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
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.
Recently I was commissioned to create four panels for The Johnson GEO Centre, an interpretive Centre in St. John’s, NL. http://www.geocentre.ca/
The panels are all 30″ x 40″ and approximately 2.5″ in depth. Each one deals with a different angle of the formation of the features of the St. John’s harbour as we know it today. The creation of the panels was a challenge because they were to all be relief carved and the textures and colours all needed to be dealt with in a way that gave them scale and a level of reality. Each one posed it’s own unique challenges. One is a topographical shot of the entire island of Newfoundland and the surrounding ocean bottom and other recognizable features such as Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island to name a few.
The next and probably my favourite is the close up topographical view of St. John’s Harbour pre-settlement time. Creating the opening to the harbour complete with Signal Hill and Fort Amherst was a very interesting task. It has a great composition and looks interesting no matter how it is oriented.
Next is the panel that depicts the mountain range that once stood majestically where Signal Rock is now poised. The destruction of this range wouldn’t bode well with any of us that are avid skiers. What a force the glaciers unleashed on the Eastern Mountain ranges. I enjoyed creating this piece because of my time spent in the West and my appreciation for the mountains. I could see myself at times finding notches and chutes to race down while I was creating the snow fields and bowls.
The final panel is an interesting juxtaposition of textures. The crushing weight of the ice can be felt as it rides across the rock surface of what was ultimately left behind once the glaciers had receded. Not much of a ski hill left here. Carving the glacier structure was enjoyable. The strong verticals really lend an authentic feel to the idea of ice melting. The painting was equally interesting as the subtleties were important and the shading equally so.
An exciting outcome to this project is how the combination of sculpture and painting have let me explore these disciplines in an overlapping manner. I have done paintings in the past that combine three dimensional elements as well as painting sculptures. I am anxious to continue exploring this combination on my canvases to give the paintings a 3D effect. I am adding a couple of examples of paintings that have combined sculpture and painting.
This painting, “Bright Fish early return” is one example. The canvas is split into two separate heights. The waterfall is three dimensional as are the rocks that are flanking it. The lower pool is 1.25″ below the upper river and the water cascades over. Embedded in the waterfall near the rock on the right is a salmon partially exposed as it climbs the waterfall. The painting sold at auction in Toronto some years ago at an Atlantic Salmon Federation fund raising dinner. http://www.asf.ca/
This is one of the first examples of the sculptural element creeping into my work. It was done as an experiment and the result was interesting. I had a cut out of the kayak that I had been moving around on the surface of the painting, trying to decide where it would be best to add it. I happened to ask my son Jesse who couldn’t have been more that six at the time. He asked me if he could move the taped cut out and I encouraged him to do so. He placed it part way off of the canvas and said “I don’t know if that will cause you trouble Dad but I think it looks cool there.” “Brilliant” I thought. I decided to do the kayak two dimensionally but I would extend the canvas with a piece of high density carving foam topped with a piece of canvas. The frame itself is set back from the painting edge and the effect of water spilling from the painting and into the frame box was done with a polyester compound and painted. The painting now hangs in the home of a collector in Winnipeg, MB.
The final piece that I want to show you is one that I did a number of years ago as well. It came from an idea that I had pertaining to our depletion of the natural resources. The scene is a northern lake in MB. Not any one specifically but I had been to Norway House, a reserve in Northern Manitoba, with a good friend and he and his brother are shown crossing the lake. The painting is 8′ in length and about 18″ in height. The key and rolled sardine can lid are comprised of mahogany painted with aluminium paint and the can lid is sheet aluminium. They are attached through the canvas from behind. The metal frame adds a level of authenticity to the idea. The key is, in essence, chasing the two men in the boat across the lake as they set out to find their quarry or winter store as it were. The woman that purchased this painting saw it at the Manitoba Art Expo http://manitobaartexpo.ca/ in which I was involved for the first four years, 96-99. I was speaking with someone when I heard a hearty laugh arise from the gallery area. When I turned to see where it had come from a she looked at me and said “I’m buying this painting”. She GOT it! She bought it and it now hangs in a beautiful lake home at Lake of the Woods in Ontario. http://www.lakeofthewoods.com/
ENJOY!
We’ve all heard the story before. “Van Gogh cut off his ear!” Nothing much else is known about this great painter, who I might add, was about 100 years ahead of his time. Imagine how many people missed their chance way back then when they did not buy his art. He did sell one painting to be sure, problem is it was his brother that purchased it because he felt sorry for his brother. That act infuriated Vincent. Those that had the opportunity to buy his work while he was alive would have made their descendents very wealthy indeed. Below is a different opinion regarding the story of Van Gogh’s ear
Also check out the link to an amazing video that ties together some of Van Gogh’s paintings and the song Starry Starry Night by Don McLean. How many of you knew that this song was about Vinnie?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dipFMJckZOM
ENJOY!
Art historians claim Van Gogh’s ear ‘cut off by Gauguin’
‘Self-portrait with cut ear’ by Vincent Van Gogh. Photograph: Roger-Viollet/Rex Features
Vincent van Gogh’s fame may owe as much to a legendary act of self-harm, as it does to his self-portraits. But, 119 years after his death, the tortured post-Impressionist’s bloody ear is at the centre of a new controversy, after two historians suggested that the painter did not hack off his own lobe but was attacked by his friend, the French artist Paul Gauguin.
According to official versions, the disturbed Dutch painter cut off his ear with a razor after a row with Gauguin in 1888. Bleeding heavily, Van Gogh then walked to a brothel and presented the severed ear to an astonished prostitute called Rachel before going home to sleep in a blood-drenched bed.
But two German art historians, who have spent 10 years reviewing the police investigations, witness accounts and the artists’ letters, argue that Gauguin, a fencing ace, most likely sliced off the ear with his sword during a fight, and the two artists agreed to hush up the truth.
In Van Gogh’s Ear: Paul Gauguin and the Pact of Silence, published in Germany, Hamburg-based academics Hans Kaufmann and Rita Wildegans argue that the official version of events, based largely on Gauguin’s accounts, contain inconsistencies and that both artists hinted that the truth was more complex.
Van Gogh and Gauguin’s troubled friendship was legendary. In 1888, Van Gogh persuaded him to come to Arles in the south of France to live with him in the Yellow House he had set up as a “studio of the south”. They spent the autumn painting together before things soured. Just before Christmas, they fell out. Van Gogh, seized by an attack of a metabolic disease became aggressive and was apparently crushed when Gauguin said he was leaving for good.
Kaufmann told the Guardian: “Near the brothel, about 300 metres from the Yellow House, there was a final encounter between them: Vincent might have attacked him, Gauguin wanted to defend himself and to get rid of this ‘madman’. He drew his weapon, made some movement in the direction of Vincent and by that cut off his left ear.” Kaufmann said it was not clear if it was an accident or an aimed hit.
While curators at the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam stand by the theory of self-mutilation, Kaufmann argues that Van Gogh dropped hints in letters to his brother, Theo, once commenting : “Luckily Gauguin … is not yet armed with machine guns and other dangerous war weapons.”
I have always been inspired by music. It is the rare time that I do not have music playing while I am creating in my studio. Whether it is classical, classic rock, folk, jazz, rhythm & blues or progressive I find that it soothes the soul. When I was teaching painting classes my students would often ask for music that I had introduced them to over time. I was pleased that they felt that this rhythm was helpful for them as well. I remember working once with someone that rarely listened to music and he commented on how it made him feel more relaxed and able to work. I will often times play my harmonicas along with the music while I paint. This is the only instrument that I play because I can do it while I paint. I also take great joy in singing along and harmonizing. I have come to memorize many lyrics over the years. About a year before leaving Manitoba a group of guys began jamming in my studio. One of them heard me playing my harmonica’s in the other room while they were jamming away in the other end of the building. He asked me to join in. I was a little timid at first, not having played in front of many people before and not with accomplished musicians such as they. I had a ball on Thursday nights after that. Sadly I was in the process of packing up to leave and said goodbye to those evenings. My last evening in Winnipeg found me in the studio jamming until very late. The sense of kinship that filled the room and the electricity was overwhelming every time we played together. I really miss that.
Tonight a good friend from Winnipeg introduced me to one of the greatest web sites I have seen. He sent a link that I will post at the end of my story. The link that he sent is also here. The song “Stand by me” as played by musicians from all over the world is a tremendously uplifting experience. The quote in the email is
“No celebs, not missed neither. Musicians from all over the world, people living in and of the reality. Each playing his own version of given theme ‘Stand By Me’ (B.B.King). It all has been filmed without previous arrangements , set-ups, they are just improvising. Music comes to life ad hoc and in public. It’s an awesome thing to hear, and such a good thing to feel. No joke you will FEEL IT.”
I have been informed by some of my music loving friends that it was not B.B. King but Ben E. King that should be credited for the song.
I was moved by watching this video as was my 16 year old son Jesse. He could not wipe the smile from his face. I hope that you feel the same way if you take the chance to view it.
ENJOY!
http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2539741 “Stand by me”
http://www.playingforchange.com/episodes
Playing for change
Playing for Change is a multimedia movement created to inspire, connect, and bring peace to the world through music.
Each photo is a hyperlink
Bobby Orr receives Fly Fishing I at the eighth Assumption Life Bobby Orr Benefit Golf Tournament - held July 24 at the Fox Creek golf course in Dieppe - raised $122,500!
In July 2007 I was invited to attend the 7th annual Assumption Life Bobby Orr Benefit Golf Tournament at Fox Creek Dieppe NB. This is an annual event that Bobby Orr has been a part of for the last eight years. The event is a fundraiser for the Institut Atlantique De Reserche Sur Le Cancer / Atlantic Cancer Research Institute.
I had been asked to make a donation of one of my Fly Fishing Prints for the fund raiser. It was set to be a wonderful day at a great venue.
The rain fell very hard that day, as it had on a number of past Tournaments, and we did not get to play golf. Bobby Orr jokingly said at the dinner that evening that there needed to be two dates set aside, the one advertised in which it would rain and the unadvertised in which we all could play golf. We managed to have our lunch that day at the golf course as well and I had the honour of sitting with Bobby. He joined our table because we were talking about one of his passions, salmon fishing. It was great to have this in common with him. Boston was my favourite team when I was young and he my favourite player, like so many of us of that era. We had an interesting discussion regarding salmon flies and there was one that piqued his interest. It is a fly called the Chief that my Dad is very fond of and has fished many years. I will tell that story another day. As it turned out I sent one of the chiefs to him and one of the organizers of the event. I haven’t heard yet if he has had any luck fishing with it.
“Chief Needahbeh”
At the dinner my print was brought on stage for the auction and Bobby Orr jumped right in on the bidding. It was a hard fought battle but, alas, someone scooped the print from Bobby. It turned out to be the organizers of the event that bought it out from under him. I was curious about why and they assured me that they had plans for it. It turns out that each year they get a gift for him for attending and they were looking forward to the following year to present this image to him.
As you can see from the photo at the beginning of this post that he was thrilled to receive the print at the tournament this year. He is seen here with Denis Losier being presented with Fly Fishing I. I was unable to be there for the event because we were traveling in Manitoba this past summer. I look forward to attending next year and talking to Bobby about his new print. Hopefully we will be able to play golf on a bright clear day for the ninth annual.
Fox Creek Golf Course, Dieppe, New Brunswick
November 28, 2007
As I was working on my paintings today I had a call from a client. He wanted to bring someone to the studio to show her some of my work. As I was displaying different paintings to them I realized that I should post a couple in particular to the site. These paintings were both finished this past summer and have not yet been displayed. Both are early morning compositions on the Main Southwest Miramichi. I am including one for this post and the other will follow on another post. It’s dimensions are 28″ x 42″. Acrylic on canvas. The original photography that these paintings were garnered from was by a good friend Marcel Caissie. A Doctor and as you can see a man who wields a camera with authority. There will be an edition of Giclee prints on canvas available of this image. The edition size will be only 25 prints. To see this photo in a larger window please click on it to open. Contact me if you are interested in obtaining a print or the original which is still available.
“Cool. Almost like walking along the river in the early morning. I can even hear the river, and smell the indescribable bouquet that only certain rivers seem to have.” Rick Giffin, in an email reply upon seeing the painting.
ENJOY!
Nov. 25, 2007 Grey Cup Sunday. Go Bombers!
Hello everyone out there in Cyberville. This is my screen debut for my new blog site. It seemed to me that a lot of people are interested in my Fly Fishing themed art and so I decided to make it easier to find for them as well as anyone attempting to find fly fishing art in the future. It seemed too easy when I did a search for flyfishingart.ca and was able to purchase the domain name. This page will be updated weekly (I hope) so that anyone that wants a view into the studio and the creation of new pieces of art have the ability to do so. Now that my studio is overlooking a beautiful river in Southern New Brunswick I am inspired each day by the landscape. I will more than likely be posting photos to show the changes in the scenery and the light. I have a large stock of photos already stored and will be posting them from time to time. If you are interested in seeing my main website go to the tab on the right side of the page and click on the word here, it will take you there. It will direct you to the Fly Fishing Gallery of my web site. From there, to view other galleries feel free to go back with the tab at the bottom of the page. There you will see a wide range of work that ranges from landscape to portraiture.
Now that the fishing is over in our area for the season and we settle in for the winter there will be time to reminisce about the year or years past. I will be looking into the most appropriate types of categories for the blog site but one I know that will be popular will be a history page. This will take some time for me to figure all of this out but it should be fun. Look forward to stories and pictures of the past.
I want to stay in touch with the many people that have over the years supported my career as an artist and this seems like an appropriate way to do so. I would appreciate comments left so that I may review and post those that will help to make the site a better one.
I will leave you with a recent photo taken on my last day on the river this past October. The fly is an undertaker, a popular choice on the Miramichi River. It was the last fly to touch the water on Oct . 21 on the lower Cains River in NB. There will be a limited Edition of 25 of this image printed on canvas at approx 26″ x 39″.
ENJOY!
