The thing about studio practice is that it is an indoor activity. Even if many of my paintings are influenced by time spent outdoors, I still paint them in the studio, and generally they are only shown in interior venues like galleries and houses. So when I have the opportunity to present art work in a natural setting, I am amazed at how that changes the appearance, and the meaning, of the paintings.
Last weekend I showed work at Art in the Garden, a wonderful event organized by the North Vancouver Community Arts Council, where artists, gardeners, and musicians are joined up in a collaborative and joyful celebration of all growing things.
I love taking art outdoors. What was an isolated concept in the studio becomes a relationship to the the play of sun and shadow on the surface of the painting. A brushstroke of orange is picked up in the colour of a nearby flower. A small gust of wind on the fluttering leaves reflects a series of lines on the lower edge of the canvas. This is the way art is meant to be...not separated from life, but part of life itself.
I was stationed in the garden of John Whyte, a dedicated gardener with a real eye for composition and balance, who had created a beautifully orchestrated series of "rooms" each with its own flavour. I like to integrate paintings into the landscape so that they enhance, and are enhanced by the surroundings. Putting art into a more natural setting brings a new perspective to our relationship with culture. How have we changed our world to make these personal edens, and how can we avoid creating hell? How can we live within the inevitably changing biosphere, partly of our own making, and bring the best of our yearning for beauty and harmony, while coexisting with our demons?
Last weekend I showed work at Art in the Garden, a wonderful event organized by the North Vancouver Community Arts Council, where artists, gardeners, and musicians are joined up in a collaborative and joyful celebration of all growing things.
I love taking art outdoors. What was an isolated concept in the studio becomes a relationship to the the play of sun and shadow on the surface of the painting. A brushstroke of orange is picked up in the colour of a nearby flower. A small gust of wind on the fluttering leaves reflects a series of lines on the lower edge of the canvas. This is the way art is meant to be...not separated from life, but part of life itself.
I was stationed in the garden of John Whyte, a dedicated gardener with a real eye for composition and balance, who had created a beautifully orchestrated series of "rooms" each with its own flavour. I like to integrate paintings into the landscape so that they enhance, and are enhanced by the surroundings. Putting art into a more natural setting brings a new perspective to our relationship with culture. How have we changed our world to make these personal edens, and how can we avoid creating hell? How can we live within the inevitably changing biosphere, partly of our own making, and bring the best of our yearning for beauty and harmony, while coexisting with our demons?
and a link to a youtube video recorded earlier about the event. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K94-lkDrOU4 |