper scenario and placement of the pixie has led to the formation of a narrative.
I know that the question will arise of where the male pixies are and indeed they are out there. I guess the only answer I can conjure at this time is that all of the ones that I have seen were golfing, fishing or watching sports on TV. The ones that you see here are the rather more interesting compositions to date. There shall be more images of female, male and children pixies as the story unfolds.
1. the bathing pool
2. in the waterfall
3. emerging
4. pepper
5. the polisher
6. the reflection
7. ice climbing
8. melancholy
9. diamond
10. Christmas
11. learning to fly
12. window frame
13. winter home
14. gathering seeds
15. grave marker
16. peeping in
17. the key
18. hanging out
19. sleeping
20. the broken dock
21. the burned tree
22. self portrait (homage to Escher)
23. collecting birch bark
24. Nirvana ( not displayed in exhibition )
All of the images for the pixies are available as limited editions of 25. All of the images have been printed on canvas. They range in price and sizes. Inquire if you would like information on prices and sizes available.
I am excited to announce that I will be having an exhibition at the Saint John City Gallery in the Saint John Art Centre beginning August 19th and running until October 22nd. The public opening will be in conjunction with the Uptown Gallery Hop I will be in attendance at the Saint John City Gallery. Drop in for a visit.
This exhibit is one that I had not been planning but rather came about very quickly and I am working very hard to get ready for it. The time slot had been set aside for Herzl Kashetsky but he had to back out as he had commitments to a major exhibition at the Beaverbrook Gallery in Fredericton. I was asked by the Director of the gallery if I might be able to fill the gallery as a replacement. This came about no more than a month ago. Bernard Cormier is the Director and he and his wife Elizabeth paid a visit to my studio on a Saturday morning. We discussed different ideas and possibilities. I needed to fill two spaces and wanted to have a different angle for each.
A.N.Y. Child
Many of you know that I have been working on a series of very large portraits of children since 2002. It has always been my intent to show them all together as a group and to thread a number of quotes along with the paintings. Each canvas is 50” x 56” and the portraits are much larger than life. I had stopped producing them when we moved to NB. I have always kept the idea that the exhibit would occur but I was not sure when it would happen. Bernie liked the idea very much and was happy that these paintings have not been seen by many, especially as a group. I had six complete and one nearly finished. It will be complete and I have produced another since the decision was made to do the exhibit. My plan is to show nine so one more to go before Aug. 19. It is quite an undertaking for each of these big canvases but there is no better incentive than an opportunity like this.
The portraits will have quotations from children placed among them to remind adults of their free spirited and imaginative qualities that seem to escape the larger part of the population as we reach adulthood. As my own children have continued to remind me of the importance of remaining young at heart I thought it apropos to reveal some of that wisdom.
A.N.Y. Child 6 detail
PIXIES
The other half of my exhibit is quite different but lends authority to the idea of possessing a broad imagination. I have always been interested in photography and received my first camera as a Christmas gift when I was very young. Using the camera to capture images began my discovery of composition. I have always been amazed at how an intimate space can reveal so much wonder given the proper conditions of light, colour and texture. one day, with the aid of the computer and with the combination of figurative photos I began to super impose one photo over the other and created a new world of imaginary pixies or angels as some have called them. This part of the exhibit contains nudity because as it turns out the pixies in my world happen to be that way. The wings of each of the figures have been created from one photo of a bird in flight and all of the manipulations of those wings have been done digitally. It has created some very interesting effects. What started out as a fun exercise on my computer has turned into an evolving story.
Diamond window
I look forward to seeing you at the Saint John Art Centre on Friday August 19.
Before I go to the new paintings I would like to mention that the Atlantic Salmon Federation Journal placed an interview in their spring issue 2011 that was done by their editor, Martin Silverstone. Martin came to my studio last spring and hung out for a while and gathered information and some photos to include in his story. You can read it by following the link. http://www.asf.ca/articles.php?id=37
It has been some time since I have posted anything to my blog. Not wanting to be a nuisance has as much to do with it as anything but since I have some new paintings to show I thought it was a good time to do so.
The time has flown since my last post regarding my trade mission trip to Boston. I remain optimistic about having my paintings shown and sold in the New England market and continue to make headway in that direction. I have a funny story to tell about one of the galleries down there but that will have to wait for now.
When I arrived home from Boston I felt energized and began to paint quite a bit. I was finding inspiration around every corner it seemed and optimism certainly played a role in my energy. Looking forward to another season of fishing motivated some of my images as did the closing out of the winter.
Spring thaw 18″ x 36″
This painting came from a walk that Buddy, our dog, and I went on one evening as winter was giving away to spring. As the thaw had advanced we received yet another snowfall and as it melted it gave the fields this lacework look. I was captivated not only by the look of the fields but also the waning light and the frontal system that was approaching from the west. I stood by the road edge and snapped a picture of this scene in my mind. I began the painting while the image was fresh in my memory and am very pleased with the result. I went back on another walk after beginning the painting to see just how true to life the scene I had manufactured was compared to the real life scene. I can state that I feel i improved greatly on reality. My minds eye stored the information that you see here as important and I created the image from that minimal amount of information. Feeling confident that this was a winning formula I decided to attempt it once again when the March 19th “Super Moon” was in it’s full glory. Buddy and I went out for a walk once again at about 11:00 PM on the 18th and the nineteenth. The image that I burned into my brain this time came from the walk on the eighteenth. The clouds that were drifting in front of the moon were like lattice work and I stood captivated once again by the magic of the light and the aura surrounding the moon. I had painted this phenomenon, the aura, on one other occasion and set out to improve upon that. I happened to have a four foot by eight foot canvas ready to go so I set out to paint the “Super Moon”. At first the moon was exactly the same size as a quarter but has grown to about the size of a fifty-cent piece. The aura is working out but does need some work I believe. The landscape portion has been kept somewhat low key so that the moon can shine, literally. I have had much positive feedback regarding this piece as it continues to grow. I will post another time when it reaches completion. Here it is at this point in time. The photo was shot using natural daylight streaming in from the left and you can see it is casting a bit of a shine.
Super Moon 48″ x 96″
As with the fishing itch that occurs as the snow begins to disappear I decided to put together some images relating to that. The first one I am going to show you is an image I have planned for some time. We were fishing at one of my favourite places on the Cains River, a tributary of the Miramichi River. It is a very awe inspiring place with a long history. The camp there is run by a close friend and we were guests for a few days. The Cains River is rather unique as it has a very dark tannin to the water that gives it this black reflective surface. It is a joy just to watch the surface as the light plays off it at different times of the day. On this particular evening one fellow from the group was fishing his beat just ahead of me and I watched as the sunlight grew more intense as it set. It was striking him from a low angle and he moved in and out of the shadows of the trees as he made his way downstream. I waited until I felt the light was at it’s peak and then asked him to move about like a puppet on a string until he was standing in an intense beam of sunlight. I captured this scene in a number of photos and created my composition from a number of these. It has taken me a couple of years to finally settle into doing this but I am liking the result. The scene is very serene but one can feel the anticipation that the angler feels as he awaits that strike from below the surface. I call this simply “Autumn on the Cains”
Autumn on the Cains 18″ x 45″
Another piece that I have been working on and am also enjoying very much is one from my trip last June to the Bonaventure River on the Gaspe Peninsula in Quebec. I was amazed by the clarity and the absolutely stunning colour of the river. This has taken some time for me to absorb and to attempt to re-create in paint. I attended a Fly Fishing Forum in Granby Quebec back in February. I spoke with the man that had invited me to the Bonaventure last year and he asked me if i had painted any river scenes from there as of yet. When I mentioned that I had not he said that many have tried to paint the water of that fine river but they just never seem to measure up. I think now that he may very well have been issuing me a challenge. Well I love a challenge when it comes to paint and so I decided to give it a go. When I sent this picture to him he mentioned that he felt that I had captured the colour very well. Check out how the deep section of the pool is turquoise and gives way to all of the reflected greens and blues etc. I had considered placing a fisherman standing on a rock in about the middle of the composition. It had been suggested by a student of mine that maybe this time I should leave the fishing theme aside and that appealed to me because as a fisherman I like to see a pool that does not have another person fishing it. The photo here was taken when the painting was not quite as far along as it now stands but the idea is here.
Sinclair Pool 18″ x 36″
Another image that I did after my trips to the Cains last year was from an early morning scene with the morning mist lifting off the river as the sun begins to warm the air. The scene is where the Sabbies River enters the Cains River. It is an incredible place to experience the rising sun as it begins to break the tree line and warm the verandah of the big old log camp where I had been working. I had many mornings and evenings to fish while I assisted the process of readying the camp for the owner to arrive from Europe. I really like the feel of this painting. It has the look and feel of an early English landscape. You can almost feel the intensity of the sun as it bursts through the fog.
Sabbies 12″ x 39″
One other that has been done for a while now but I have not posted a photo of it on my blog. It does appear on my web site but I thought I would show it here as well. It is another angle of my painting posted here called “Ladder Pool” from about a year or more ago. It is smaller than the horizontal piece and looks at the angler from an oblique angle. I like the vertical format and it works well for this scene. The angler is standing on a rock as can be clearly seen through the water surface. He surveys the pool in preparation for fishing. This part of fishing is very important as anyone that fly fishes can attest to.
Ladder Pool II 12″ x 36″
If you are interested in seeing any of these paintings up close or if you would like to obtain the original or a reproduction on canvas please contact me.
I will be using twitter to upload pictures of new work and events. If you want to see what is going on in my studio check out www.twitter.com/giffinski
Follow me to keep updated
I have been wondering lately how I would reach out to find new markets for my art and decided to visit Enterprise Fundy and ask some questions about possible funding etc. for travel to expand my reach with my art. The contact that I spoke to mentioned to me that I may possibly be eligible for some funding for travelling outside the province through Trade Assistance Program of the NB Gov’t. Since I had been travelling and spending money I did not have to do so I welcomed the opportunity to look into it. I called and was told that my industry did not qualify as I was not a manufacturer. I explained how I manufacture my art and then manufacture my own reproductions of my paintings but I still was not getting anywhere. It was only when the person that I was speaking to mentioned that “When I am manufacturing my reproductions” I said excuse me whereby she repeated herself and I thought “Hmmmm…did she not just call me a manufacturer?” She agreed that indeed she had but I still did not seem to be any closer to gaining acceptance for the funding. I went back to Enterprise Fundy and was told that my name was being put into the hat to join a trade mission to Boston sponsored by the NB trade assistance program. I was not thinking that I would get accepted but as it turns out they decided to take me along, possibly as free entertainment but nonetheless I was on my way to Boston.
The various businesses included in the mission had a matchmaker in the Boston area working for us to secure appointments at various businesses that were interested in seeing our products. I was of course being introduced to art galleries through my web site and other materials that I had provided to this liaison. I thought at first that he would not have much luck finding me any meetings and I did not envy the job that had been cut out for him. I had sent him a couple of contacts of people and galleries that I would like to be able to visit to speak firsthand to the owners or directors. He was able to fill up my two day schedule with meetings in some very fine galleries to consider my original art as well as businesses that may have been interested in selling my reproductions.
We left on Sunday Jan. 23rd and had a tough time crossing the border. I had too much in value to cross the border without a broker which I would have trouble finding on a Sunday morning. After returning to Canada and meeting up with a friend I left some of the work and went back to redo the paperwork for entry. It turned out to be a 5.5 hour attempt to cross the border. Free trade?
I had made a new friend that was travelling with me and he was very understanding and probably more level headed about our situation than was I. He was also part of the mission and until that morning I had only spoken to him on the phone a couple of times. His name is Tyrone Reveen and he is the son of the famous hypnotist, The Man they call Reveen, that used to dazzle audiences throughout North America and around the world. As it turns out Ty and I must have been cut out of the same piece of cloth and even though our journey took twice as long as it should have it was a blast every mile of the way.
Once we arrived we were briefed by the Boston contact and given an itinerary for each day. The next morning bright and early a driver and black limo arrived to pick me up and take me out for the day. I sure am glad that this was the case as I would have been lost trying to find my way around Boston on my own. It was great to be able to sit back and sip my coffee and get a tour of the city and surrounding area. The driver offered up pieces of history as we visited different areas which made the adventure much more interesting.
First off I visited a Fly fishing shop in Concorde, MA that will be dealing in my Fly Fishing images (reproductions). I then went to visit another artist in Kingston who runs an angling art web site and used to feature others. It was like talking to a clone in a way. His knowledge of contacts and ideas will be very helpful and I hope I can reciprocate for him.
I visited a beautiful gallery on Newbury St, where all of the great galleries are. I took in a couple of my paintings and they were wrapped in black paper. The director of operations mentioned that they did not look at art brought in to the gallery but wanted me to leave a CD of my work that they would be viewing later in January to make additions to their stable of artists. I was asked if I would like tea and while she was gone to make it I browsed through the gallery. I realized I was standing in front of five or six Rembrandt etchings, Chagall circus poster works and some Picasso serigraphs. I was not holding out much hope for this gallery. She came back and we had a nice chat. She kept glancing over at my paintings all wrapped in black and I think that curiousity got the best of her and she said that since it was Monday and very slow would it be alright to look at the paintings. We unwrapped them and I have to say that under the gallery lights these two paintings sparkled. She seemed suitably impressed. I’ll just have to wait and see.
Rivers Edge 28″ x 42″
Morning Mist 15″ x 50″
I have to put in a word for the man that put together an outfit for me to wear in Boston when I went to my meetings. They say clothes make the man and his choices for me certainly helped. His name is Jeff Garcia and he runs a clothier business in Moncton called Zachary Samuels. http://www.zachary-samuels.com/main.html His clothing is the finest and he knows his business. Pay him a visit if you are looking for some really fine threads. Thanks Jeff.
The next morning the driver showed up again and took me to Newbury St. for another gallery visit. This time it was focused on my angling art (originals) and I left there with the knowledge that he would represent my work. This is great because he handles some heavyweights. He produces these huge full colour catalogues twice annually and takes the work to New York for auction. He said he would include me in his catalogue. I was looking through one of the recent catalogues and noticed a Robert Bateman original along with a number of his drawings that a collector had offered on the market. I am very excited about being included.
My next meeting was at the Boston Design Centre and it was to visit the only art gallery in the building. The owner had been on my web site and asked that I bring a couple of paintings specifically (above) so that she could see them. I took them to her and she put them up on easels right away. She was very disappointed when I informed her that I could not leave them with her. The rules of the game are that we had to return with everything that we took down aside from samples or CD’s and brochures. The good news is that I have them crated and they are on their way back to her gallery this week. She is very excited about how well my work will be received. I hope that she is correct.
My last two visits were walk ins that had been prearranged. I was encouraged at both galleries and they were just a few blocks from one another once again on Newbury St. I was blown away by the work on their walls for sure but felt that I could easily be in there as well. Another couple of wait and see situations.
All in all it was an invigorating and inspiring trip. I was asked by the organizers where else I would like to go on another trade mission. I replied China. They have put my name down as they intend to go there this autumn possibly. I am also on the list to go on the next mission to Chicago. I’m really excited about the prospect of these missions.
When we arrived home Shauna asked me how I felt overall regarding the trip. I told her I felt like a kid that has been playing pond hockey in his backyard for thirty years and was just signed on to the NHL. That would just about sum it up I believe.
I have just hung up the phone after a lengthy discussion with a very dear friend that lives in Winnipeg. The focus of our discussion dealt in large part about the donation of art to fund raising events that are going on just about every week. I have been a huge supporter of many different organizations over the years. I’d like to tell you a little about how it all began and where it is today.
When I started to show my art in public it was not long before I started to receive calls concerning whether I would donate a piece of art to an upcoming event for a local, national or international charity. The obvious selling point to me was that there would be plenty of people in attendance that had the wealth to purchase art and that this would be a great venue for my work to be seen. I gave something and waited with quiet trepidation for the art buyers to start calling. That didn’t happen…this time, was my thought. I tried on a number of other occasions and each time I was disappointed in the lack of interest that was being shown for my work outside of the auction. “Maybe my work just doesn’t measure up”, I thought. I continued to give work for a while and then as I became familiar with some other artists in my community that had done much donating I started to hear their voices. Many were very disgruntled with the whole idea of making anymore donations to fund raisers because of this same result. The calls come very frequently I can tell you that. Just think of how much art you have encountered at fund raising events. I was asked many times to donate to a very well known national organization and that same story was always used to try and get me to give up my work. I went out on a limb and said that if they were willing to pay me half of what was raised then I would certainly be willing to cooperate. This was met with a reasonable level of shock by the person that had called. I told them that they should really think about what they were doing and that alienating artists from donating was the result of their way of doing things up to that point. They just hung up and moved down the list knowing that there would be plenty of artists that had not heard the song and dance before and that they could fill their quota before the event. Since that time, other than a few select charities, I always go into my donation agreement with a 50/50 split or some other mutually agreeable level of cooperation. This was first proposed to me by the Atlantic Salmon Federation. This was how they did their business when it came to donations from artists and it had worked very well for them. They receive quality product from good artists and a relationship grows out of that mutual respect. They were one of the only organizations that seemed to realize that an independent artist is about as rare and endangered as the mighty fish that they work tirelessly to save from extinction. I have been donating work to them for ten years now and a healthy sum of money has gone towards salmon conservation and to the feeding of my family.
As many other organizations large and small contacted me I became an advocate for artists ( I hope ) by always bringing this point up as a topic of discussion. If they were willing to work with me then I was willing to work with them. They would tell me that was not their policy and I would tell them to call back when they changed their policy. I was asked to be present in a number of committee meetings to discuss this point of view as they had been finding it much more difficult to find artists to donate. I only hope that my appeals were not falling on deaf ears and that artists have benefited from those meetings. I have noticed that the national organization that I mentioned earlier is now sharing with artists the proceeds of their fund raisers. Things can change.
Often times when a fund raising event is being held many corporations or businesses want to contribute in some way and they find that a cash contribution is not always the way they would like to go. I have had situations whereby an individual, business owner or corporation have purchased a piece of art from me and then donated it to the fund raiser. Win win in my view. Many people do not know that by purchasing art from a living Canadian artist the tax benefit is the greatest. They are getting to make an excellent contribution to the cause of their choice, the charity benefits from their generosity and the artist is not left to wonder whether someone will notice their work and call them sometime after the event. The income that the artist raises from this type of cooperation is a way for private industry to support the arts. There are many advantages for small and large businesses to purchase original Canadian art. Many business owners are not aware that the Canadian tax law allows business owners to purchase and write-off original Canadian art in its entirety. They are amazed to find out that the acquisition of original Canadian art is included in the capital cost allowance for all Canadian businesses, so long as the artist was a Canadian citizen when creating the work and the work of art is an original worth a minimum of $200. The Canadian Government allows original Canadian art to be depreciated through the capital cost allowance for business, not as a loophole, but as enticement for Canadian business people to support Canadian art and Canadian artists.
When I first moved to NB in 2005 I went to a meeting at the Sussex Artists’ Co-op http://sussexartistsco-op.blogspot.com/. The meeting was intended to spearhead an organization for and by artists to assist in giving us a voice on a provincial level. The organization that was eventually formed is called ArtsLinkNB http://www.artslinknb.com/ I was very surprised to learn at that meeting that the average annual income of a professional artist in New Brunswick was less than $10,000. http://www.rabble.ca/babble/labour-and-consumption/canadian-artists-living-poverty-43-earn-less-10000 This is well below the poverty line and one of the reasons for the organization was to address this concern. I believe that if people knew this fact then they would not be so quick to ask artists continually to make straight donations to their fund raising events and they would also find ways to support those that do give after the event is over.
I hope that I may have shed a little light on an area that I have been dealing with for many years. My attempt to clarify the artists predicament is not to gain sympathy yet understanding. When we work together toward a common cause then everyone involved comes out on top.
As usual I would like to hear your comments. You can go to the comment section of this site or email me. Thank you.
I tell you, the more I think, the more I feel that there is nothing more truly artistic than to love people
Vincent van Gogh
Ladder Pool 24″ x 72″ Acrylic on canvas
So I’ve got this painting that I have been wanting to share with everyone and have been sitting on it for a while. It all started when I was asked to come up with an image that would be suitable as a commission for someone special for doing something really special for a really special cause. My good friend Marcel Caissie who is an avid fisherman and photographer had been to the Dartmouth River in Quebec ( Gaspe) and taken a number of photos that I was then given full access to work up a composition from. Check out his photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/spey/ A number of different angles were presented and all were very unique and interesting. After the very special charity decided that a painting was a little too special to give as a gift to this very special person for his hard work at raising large sums of money, the idea was laid aside. It made sense that they would get him a nice gift but the painting was a little extravagant a gift for this purpose. I tend to agree with that logic. I decided since I had put a fair amount of time into the preparation of the images that I would ask Marcel if I might continue the process and bring the painting to fruition. His answer to that question was “fill your boots” which to a fisherman may not be the best thing to hear. I decided to get to work on the painting.
Backing up a about a year earlier I had been having some major trouble with my large format printer and had lost almost an entire roll of canvas, 40′, as a result of a memory problem with my server. The canvas is artist grade and coated on one side for inkjet printing. I was trying to reproduce copies of my Fly Fishing II Giclee reproductions and when it got to about 7/8 finished the system would shut down. It would print smaller images but would not do the file size we are talking about here. At any rate I had all of this partially printed canvas hanging about and was not about to throw it in the trash. Since the format I had chosen for this painting was a long horizontal piece, 24″ x 72″ the ruined reproduction was the perfect choice for material. I decided I would flip the canvas, gesso and paint on the reverse side. Pretty thrifty wouldn’t you think? I mean Emily Carr used to paint on shopping bags right? It’s funny because when people see the backside of the painting they can’t help but think that I have another painting on the other side. HMMMM? Reversible paintings may just be the new thing.
The painting had been done for quite a while and I thought that it was sold but something went wrong with that deal and so I decided to put it back on the easel and examine it some more. I started to paint on it again and am glad that I did. It’s finish is something that really has a three dimensional feel.
The clarity and colour of the water and the rocks on the bottom of the river all mesh into creating the sensation that you are actually standing right there in the water. The forest on the opposite river bank harbours a mysterious quality with the deep shadows and the cooling effect of the blues on the distant rock faces. The fisherman’s anticipation can be felt through his pose and how intently he watches the drift of his fly. The water rushing and churning out of the pool creating a white froth as it races away downstream creates a nice flow away from the stillness where we are standing. The angles of the rock formations on the opposite bank with their various shades and warms and cools create a strong contrast to the slick water surface. The contrasts of dark and light, warm and cool have helped to create a very dramatic yet serene and peaceful painting. I think I like it
There is a limited edition 50 Giclee reproductions available of which 4 are already sold. If you are interested in obtaining one please contact me through my email. andrew@giffinartworks.ca They are available in two sizes: 13″ x 39″ or full size 24″ x 72″. Contact me for pricing.
One of the the most dramatic effects that this piece has had on me is that I have been inspired to make a journey this spring to the Gaspe where I will spend a week to ten days exploring the river systems and fishing and photographing for future projects. I am very excited and will have some news when I come home from there regarding an interesting project that I learned about just recently.
I am currently working on another painting of this same scene from another angle. It is 12″ x 36″ and is a vertical format. It is nearly finished and will be uploaded very soon.
Below are some links. Check out this amazing part of Canada.
http://www.zecgaspe.com/english/index.html Three great rivers.
http://vimeo.com/8224890 Let this video load and then watch it full screen. AWESOME!
http://www.quebecsporting.com/york.htm This one may just be a sensory overload.
http://www.campbonaventure.com/salmon.nsf/e/B21D67790F711D5585257301006257C1?OpenDocument One heck of a fishing camp.
Tiger Woods 5 & 7
Well it’s that time of year once again when the world’s greatest golfers are about to meet at Augusta, Georgia for the much anticipated Masters Golf Tournament. Each year this tournament brings along with it the hopes of an early start to our own golf season here in Sussex, NB. www.sussexgolfandcurlingclub.ca In fact our driving range opened this weekend. I hope to get some much needed practice in before the Masters Tournament. I have been busy getting ready for the new season ahead by polishing up and even repainting some of my equipment. These old Lynx Super Predators are great clubs and were in need of a new coat of paint. I thought what better way to get some extra power out of them but to paint them with Tiger stripes. Now when I tell everyone that I am playing golf with Tiger Woods this season they will see I’m not delusional. I fear the new paint job to some degree though. I’m not sure whether my shots will go straight or tend to wander all over the place. I’ll have to wait and see whether Tiger Woods can improve my scoring.
If you are a golfer then I hope you have a great year. I’ll let you know how the Tiger Woods worked out in a later posting.
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