It’s the Heliconian Club's first “arts and letters” show, written and picture portraits.
Portraits can be other and more than just people. Here are three of mine, a fourth is Turpentine the Studio Cat for many years.
They were on view along with many others, in “A Portrait by Any Other Name...” at the Toronto Heliconian Club.
Drawing From Life in Heliconian Hall is all about figure drawing. A guest “I was surprised at the nudes. Then I decided I could look at the works not the pictures”. This tiny work has definitely got a figure. It also SOLD. That was a real surprise. Thank You.
Inspired by the Lawren Harris exhibition a few years ago at the Art Gallery of Ontario, I decided to experiment with both format and media. Primary Colours is the result.
14” x 11” on 300lb Arches Hot Press, it was created in Polychromos and Prismacolor pencils using only the primary colours.
Primary Colours has been in a couple of Exhibitions. This morning long time collector gave herself an early Christmas present. Primary Colours is now privately held in London Ontario.
Lily, aka Benno’s Fancy, has a blue eye. Her owner loves this distinctive feature.
I first saw Benno’s Fancy, in the junior division in the mid teens at a CornerStone Farms Dressage at Palgrave Event. She was a lovely pony, with a distinct identity, a blue eye and a very determined junior rider. She did not return. Instead she went on to a number of different careers, including western dressage and barrel racing, and the undignified moniker Bubbles. Now at a mature 17 years, with the name Lily which better suits her personality and maturity, she is back at Dressage. This time with a very determined senior citizen A/O rider who is finally getting her first experiences in the Big Rings of Palgrave and Angelstone. Good for you Lily doing what you do best with an owner who waited a long time to realize her childhood goals of horse ownership for herself.
Lily is actually a very dark bay, seen in the very subtle area around her muzzle and a warm tone to her “black” coat. Lily was a fun challenge!
Di Langmuir is one of those people you meet and immediately Like. I’ve known Di for many years. When Alex was quite little, at Leitchcroft-CornerStone, Di included her in a workshop. The tiny person on the pony along with the bigger people on their horses. Good for Di. Good for Alexandra.
Di has had many of her fur family pictured, for herself or various associates. I was approached by one of her associates. The group needed a birthday present Di’s 60th, August 29 2021.
Happy Birthday Di. Pierre, aka French Leave, can now join all the others.
Pierre aka , French Leave, watercolour 10” x 8” August 2021
Every summer the RAM-Case IH Rodeo Tour provides exciting rodeo sport competition throughout Ontario. For many years Barb Millar and Storm conquered the Barrels at the RAM-Case IH Championship Events held thoughout Ontario. Storm retired after the Royal Rodeo in 2019. The CanAm All Breed Equine Expo”s Saturday Evening Extravaganza includes a special fine art auction. My donation and Barb Millar’s purchase supports Equine Guelph’s important research. The portrait captures sliding speed coming around the barrel as our competitors focus Winning. See all the barrel racers in the main ring of the Coliseum Sunday afternoon at at the Royal Winter Fair Toronto Winter Fair Royal Rodeo.
Imagine yourself out for lunch with a friend. You look over their shoulder and find one of your own works looking back at you. This is just what happened in a restaurant very close to Queen’s Park.Lady Di of Carp was the 3 year old Clydesdale Mare Champion at The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair in 1989. Her owner Stan Carruthers of Ottawa decided to have her win recorded with an original portrait. The portrait, in pen & ink + pencil crayon was only half the task. Next a smaller 8” x 10” black & white Ink version was needed, for letterhead, business cards with a numbered edition of 25. This special image went to his associates in the Clydesdale world.
"Parvedean The Governor", a Welsh Section D Stallion, lived at Relhok Farm in Muskoka, Ontario's cottage country. He and his driver trainer Jeffery Kohler were a familiar site on the Brackenrig Road. They competec throughout Ontario and the Eastern United States in combined driving events.
Every once in a while a work has challenges. Such was the case with "the Gov". "Gov" was badly damaged, from heat & humidity, after exhibition. The surface foxed and bloomed. In effect the work was destroyed. The gesso layer and carrying board was not affected. All digital reference files are gone, the Gov had returned to Great Britain after his North American career. From a linear study and black & white record. Gov is completely new.
Parvedean the Governor
11" x 14" Egg Tempera on tempered board
Pictures speak. Pictures came before words. Pictures are timeless. Pictures record our world.