Cliff Turner, Still Life for the Afterlife

This week we have had time to reflect upon our first month in the new gallery. It has been a very fine beginning. The gallery space and location are exceptional. We are so pleased to be part of this Canterbury Street renaissance, and to be able to offer our artists this incredible venue to display their works. We are, of course, gratified by the faith which our artists have shown us. It is exciting to have the best professional artists in the region under one roof. Finally, we are extremely pleased with the warm welcome we have received from our community. We have greeted thousands of friends, clients and well-wishers at the gallery since we opened our doors on December 4. To all of you we wish you the best for 2016.

We promise you that we will be working hard to bring you many fine exhibitions and events over the next twelve months. A post later this month will provide a glimpse of what lies ahead for Buckland Merrifield this year.

Today we would like to share with you six new works that have just come into the gallery. We think that they well represent the high standards that we will work to maintain for our gallery.

The first is a new painting by Cliff Turner (shown above).  This work, entitled Still Life for the Afterlife, is an oil on canvas and measures 24″ x 36″. it arrived just after Christmas and has been included in our current exhibition.

Our second work arrived just yesterday. It is Box Store Beauty Vase (shown below) by Wendy Johnston. Composed of eartheware clay, underglazes, glaze and copper, this work stands 20″ high, and is a fine illustration of how complex ceramic works can be.

Wendy Johnston, Box Store Beauty Vase

The third work we are featuring today is the newest painting by Elizabeth Grant. Her previous painting was included in our exhibition on December 4, but soon went to its new home. This second painting in the series, Hide in Plain Sight; Hunt in the Dark, is currently hanging in the gallery.

Elizabeth Grant, Hide in Plain Sight; Hunt in the Dark

Our fourth work today is from ceramic artist, Yolande Clark. This Gilded Vase has been created using porcelain and gild. Her works sold extremely well during December. We currently have this fine vessel on display.

Yolande Clark, Gilded Vase

We have one more painting in today’s selection. It is Ascent #2, from a new series by Marie Fox. This work is oil on panel and measures 23″ in diameter. It is just being hung in the gallery today.

Marie Fox, Ascent #2

Our final piece for you today is by Teena Dickerson. This piece is called Truth Necklace, and has been constructed with sterling silver and white agate.

What we have shared with you today is just the beginning for 2016. Watch for many more blog posts, many great exhibitions and a lot of truly fine work by the best artists in the region.

Just one more week, but still plenty of time to pop in and see us at our new location at 36 Canterbury St. Here are twelve more great suggestions for that special gift.

1.

Snowline: Spring Freshet by James Wilson. This is a beautiful photographic work, part of a series called Water. Years in the making, Jamie has been artistically documenting the New Brunswick waterways. The gallery will feature this series with an exhibition in May, but we had to let one out in advance. The work measures 16″ x 40″.  ($1800)

2.

Peter Kinsella is a master of the wood. He creates simply beautiful vessels with a wonderful variety of New Brunswick wood. Any of these would make a wonderful gift.  (prices range $95 – $250)

3.

Cathy Ross recently sent us this watercolour work, Heirloom Apples. This is quite lovely, a superb example of her work, characteristic of her eye for detail and beauty. This painting measures 6″ x 22″. This is one case when my photography through the glass does not do justice to the work. You should stop by to see this piece.  ($900)

4.

We currently have a number of pieces by Denise MacLean. The images on her bowls, plates and mugs remind one fine woodcuts, and evoke memories of great illustrated books for young and old. This bowl stands 6″ high.  ($90)

5.

This stunning riverscape is by Glenn Hall. An oil on panel that measures 16″ x 20″ is an excellent example of Glenn’s treatment of sky, land and water.   ($975)

6.

Chris Doiron is a young emerging ceramic artist. The gallery has been excited to represent his work. This fine raku vessel stands 9″ high.  ($175)

7.

Another fine New Brunswick painter is Peter Salmon. Peter lives in St. Martin’s, and completed this oil painting of the beach just in time for our recent opening exhibition. It measures 36″ x 24″  ($2200)

8.

The gallery features several of the region’s best ceramic artists. Above is a selection of work by Helen Stanley. (range $25 – $80)

9.

Now, this one pops. If you really want to take home something special this Christmas, you would not go wrong with this painting by Deanna Musgrave. Deanna was commissioned this past year to complete the 50′ mural for the Hans Klohn Building at UNB Saint John. So this is one of her smaller works, measuring 48″ x 48″.  ($1900)

10.

Extraordinary is what we have to say about the platters created by Karen Knight. This particular piece measures 10″ x 20″.  ($175)

11.

And finally, from our fine art department, one from the master, Fred Ross. This drawing was recently selected for the gallery from the estate of Fred Ross. It is a strong work from one of Saint John’s most celebrated artists. It measures 23″ x 16″.  ($2600)

12.

Judy Blake is a ceramic artist with an international reputation. The gallery currently has a fine selection of her saggar fired work. This vessel measures 12″ high.  ($700)

Please drop by the gallery or contact us via phone, email or facebook.

PICKS FROM SHANNON AND PETER

With just ten days until Christmas, many people are still searching for that very special gift for someone important in their life. We think we can help. With a gallery full of fine art and fine craft, produced by the best artists in this region, we have produced a list of pieces that we feel are quite special.

Here is our list of twelve pieces that we feel would make great gifts this year.

1.

This is a large ceramic pot (19″ high) by Yolande Clark, from her new electric kiln series using glaze engobe and gild.  ($1400)

2.

John Edward Cushnie is a new member of the Buckland Merrifield Gallery. We believe John to be a very fine painter, surely one to watch. This work is entitled Shadow #31, an oil on canvas, 29″ x 29″  ($1050)

3.

 Erica Stanley is one of the many fine jewelers represented by the gallery. This Narwhal pendant has been crafted using 14 K gold and stirling silver.  ($353)

4.

This painting came into the gallery just hours before our opening exhibition. It is a splendid example of the work Lynn Wigginton has created throughout her career as she has artistically documented the architecture of Saint John. Along Prince William St., oil and acrylic on canvas, 18″ x 36″.  ($1850)

5.

The bowl above is by Peter Kinsella. Peter’s wood turning is of an exceptional high calibre. This large bowl (13′ diameter) is from a maple root burl  ($600)

6.

We received a very fine group of new paintings from Amy Dryer this fall. Windy Red is one that we like in particular. It is oil on canvas, 28″ x 48″.  ($2600)

7.

Fired at extremely high temperatures, the resultant stunning glazes are distinctive in the work of Juliette Sheffars.  ($192 for the set)

8.

Marie Fox, another addition to the gallery this year, was selected as an emerging artist of the year by the Beaverbrook Art Gallery this past summer. Ireland, mixed media on panel, 10″ x 8″  ($675)

9.

Ceramic work by Yukari Hazama Iverson has been popular with Saint John buyers for many years. Enameled fan plate, 9″ x 16″  ($145)

One of New Brunswick’s finest painters, Stephen Scott has been turning his eye to the Saint John skyline of late. This is a fine example of his work in watercolour. Southend, watercolour, 14″ x 20″  ($1400)

11.

A sounder of swine arrived from the studio of artist, Philip Savage. These wee piggies have been flying out the door. If pigs could fly?! Mahogany and cherry.  ($65)

12.

We wait each Christmas to see what delightfully clever drawings will arrive from the studio of Colin Smith. Here are two, Learning and A Beautiful Broken Heart. Both are done with inks and measure 12″ x 6″.  ($275 each)

Be sure to come by our new gallery space at 36 Canterbury St. to see the many wonderful works on display.

Photograph courtesy of Chelsea Kindrachuk, CTK Photography

This is another in our series that introduces new artists who will be joining Buckland Merrifield Gallery. While Amy is new to our gallery, her work is certainly known to those who follow the art scene in Saint John. Amy is based in Calgary but lived in Saint John for a period of time, and has certainly exhibited in this city before.

Amy received her art training at the Alberta College of Art & Design, The Glasgow School of Art and Mount Allison University. As she continues to develop her career as a significant Canadian artist, we are pleased that she has chosen to be represented in this region by our gallery when it opens this fall.

Amy and I have been corresponding throughout the summer as she has kept me informed about her current work, sending me images of paintings that she has been preparing for our gallery. The most recent correspondence concerns her newest painting, Windy Red.

Amy discussed her approach to this painting, and others she has produced in recent months.

“This summer has had me painting almost entirely in my backyard; the hot dry days welcomed me outdoors and I found myself getting up early in the morning while the light was still soft. I filled my home studio with canvases and material and allowed my muse to wash over me – the turquoise cruiser, my good friend’s bicycle.

Various subjects – chairs, canoes, now bicycles – often draw me in. These forms and shapes, when put together, represent something more than the combination of their parts. The bicycle – and particularly the cruiser – represents an innocence, a sense of personal adventure, a new orientation. Though I have not ridden a bike very much, I am drawn to the bicycle because it symbolizes the possibility of personal exploration.

And I have explored this bicycle from many angles. I have placed the bike under the dappled light of my backyard trees; I’ve put it in front of the garage/ home studio orange door; I’ve moved the bicycle into the garden. It gave me a way to delve into a personal landscape, the morning light in my backyard, the changing flowers and foliage of my garden, the evening shadows, the clover. Looking back over the summer this bicycle had me experience a sense of wonder in my own backyard.”

In Front of the Studio, oil on canvas, 48″ x 60″

Blue Evening, oil on canvas, 48″ x 48″

I wanted to know more about these strong gestural works. Amy talked about what the process of painting means to her.

“My gestural style – characteristic of German Expressionism – emphasizes the subjective expression of inner experiences. The truest picture of a moment – the figure of a place – occurs in a balanced abstraction of everyday perspectives. To convey this I combine line, form and colour to represent and yet slightly distort my subject matter. This creates a field of view that is both familiar and enigmatic.”

Photograph courtesy of Banff Centre AB

I have always been interested in why artists are drawn to particular subjects. Are the objects chosen for their symbolic or metaphorical presence? Does an artist select an object due to the perception of its purely physical attractiveness? Or, is an object chosen for some deeply personal reason? Below are other current examples of Amy’s work. Look forward to these paintings on our gallery walls this fall.

Drift, oil on canvas, 36″ x 48″

Midnight on the Lake, oil on canvas, 36″ x 60″

Birch Bark, oil on canvas, 36″ x 40″

I trust that the artists, as well as Noel Coward fans, will forgive my literary theft above. Of course these four lads: Cliff Turner, John Pottle, Glenn Hall and Peter Salmon are not truly mad, but it is fair to say they have pushed themselves beyond the norm, that is their normal practice. They have gone out under the hot summer sun in order to create paintings following the tradition of painting en plein air.

Glenn Hall pointed out to me that painting en plein, that is creating a painting on location, as opposed to working within the confines of the studio, “in order to achieve a deeper, and perhaps more subtle truth – what it feels like to be in a certain time and place”, is quite an old tradition. It was well used by the impressionist painters “to capture something of a mood and of the shifting light.” I should point out that of the four, Glenn Hall is the most accustomed to this practice, having created many fine paintings though this approach over the years. While this exercise may not be as much outside his comfort zone as it might be for the others, I am certain that Glenn, the fine professional artist that he is, will push himself in other ways to produce some fine paintings for the next showing at the Peter Buckland Gallery

 

Our next showing, Alla Prima, with Turner, Pottle, Hall and Salmon, will actually be the last formal exhibition for the Peter Buckland Gallery, as we will be moving our location and changing our name to Buckland Merrifield this fall. I feel it will be a good show to go out on, as I look forward to the results of this summer project that has seen four fine painters travel to various locations in southern New Brunswick to capture something of the immediacy of time and place on canvas.

I have had an opportunity to talk to each of these painters about their experiences with this project. Peter Salmon discussed how different it has been for him to paint this way.

“Cliff said it best while we were painting in St. Martins. He said that this is the best thing anyone could do. I agree. The sun was out, it was warm, a few people were about and we were painting.”

Peter did add that the exercise was not without its considerable challenges.

“I’m used to painting in stages, usually 5 or 6, with days, weeks or months in between. Painting like this forces me to get it down quickly.”

John Pottle, like Peter Salmon, is used to studio work. He discussed his experience.

“Over the winter, photos have been my source of inspiration as the paint and I attempt to capture moments in the natural world. A recent work is nearing completion after almost six months, so crafting a piece in the fresh air in less than five hours is really refreshing.

This series has challenged me to recognize when my paint application is in the fussy zone, and it’s been a great opportunity to be more expressive with the brushwork.”

 

John talked about the other benefits that, for him, have occurred as a result of this project.

“It’s been educational working beside other painters and witnessing how they can observe and render the same patch of the earth, yet everyone’s results are so dissimilar in terms of the fundamentals (composition, colour choices, and brush technique). Another bonus is being out in some stunning corners of this sometimes overlooked province.”

His final note.

“Four hours can pass in a heartbeat, measured only by the steady series of horsefly bites.”

 

Cliff Turner also talked about the challenges for a studio painter who suddenly finds himself out in the open air with paint and canvas.

“the immediacy….in a very short time, using limited tools, you have to articulate a connection to what you are seeing . . . for John, Peter and myself, it has been so unlike what we do in the studio, the close examination of our source material and hours rendering it, has been stripped down to what is essential.”

He feels that he had to make several adjustments to accommodate this project.

” I started hard… too detailed…. too big! the 12×16 canvases, which I viewed as small, were much better on 8×10 masonite….Glenn said this over and over and it finally sunk in!”

With just two weeks to go, we await the finished products; these varied paintings depicting many locations: Hatfield Point, the Wickham grave yard, Duck Pond, Grand Bay, Nerepis Marsh, Westfield Ferry, Kennebecasis Island, Public Landing, St. Martins . . .

 All Prima will be our exhibition feature for the summer gallery hop on August 21. Don’t miss a great show by four very good painters at our Duke St. location. Don’t miss this final show for the Peter Buckland Gallery.

This is Gisele Theriault, known professionally as The Barber’s Daughter. An artisan who creates thoughtful and beautiful jewellery, Gisele grew up in a Cape Breton town where her father was the local barber. The barber shop was a place of stories, a meeting place where people came to share their triumphs, their tribulations and the day-to-day minutiae of community life.

Inspired by her father’s retelling of these stories around the family supper table, Gisele was determined to inject this compassion, this sense of humanity, this thoughtfulness into her own work. As the Barber’s Daughter she creates contemplative jewellery, full of meaning and purpose.

Engraving words into precious metals, she speaks of this as providing a contemplative grounding or touch stone, her response to a world fraught with sensory overload. She says, “The most important element, and what puts a skip into my step, is being able to provide a way that we can walk daily with words that inspire.”

 

 

The Barber’s Daughter is one of the artists that Shannon will be bringing to our gallery in the fall. Shannon recalled her first exposure to the work of this artist.

“I first connected with Giséle in the fall 2007 as I was looking for a new voice for the gallery I was operating at that time. As I have always believed that the crafts people know the best work, I inquired within my artist circle to find a new and unique talent. Trudy Gallagher mentioned The Barber`s Daughter to me. When I saw her work, I knew my search had ended.”

We are so pleased that The Barber’s Daughter will be joining Buckland Merrifield Gallery this fall.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Next week I will be taking a break from our Meet The Artist Series, so that I can tell you about the upcoming exhibition to be held at my current location on Duke Street. Four artists: Cliff Turner, John Pottle, Glenn Hall and Peter Salmon have something very special taking shape for the Summer Gallery Hop on Friday August 21.

 

 

 

Philip Savage has two overriding passions, farming and sculpting. I recently spotted him at the Queen Square Market, working his booth, obviously wearing his farmer’s hat. However, it is Philip Savage the artist that we are featuring today.

A rarity in this day when colleges and universities are turning out an ever-increasing number of well trained artists, Philip is essentially self taught. He did receive some very early assistance when, as a young boy, he joined the KV Carvers Club. It was there, at the age of ten years, he learned much about the tools and techniques of carving from the older members of the club.

Since then Philip’s work has evolved into a significant art form. The sophistication, complexity and sheer beauty of his work are undeniable.

Philip Savage has been receiving a great deal of attention lately, well deserved attention. He was recently the subject of a post in Created Here, a fine blog on regional artists, by Marie-Hélène Marmen Morell.

Even more recently, last evening as I write, Philip Savage was awarded the prestigious Nel Oudemans Award, given by the Sheila Hugh Mackay Foundation. This award recognizes the pursuit of excellence in the fields of fine craft and design by emerging New Brunswick artisans.

The Buckland Merrifield Gallery is very pleased that Philip Savage will be among the artists featured when it opens in October.