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Summer Shows

JUNE 29, 2013
He is enigmatic. He is misunderstood. He is benevolent. He is a primeval archetype. His origins are shrouded in the mists of time...

The Green Man is an ancient motif representing the cycle of the seasons, transformation and the rebirth of spring after a long winter. Most often found carved in wood and stone in European gothic cathedrals, he is represented by the face of a man made up of foliage or spewing leaves.

 
On July 4, the Nook Collective (hosted by Julia Breckenreid and Steve Wilson) in Toronto are featuring the work of over 40 artists. Should be a killer show. I am thrilled to be a part of this and will be hanging several pieces. I am working with Dimitri Levanov to produce the work in the show.
I let loose on these, using a skull as a template and working with collaged ornamental foliage, giving the work a gothic feel while retaining a sense of fun and playfulness.
This one's a bit sinister and sophisticated. I thought each had its own personality. They both look a bit like the tangles of weeds sprouting in my garden this year. All this rain and I am fighting a loosing battle. So while our American friends are celebrating red, white & blue, we will be lighting it up green. Really looking forward to the show. Thanks to Julia for putting this together!
I also have another show opening this weekend, at Oeno Gallery. Another plant-themed group show called 'When the Bough Breaks: Re-imagining the Tree'. Oeno is a lovely venue, where I had my Mecanismos and Birdhouse City shows.

On a different note, I have had a busy summer so far, with some great assignment work that I will be posting later. Some good news - the work I did for SubTerrain Magazine was a winner in the illustration category at the Western Magazine Awards. This piece is called Detachment, it accompanied an excellent short story by Lee Kvern about a young girl, a stray dog and life on a remote RCMP outpost. A cold, wintry image to keep you cool in the heat of summer.

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