Tag Archives: Contemporary abstract art

ARTIST CHRIS MARIN OPENS HER “PASSAGES” SHOW @ URBAN GALLERY in TORONTO

URBAN GALLERY hosted the opening reception for artist CHRIS MARIN’s solo exhibition “PASSAGES” last night and Chris welcomed family and friends as she unveiled a series of intuitive paintings that are both intriguing and powerful.  Her works utilize a bold colour palette and viewers can interpret their own vision as to each painting’s subject or meaning – it was interesting to hear several gallery guests air vastly differing interpretations of one particular painting! Anyway, let’s ask Chris to us about about her work herself…

Artist’s Statement:  One brush stroke leads to the next. When I begin a non-objective painting, I do not know where I will go. It’s a liberating, intuitive way to paint and to live. In “Passages” I invite the viewer to take his or her own steps through the paintings. Chris Marin, 2017.20171005_174612Chris became intrigued by art after learning intuitive watercolour painting from Dorothy Clarke McClure in 1993. Over time, Chris expanded her interests to include collage, printmaking, acrylic painting and applying transparent underglazes to her pottery.  One of her paintings is on the cover of “What About My Kids?” a book written to help families coping with breast cancer. Chris’s painting “Home Again” is the image in the Port Medway Lighthouse calendar for February 2018, and “My Favourite Things” was used for the IWK children’s hospital fundraising raffle this year. She contributes regularly to the IWK and Elderdog shows, and her paintings can be seen at the Riverbank, Mill Village, and Port Grocer, Port Medway, Nova Scotia. They also hang in law offices and private collections.

Chris’s story, The Edge of Risk is included in the book, Outside of Ordinary: Women’s Travel Stories.  And her Nova Scotia treetops studio was featured in the Spring 2009 issue of Studio Magazine. The majority of Chris’s paintings arise from the subconscious, whether she is pouring watercolours or sitting at her easel applying paint, simply responding to what she has just done with no end result in mind.

Here are just a few of Chris’s paintings that caused a stir with gallery visitors…20171005_164303 20171005_164333 20171005_164341And as the guests arrived, Chris was eager to greet them and show them around…20171005_174648 20171005_180035 20171005_174610Chris gave an interview to arts journalist Mark Hasan of KQEQ.com (below)20171005_172043…and here she is (below) with gallery curator and fellow artist, Allen Shugar…..20171005_165335…and with her friends (below)20171005_165832Below, Drew from Snap’d newspaper came out to take photos, too.20171005_180243Chris’s guests thoroughly enjoyed the reception and Urban Gallery hopes to see red dots going up alongside a number of paintings that created quite the buzz with the opening night crowd.20171005_180207 20171005_18053020171005_174800Gallery owner, Calvin Hambrook (below L) was also busy welcoming guests…20171005_172102 20171005_174928…and this sumptuous and artful refreshments spread was courtesy of UrbanSource Catering  (urbancatering.com)20171005_170438 Chris’s show runs throughout the month of October (closes Sat. Oct. 28) so please visit and support another talented Canadian artist. Directions and gallery hours: www.urbangallery.ca20171005_164527 20171005_164249 20171005_165404

GREAT OPENING NIGHT FOR JOHNY DELUNA’S “SPONTANEOUS LEVITATION” ART SHOW

Congratulations to Toronto contemporary artist JOHNY DELUNA on a great opening reception for his solo show, “Spontaneous Levitation” at Art Square Gallery, 334 Dundas St West (opposite the Art Gallery of Ontario) in Toronto. Last night, Johny greeted friends, family, art collectors and other gallery curators to his colourful, provocative show.20170608_181006 20170608_182959 20170608_183042 20170608_18330520170608_200348(0)He even had a 4-legged art fan drop by…20170608_184734Fellow artist, Nancy Bennett (below), brought some of her friends to admire the intricate and detailed work.20170608_182229 20170608_181034Media maven Georgina Bencsik grabbed Johny for a selfie (below)20170608_182928

20170608_183217 20170608_191556Johny’s elegant partner, Katrina (below), was also a work of art herself as she helped host the soiree…20170608_184804..and I was thrilled to welcome some guests visiting from Australia who fell in love with Johny’s work.20170608_200334 20170608_201323 20170608_202027Sandy, above with Johny, actually runs a community arts program back home in Queensland, Australia, so she was excited to chat with him about his work….and maybe an invitation to visit Down Under in the future?20170608_191609Spontaneous Levitation runs until June 19th so please come on down and meet the artist who will be on-site most days.20170608_181013

 

 

 

 

Toronto artist KIRK SUTHERLAND opens “Synesthesia” show at URBAN GALLERY

One of us…one of us! When I spoke this evening with artist KIRK SUTHERLAND at the opening of his show at URBAN GALLERY, I realized we had a lot in common – synesthesia. Apart from being the name of his show that runs until July 2nd at the gallery, both Kirk and I share a gifts that are very similar: he sees colours emanating from objects and beings while I see music in shapes and forms. Both “abilities” are referred to as synesthesia. Here, let Kirk explain……

20160602_180720 20160602_182041Sutherland’s work is influenced by the Abstract Expressionist Movement, Post-Painterly Abstraction and Lyrical Abstraction. He is also influenced consciously and subconsciously by his surroundings as well as the formal elements of art and the materials with which he creates. The two predominant elements in Sutherland’s work hinge between his keen sense of colour, and his use of pictorial space.

I feel my creative process bridges and somewhat amalgamates both intuitive, and conscious realities. My paintings do not imitate life, but perhaps harness the energy and the essence of life. I find myself channeling to a higher energy or light, in which the medium, the action, and the paintbrush are collectively an umbilical between the soul, the essence and that of the material world.   Kirk Sutherland

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PRIDE Toronto’s Marc Lalonde dropped in to offer congrats to Kirk for opening his show during PRIDE month and was given a quick lesson in art appreciation by the artist (above) and shared some thoughts about this year’s celebrations…..(below)

Gallery director Calvin Hambrook posed with Marc in front of Kirk’s paintings (below)…20160602_182441….and below, gallery curator Allen Shugar (L) and Wayne Abell of Urban Source Catering (R) flank frequent gallery visitor Stephen.20160602_191012Also visiting Kirk was talented artist and musician Laura Nashman (below)20160602_185251(0)Laura has an equally talented doggy companion, Ito, the wise Pomeranian, who has his own book of wisdom coming out soon. Maybe a book signing at the gallery in the near future???

Lots more guests dropped by to wish Kirk luck with his show, including fellow artist Erik Chong and his wife, Jeannette (lower pic)20160602_181931 20160602_184055I caught Erik enjoying the blueberry-kabobs (!) at the refreshment table….gotcha, LOL!20160602_182825Thanks to Edwin of Snapd newspaper for capturing the evening’s activities…and me!20160602_182454 …… but I really have to work on my selfie skills, dontcha think?20160602_184218Congrats to Kirk on such a wonderful turnout tonight. I look forward to seeing lots of red dots alongside his paintings by the end of the show. For gallery hours and more details, visit www.urbangallery.ca

 

 

ARTIST GARY BARNETT UNVEILS STUNNING “A CLOSER LOOK” SHOW @ URBAN GALLERY, TORONTO

Wow! I was blown away by GARY BARNETT‘s beautiful series of mixed acrylics on board and canvas titled “A Closer Look” that opened today at Urban Gallery (400 Queen St East, Toronto). The Kitchener, Ontario, artist welcomed many friends and fans with a wine and cheese reception, and I must say I was under the artist’s spell from the moment I walked thru the gallery door!20160409_15385820160409_15385020160409_15141420160409_15394920160409_154217Here’s Gary busy explaining his technique to fellow artist Brenda Clews...20160409_145259 20160409_145312Let’s hear what he has to say….

I ran into the fabulous Kaspara Albertsen, previous gallery goddess at Urban, now working with a film production company in Toronto…we both thought Gary’s work was so hot I needed to work my fan hard for the both of us!!20160409_144936 20160409_151429And gallery curator Allen Shugar (above right) was happy to share Gary’s work (and a glass or two of wine) with a friend.
The gallery was hoppin’ and everyone was fascinated with the textures Gary incorporates into each painting, which is why he also supplied Sherlock Holmes’ style magnifying glasses for us all to use to get a “close up” view of his work.20160409_145153 20160409_145307 20160409_145345 20160409_145405 20160409_145426 20160409_145408 20160409_14544520160409_151355 20160409_154001 20160409_154147

Join me for a quick virtual tour of some of my fave pieces featured in Gary’s show…

I encourage you all to visit in person; Gary’s work is very affordable for anyone wanting to add a piece to their personal art collection (or to start building one) with prices ranging from $300 to $1,050. This one, Indigenous Fossil (below) may just have to come home with me….I kept coming back to it as if it called my name. What do you think?20160409_154207

For gallery hours & directions, please visit: www.urbangallery.ca
For more information on Gary, please visit his website: www.garybarnett.ca

MORE EXCITING POP-ART….THIS TIME BY TORONTO’S OWN STEPHEN TRICANICO

Another fabulous artist’s reception at Urban Gallery tonight – the launch of their August show “Left Brain, Right Brain” by 24yr old Toronto abstract expressionist/pop artist Stephen Tricanico (below)

20150806_172054Stephen spent the last year allowing himself to have a heightened focus on waking up and creating every day which resulted in the works shown in this new exhibition.

Artist statement:   With the pop works, I was trying to create a visual reinterpretation of plays on words and poetry, having pieces based on thoughts I once had. The abstracts result from wanting to do something based on a feeling, allowing the work to satisfy my left and right brain, and hopefully the viewers as well.

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20150806_171959The growing crowd of art aficionados that filled the gallery seemed to agree – these were exciting and provocative works. Congrats to Urban Gallery for introducing this talented artist.

20150806_172305 20150806_172232I met up with two of the charming gallery assistants from the Andy Warhol exhibit at Revolver Gallery’s Bloor St pop-up (see previous blog story). Meet Valeria (below L) and Lily (below R) who came out to see Stephen’s work.

20150806_175741Below, the fabulous Paddy Reagan (left) enjoyed schmoozing with Urban Source Catering’s Wayne Abell (right)

20150806_172602And the oh so sassy ladies below are KJ Mullins, Publisher of Newz4U.net (left) and Urban’s own gallery goddess Kaspara Albertsen (right)

20150806_172749Even “her Maj” put in an appearance….“you want fries with that, Liz?”

20150806_172132There were lots more cutie pies…..

20150806_172202 20150806_172359…and I really liked Stephen’s abstracts, esp. this real dope piece!

Stephen’s show “Left Brain, Right Brain” runs until August 29th and you can check out more details on Urban Gallery’s website: www.urbangallery.ca  

Gallery hours:
Noon to 5pm Monday through Saturday
Noon to 8pm Thursdays
Closed Sundays & Holidays
Viewings outside gallery hours by appointment

URBAN GALLERY LAUNCHES KHAT KARIM’S SHOW OF CONTEMPORARY ABSTRACT ART

Another fab soiree with the folks at Toronto’s Urban Gallery…last night they opened their month-long Under My Skin show for Canadian artist Khat Karim, featuring her wildly colourful and movement-filled abstract contemporary work.

20150604_181049Khat uses a variety of painting applications – hands, brushes and other unorthodox painting tools to drip, splash, pour, and layer paint to create her strikingly, raw, organic works of art. The intricate movements and swirls in her paintings capture the interplay of skill and unplanned occurrences that determines the final outcome. This process allows her to abandon self-control and surrender to her subconscious bringing forth an emotional release.

20150604_175707 20150604_180623Khat was surrounded by friends and members of her family (below) who came out to support and celebrate her show opening.

20150604_175927 20150604_184702 20150604_184914 20150604_184724(0)Fellow artists Angel Torres (below r) and Brenda Clews (centre) joined Snapd photographer Morgan (left) to admire Khat’s work.

Morgan, Brenda and AngelAnd I attempted somewhat unsuccessfully to snap a selfie or two (below) in front of my fave paintings….at least you can see Khat’s superb technique and colour palette in close-up.20150604_180141 20150604_180434…the crowds kept coming and soon the gallery was full of admiring art-lovers.

20150604_180101 20150604_181026 20150604_183740 20150604_183459Congrats to Khat…we hope to see lots of red dots over the coming weeks. Under My Skin runs until Saturday June 27th at Urban Gallery, 400 Queen St East. Check their website for hours: www.urbangallery.ca

20150604_181039 Seeing The Light Under My Skin IMG_0659