Motion in Stillness Article

This is an article published in Kawartha Lakes This week:

Motion in Stillness

Lindsay Gallery exhibition presents a variety of subject matter

Kawartha Lakes This Week

(LINDSAY) A group of area artists are proving that something that is still can also possess movement.

Running until July 25 is Motion in Stillness, an exhibition of 67 original works of art by members of the Kawartha Artists' Gallery and Studio Still Life Group.

The show features a wide range of still life subject matter by artists Carolyn Anstee, Carol Atkinson, Gail Hawkins, Bob Lockie, Susan Sydney and Margaret Tough; the group's seven original members that began meeting at the Gallery more than two years ago.

Each Thursday, the group - which now numbers more than a dozen - comes together to tackle subject matter that ranges from hockey equipment to delicate bottles.

“If it's not moving we paint it,” quipped Ms Anstee.

Still life has been around for centuries, noted Ms Sydney, and while the media has changed over the years, the genre has remained as strong as ever.

“It's an easy way to work from life,” said Ms. Tough. “You get to see all of the relationships right in front of you...and it's in motion because it reflects a living life or activity.”

Mr. Lockie added that, while still may appear to be the simplest form, it is the best 'teacher'.

“You are dealing with light, shadows and textures. And if you can do that right, you can do anything.” said Mr. Lockie.

Each September when the group comes together for another season, they sit down and discuss ideas for subject matter. A weekly schedule is created and members are encouraged to “check their closets to see if they have something that fits,” said Ms Anstee.

There is rarely a shortage of “subjects” but it does create a challenge when it comes to composition.

“If you were doing it yourself, you would position everything the way you want,” said Ms Tough. “But we're a group so we’re a group, so we are setting it up so everyone has a good vantage point and that can be quite a challenge.”

As a result - not withstanding the fact that differences in technique and medium - no two pieces will ever be the same.

“But that is what makes it interesting,” said Mr. Lockie. “It's all about lighting and how everyone relates to it [subject] differently.”

Ms Anstee agrees.

“Everyone sees it their own way. A dozen artists will have a dozen different pieces.”

The exhibition wraps up with an artist talk and reception on Saturday July 25, 2015 from 2 to 4 p.m. 


For more information on the Lindsay Gallery and exhibit,  please call 705-324-1780 or visit www.thelindsaygallery.com.













Members of the Kawartha Artists' Gallery and Studio Still Life Group - Margaret Tough, Gail Hawkins, Bob Lockie, Sue Sydney, Carolyn Anstee and Carol Atkinson (absent) have pulled together 67 of their original works for the unique exhibition Motion in Stillness running at the Lindsay Gallery until July 25.

CATHERINE WHITNALL/THIS WEEK

Touring Three Art Galleries

Today Cindy, Norma and I went to visit a number of the art Galleries in Lindsay and Minden.

Our first stop was Art on Kent where we visited the All Members' Show and they looked at the space and we will discuss later about having a show there for next year.

From there we went further along Kent Street in Lindsay to see the show at The Lindsay Gallery to view the Motion in Stillness exhibition.

Needless to say as usual the show was beautifully hung on the walls with the paintings grouped together either with similar colours or similar subject matter.

From there we continued on our way to visit the Agnes Jamieson Gallery in Minden.

I had my first exhibition in this Gallery; a two person show with my mother in 1988 and again in 1991.

Then three Group shows with the Buckhorn Artists' Group in 1989, 1992 and 1995. My last show there was a three person show in 1998.

The Gallery and Library have gotten larger over the last seventeen years as well as making adding three more historical buildings on the site.














Both Cindy and Norma liked the way the Gallery looked and would like to have an exhibition of their artwork there at some point in the future.














Now we have to get together a portfolio of what we would like to display and send out the application forms to two of the Galleries.














For the three of us the next couple of years should be very busy.

Rainy Day 1-4 - Four Works in Progress

I decided that it was time that I started working on some of the unfinished pieces that I have accumulated over the years.

I pulled out four small paintings. All of them had been started on the same day a couple of years ago (see post on 06 March 2013).

I decided that since the backgrounds on all of them looked like it could on be a rainy day that I would paint them as such.

The first one had been originally called Grey Sky B.

Rainy Day 1

I started by sketching in some of the main trees and this one looks as though there is be a path leading through a forest.

I then set it aside to start work on the next painting since they would have the same theme I would work back and forth between all of them.

This one had been called Grey Sky C and I turned in around to make it into a vertical painting with the dark cloud shape on the top of the painting.

I started by drawing in some of the main trees.

Rainy Day 2

I am not sure if I want to make it into a forest or if I will have the trees beside a brook.

The third painting was originally called Grey Day D.

I drew in a large main tree to one side of the painting and will I will probably paint this tree as a maple with the leaves in autumn colours.

I think the trunk should be very dark, as though it has been raining to provide a strong contrast against the grey sky.

Rainy Day 3

I will also keep the background fairly soft and out of focus to complete the illusion of a rainy day.

The last one was originally called Grey Day E and I wanted to make it a little different again from the other three.

Even though it will feature the day being cloudy with rain.

I want to put a fence behind the trees and I have to decide if it will be a snake fence, a split rail fence or a post and rail fence.

Rainy Day 4

I will post these paintings at a later date once they have been completed.

White-Tailed Doe 1-5

Today is going to be a little cooler with the temperature going up to 80F (26.7C) and the humidity making it feel like 90F (32.2C) but it is July and we can expect it to be hot and humid for at least another couple of weeks before things start to cool down again.

While going out for a walk around the track beside the house with Kyora, we had an unexpected surprise. A deer came over the fence from across the road and stopped dead looking at the dog.

I was about 150' (45.7m) away and the doe was so intent on the dog that she never noticed me. Not even when I started calling the dog.

This time the dog ignored me and as the she went closer to the doe she charged toward Kyora and went to attack the dog with her front feet.














Fortunately Kyora decided retreat was the best course was the best course of action as I continued to call her and she came part way back to me.
















She retained that thought for about two minutes before she decided to take another run at the doe.














The doe decided it was time to leave and jumped back over the fence, crossed the road and went back across my neighbour's fields.














Here are a couple of sketches I did of the doe, which I will probably use in paintings at a later date after I have completed the outline sketches.

Burleigh Bay III-VIII - Six Works in Progress

Summer has definitely arrived bringing another hot humid and hazy day with the temperature reaching 84F (28.9C) and the humidity making it feel like 94F (34.4C).







Burleigh Bay III

What better way to spend a hot summer day than going out on the lake? So we loaded up the canoe and took a short drive to Burleigh Falls and launched the canoe well below the Falls at the far end of the parking lot.













Burleigh Bay IV

As usual we paddled up the lake with me taking a few pictures along the way when something interesting caught my eye and stopped to have lunch at a place where I could do a couple of sketches while we relaxed.













Burleigh Bay V

On the way back Ron fished while I did a number of sketches and took many more photographs.














Burleigh Bay VI

I must say there is nothing like concentrating on a sketch only to be disturbed my having a live fish flapping around beside your head waiting to be taken off the hook.











Burleigh Bay VII

Fortunately for me Ron only did that with the three large mouth bass and not with the one nice sized muskellunge while he hauled into the canoe. All of the fish were live released back into the lake.














Burleigh Bay VIII

I will post each of these pieces at a later date once they have been transferred to paper or canvas.

Motion in Stillness

Today is another hot and humid day with the temperature reaching 79F (26.1C) and the humidity making it feel like 86F (30C).














I went to see if they had finally managed to remove the yellow sticky labels and actually have the cards on the wall beside our paintings.














I fail to understand why a public Gallery is unable to print out cards within a day when at KAGS we can have all the wall cards for the show completed and on the wall the same day.














Now 2-1/2 weeks into the show they finally managed to get the cards on the wall but have only manged to put six landscape paintings from the Gallery collection on the furthest set of racks and then on the middle set have four paintings of nudes and absolutely nothing on the first set of rack. Perhaps they have run out of storage space and the middle of the Gallery display space is the only place they can put them.














The very least they could have done would have been to pull out some of the still life paintings they have in the collection to keep everything with in harmony with the theme of a still life exhibition.

Massey Ferguson 1 - A Work in Progress

Today I went to Joanne Carlen's farm in Hastings, Ontario with the Outdoor Painters' Group. It is the first time in quite a while that I was able to go out on location and paint with them.

I took many photographs while I was there of things I would like to paint, but knew I didn't have enough time to do all of them.

I finally decided to do a painting of their Massey Ferguson tractor and in the not too distant future I will also do a painting to match it of our Allis Chalmers.

I had brought along some pieces that I had already started a few years ago (see post on 07 July 2012) with just the sky painted. I used the one called Blue Sky C and its name is now changed to Massey Ferguson 1.














I lightly sketched in the main parts of the tractor and with bright red put in the under paint for the red on the tractor.

With a mix of French ultramarine blue and burnt sienna I put in the tires and some of the dark parts of the tractor motor.

With a light wash of burnt sienna with a touch of the dark mix added, I dry brushed in the areas on tractor motor that had discolouration from oil stains.

I will post this painting at a later date once I have completed the tractor and added the background.

Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog and look at the artwork. I hope you will return often.