Going through my inventory 2...

For the Contextural sale on November 19th I am looking through my inventory from past exhibitions to see what I still have around.

More pieces that I think I will be bringing are...

From the UNESCO Heritage Site show "ExtraOrdinary Places"  in 2008 of UNESCO sites I have visited were the amazing Stave Churches in Norway. Christianity came to Norway between 995 and 1030 AD. As a result, churches were built which were ornamental, with carvings such as dragon heads, that showed a marriage of Christian and Viking symbols. These churches take their names from the distinctive building techniques using vertical staves. From over 1000 that were built, less than 30 remain today.
Norway's Stave Churches - Urnes

Norway's Stave Churches - Eidsborg

From the Bay of Fundy, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia study session in 2010 came the exhibit entitled "Bridging Waters" that toured England and across Canada from 2012 - 2014:

Erosion at Hopewell Rock 
The Hopewell Rocks of New Brunswick are the iconic Bay of Fundy postcard image. Erosion from the highest tides in the world going through twice a day has carved these red sandstone cliffs into strange and interesting shapes.
Full and Detail:

 

Always Something To Do
Based upon a photograph I took at the pier in St. Andrews-by-the-Sea NB this scene is recreated endlessly with men and their boats. The title refers to how it is a never ending job of maintenance against the ravages of salt water and marine life.

UNESCO World Heritage Site

Yes, another World Heritage Site!
In past years I have created pieces based upon these Canadian UNESCO sites: the Rocky Mountain Parks in Alberta + L'Anse Aux Meadows in Newfoundland + Haida Gwaii (SGand Gwaay) in British Columbia + Dinosaur Provincial Park in Alberta + Quebec City in Quebec...

My latest interest is JOGGINS FOSSIL CLIFFS in Nova Scotia on the Bay of Fundy.

Employing a technique I have used in other series, I am drawing with free machine embroidery stitch on archival tissue paper.

Piece #1 is fish fossils...

Close up - tea dyed, waxed, black thread...

Piece #2 is the Ammonite shell...
Starting phase - draw and colour

Close up of the stitching...

And the final pieces framed...

I can't wait to present them to the public and hear their comments on them!

Calyx Fine Art Sale

Here are the other 2D wall pieces that I had at the Calyx show. They are done in the theme of UNESCO World Heritage Sites located in Canada.

From the rolling hills of L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland, these two pieces explore the Celtic connection in Canada and the voyages of the Vikings 1000 years ago:


The parks of the Rocky Mountains (Banff in particular) were the first UNESCO sites in Canada over 100 years ago. The railways were encouraging visitors to view this natural occurring magnificence and build hotels (promoted as 'Castles of the Rockies') along their lines. This series included the Banff Springs, Chateau Lake Louise and Chateau Frontenac in the east. This one is the Prince Of Wales hotel in Waterton National Park in southern Alberta.

Called 'The Tide Remains The Same' the artist statement for this pieces reads:
The power of nature to sustain or destroy humanity is immense. Without action to preserve the earth and the ecosystems that nourish us, we will all fade away, leaving only the evidence of our presence; skeleton, bone and shell. UNESCO World Heritage Sites have been established to ensure the epic human story of civilizations rising and falling teaches us this truth.

Urban Textures 6 - Lamp Posts

Turn-of-the-century cast iron metal lamp posts seen in Winnipeg's Exchange District...

Urban Textures 5 - Window Coverings

From Winnipeg's Exchange District, one of Canada's National Historic Sites, here are details of metal coverings over windows...

Urban Textures 3 - Doors

The last blog showed Winnipeg's Exchange District and full shots of buildings. Today is about architectural detailing... Starting with DOORS:

Urban Textures 2

Winnipeg surprised us all with its lovely old buildings that haven't been torn down for future development like most of Calgary's core. In Calgary there is movement afoot to save the remaining old buildings but it is too late for a great number of them.

Winnipeg however, has the 20 block Exchange District National Historical Site that contains over 100 turn-of-the-century buildings including massive stone and brick warehouses to elegant terra-cotta clad skyscrapers.





The shipping industry up the Red River from the south started Winnipeg's boom in the mid-1800s but that was a mere stepping stone for the development that the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) brought with its railway lines extending across Canada in the late 1800s and the thousands of settlers that passed through Winnipeg on their way west to claim homesteads.

Winnipeg held titles like - 1905 "fastest growing city of its size in North America"; 1911 "one of the largest rail centres in the world"; "agriculture centre of the country" with over half of the world's wheat sales during the 1920s. At this time financial institutes were lining up on Main Street, turning it into Banker's Row and creating an unrivaled architectural showcase of prosperity. This area also became the entertainment capital of western Canada with opulent theatres and cabarets drawing Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin and the Marx Brothers north.

After being named a National Historical Site in 1997 by the Federal Government, the Exchange District has become Winnipeg's hub of arts and culture, home to art galleries, studios, theatres, festivals and museums.