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.
Late last autumn my father, Randy Giffin, suggested that he would like to commission me to do a painting that he, along with my mother, Thelma, would donate to the Hammond River Angling Association in Nauwigewauk, NB. Being one of the founding members of the HRAA back in the mid 70’s it was his idea that he would like to leave something to the association in the memory of himself and my mom. There were no restrictions or suggestions put forth to me what the image might be. All that he said was he would like to see it done before he was gone. Maybe he knew about my scheduling ahead of time? I gave some thought to it and an idea started to brew in my mind’s eye. For any of you that are familiar with the Hammond River in southwest NB you may know of the incredible geological feature that is the Tabor Bridge Pool. A fantastic rock face that has marvelled anyone that has seen it I’m sure for time immemorial. The rocks were folded into amazing shapes and the colours ranged from pinks, blues, greys, whites and blacks. It was an excellent place to fish, picnic, swim or to relax and enjoy the view.
Imagine how disheartening it was to arrive there one day late last summer to go for a fish only to realize that the NB government Dept. of Highways had decided to put a new bridge in and, in all their infinite wisdom, blasted the most important part of the feature to smithereens to make way for a concrete bridge abutment. I was emotional when I first came to grips with what I was seeing. Progress? This was apparently done without any discussion with the HRAA or obviously any environmental group. The HRAA has always prided itself on being a protector of the Hammond River watershed and it’s environs. The shock and disbelief by members and the executive was overwhelming. There was nothing to do but inquire and wonder why something of this magnitude could take place in this day, when we pride ourselves on environmental stewardship.
This became the seed for what I would paint for my commission. Somehow putting a facsimile of this now piece of history at the HRAA Centre seemed fitting. I asked the HRAA to put out the call for anyone that had photos of the rock face to please send them in to the Centre. Alison Murphy (an artist) from the area happened to have taken some impressive shots one day while on a picnic with her family. They were invaluable to me for setting up my image. Thanks Alison! Once the composition was decided upon I thought that it would be great to have some life in the painting. I chose to try rendering my Dad and his great fishing buddy, Bert Delcloo, from a photo that Martin Flewelling had shot many years earlier near our cottage on the same river. Thanks Martin! It seemed fitting to me that these two men that have been fishing together since the year I was born, 1960, would be portrayed along with the Tabor Bridge Pool. They are not fishing, rather they are discussing fly choice and are actively involved in the most important aspect of fly fishing, comradeship. Their lasting friendship and love for the river and the lifestyle has been monumentally influential on many individuals over the years. I have a great respect for them and wanted to paint that into this piece. I feel that I have succeeded in that endeavour.
May 9th was the annual fund raising dinner for the HRAA and the sister organization Hammond River Conservation Fund. I was given the opportunity by the executive to present the painting and give a short speech at the dinner. Thank you. There was a reproduction on canvas that I had framed in the same bird’s eye maple that I had handcrafted the frame for the original. It did very well in the live auction and raised money for the HRCF.
The painting will be hung over the fireplace sometime soon and I will post a picture of that event. Until then it graces the wall in my studio.
The artist proofs have all (5) been spoken for, There are 50 reproductions available of which some have been spoken for. They are $350 and are 12″ x 36″ stretched and ready to hang. Framing is available and prices are available upon request. A portion of profit from each reproduction sold will be donated to the HRCF.
“Memories” Acrylic on canvas 2009 18″ x 54″
Jesse and TY Giffin in front of Tabor Rocks 2002
Tabor Bridge Pool Photo: Alison Murphy
Randy Giffin and Bert Delcloo Photo: Martin Flewelling
http://www.hraa.ca/
http://www.photographyflewwelling.com/
A few weeks ago we had our first snowfall of the season and it was absolutely beautiful. The way the landscape changed overnight was very dramatic. I latched onto my camera and went out to explore the area around the house. I had been attracted at once from the window of my studio to the snow on the bank on the other side of the river. I immediately went down and as the light began to permeate the cloud cover a soft yellow light began to shine through the alders on the opposite side of the river and wash across the water surface. I loved the interplay of reflection of the alders and the warming sunlight. It appeared as an impressionist painting. I shot a series of photos and immediately came up to my studio to address this image with it fresh in my mind’s eye. I had luckily stretched a canvas only a day or two earlier. The dimensions are 28″ x 42″ (seems to be a popular size for me as of late). I began painting with my eye set upon the still fresh image in my head and this painting fell from my brush.
Recently I was in Toronto removing my paintings from an exhibit that had been on of my work for a few weeks. While I was there I spoke with the artist that was setting up the next show. He commented to me that my paintings “looked as though I had breathed the paint onto the surface of the canvas.” I felt that was an appropriate statement because at times it feels that way when I am painting. It is a pleasure to do and a pleasure to share with you.
ENJOY!
Last winter I had a request to complete a painting as a commission for an anniversary gift. The theme was to be Lake of the Woods in Ontario. I was given three elements of the surroundings that were important to the family as a point of departure. These elements were the rocks the water and the pine trees that are indicative of the area. The painting was to be 3′ x 7′ and there was not anything else that was mentioned. Working from my memory of the area, having spent much time there, I created a viewpoint that I thought contained the important details and gave a sense that you were a real part of the picture. Drifting in a float tube with a fly rod in hand or slowly paddling the lakeshore and taking in the rock formations. I sketched the idea running through my head and emailed it to my client. He remarked that it was as though I had been to his cottage because the sketch had an island in it that looked very much like the one in his view from the cottage. The sketch was a hit and now the painting could begin. It was an interesting project to create a painting and send updated pictures throughout the process to my client. He was thrilled to be included in the creative process and enjoyed our emails back and forth. Once the painting was complete it was crated and sent to him in Winnipeg. They now have it hung in the dining area of their cottage and all seem satisfied with how it lights up the cottage. The way that the painting responds to the changing light has been a source of fascination for them and i know that this quality will continue to do so for many years to come. I am including a shot of the painting. Remember this painting is over seven feet in width so it sure fills a room.
ENJOY!
