www.markpenneygallery.com

PRESS RELEASE

Fish, Ships, & Lost Treasures
Art Exhibition
March 6 – 16th, 2010

From Saturday, March 6th to Tuesday, March 16th, the Mark Penney Gallery in Ucluelet welcomes the whales with the Art Exhibition Fish, Ships, & Lost Art Treasures.
The gallery, located in Whiskey Landing, is “a place you discover by accident,” says owner, Mark Penney. “The gallery, like Ucluelet, is a real hidden gem.”
A gem of an art exhibition it will be with world renowned artists such as Canadian icon and National Gallery artist, Ken Kirkby, who was the first artist to have an unveiling in the House of Commons, Physicist and painter Rob Elphinstone, Charles Churchill Villiers and well known local artist, Marla Thirsk, are just a few of the acclaimed artists releasing new work.
Many know Marla’s work from her local mural work on the West Coast and as the creator of the ‘Art in the Gardens’ festival held each September at the Tofino Botanical Gardens, not to mention being a driving force behind ‘Artists-in-Action’ during the Whale Festival.
“I was really honored to be asked to showcase my new series at the Mark Penney Gallery,” says Thirsk. “This series, was inspired by old photographs from the 1930’s to 1960’s that my mother had. As my mum passed away 25 years ago, it will be quite a poignant moment for me.”
Modern artist Charles Churhill Villiers, son of famed inventor Amherst Villiers and relation to Lady Veronica Milner, regrets not being able to personally be at the show as he is beginning a gallery tour in England, “but my heart will be there.”
“The series that I will be showcasing at the gallery has not been seen before. I did the work, Mark printed it. I had the series framed, crated up and sent to England for an exhibition there, but it got lost in transit and traveled the high seas for awhile, before finally being returned to Vancouver Island, where they remained unopened and un-exhibited,” adds Villiers.
The irony of the exhibition’s name, Fish, Ships, & Lost Art Treasures, was not lost on Villiers.
“It seems appropriate,” says Charles. “I love Ucluelet and the West Coast…what a wonderful place to release my own lost treasure.”
Other artists include such famous names as Joan Larson, Peggy Burkosky, Bruce Muir, and more.
The Mark Penny Gallery will be open, 7 days per week, 10 am to 5 pm.
Free Admission. For more information, visit www.markpenneygallery.com for a full list/biography of artists, and a preview of some of the art.

www.canadarides.ca
Joan Larson has launched a new website featuring her RCMP musical Ride Series of Illustrations. The pastel illustrations are amazing, and like the illustrations themselves, the new website is nearly complete.

I’ve watched people reach out to touch the horses and applaud as the men and women of the Ride paraded before them. I have seen and felt the special sense of what it is to be Canadian when I watch the Musical Ride. These horses and riders are uniquely Canadian and it was my goal and passion to produce a series of paintings that celebrate their pageantry and Canadian Heritage

~ Joan Larson

Joan Larson – Arrowsmith View

10″ x 15″ Pastels, Framed.

$960

Joan’s depiction of Mount Arrowsmith as seen from the Nanoose Bay side. It’s one of those spots that many people are familiar with, having driven by, but few people actually stop here to take in this amazing viewpoint. Arrowsmith is iconic; it dominates the landscape in the Alberni Valley, and remains a snow covered peak for most of the summer.

Beached (Brico) by Joan Larson
16″ x 22″ pastel illustration, framed.
$1980

The ship was a decommissioned cable laying vessel, it was beached near Fanny Bay, and operated as a restaurant for many years. A well photographed tourist attraction – it was broken up removed a few years ago.

This depiction of the ship brings back a lot of fond travel memories for a lot of people visiting the gallery. Stories of the Mill and the over the highway conveyor belt, the various out buildings and of course the Fanny Bay Oysters next door to the ship.

Anyone who has traveled the old highway up the inside of Vancouver Island surely remembers the Brico.

The Lone Fisher by Joan Larson
11″x16″ pastel illustration, framed

Sold (private collection)

Deep blues and gold highlights contrast in this depiction of a blue heron fishing. It’s a deep saturated piece with a lot of impact for it’s scale.

Qualicum Beach View by Joan Larson
Pastel Illustration
11″x17″ framed
$1215

A warm depiction of an area well known to the artist, Joan Larson. While she’s most known as an Equine Illustrator, Joan’s coastal scenes are gaining popularity. We’re glad to have a number of new exciting pieces in the gallery.

Joan Larson has been involved in the arts all her life. An early interest in art led her to study at the Banff Centre, the University of Victoria, and the prestigious Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.
Joan specializes in equine art work, often drawing upon her background of landscape and figurative painting to create her work. Born in Sexsmith Alberta, she was influenced by the open, rural landscape around her. However, a family move to Victoria, B.C. while still young, gave her an appreciation of the surrounding forests and ocean.

Joan’s career experiences have included graphic design, illustration, managing her own gallery in Palm Desert, California, and developing several picture framing businesses. Her diverse education and life experiences have given her a practical understanding of the business aspects of the art world, as well as a technical proficiency with a variety of art mediums.

Her preference to work primarily with pastels is due to the exceptional colour effects that can be achieved when working with sticks of pure pigment. Her subjects have been described as “sensitive portrayals, so life like that the personalities shine through.” Often using unusual angles of observation and varying light sources, she is able to capture the more subtle aspects of the human/animal relationship.

Joan’s work has won awards and been featured in several publications. She shows her work at selected exhibits, including the Spruce Meadows “Masters”; Equi-Fair in Calgary, Alberta, and has been accepted to the American Academy of Equine Artists juried shows in Lexington, Kentucky. She is a member of the Pastel Society of Canada, the Equine Art Guild and the Federation of Canadian Artists. Her work can be found in numerous private and public collections.

Her home and studio are located on a scenic acreage in the Qualicum Beach area of Vancouver Island.
2008 is shaping up to another busy year in the studio. An invitation to show her work at the Look Gallery in Helmsley, Yorkshire, UK is the first show of the year. New works are in progress for that show opening on April 27.

Joan is also pleased to announce that her first illustrated book, “Yetsa’s Sweater” has been nominated for another award. So far the list includes:
• 2007 – 08 Chocolate Lily Award from the BC Teachers & Librarians Assoc.
• 2007 Shining Willow Award from the Saskatchewan Young Readers Choice Awards (voting ended on Feb. 29/08)
• 2007 BC Booksellers Choice Award
• 2008 Silver Birch Award from the Ontario Library Association
It has also been chosen for the “Top 5 Books by the Rutgers University Project on Economics and Children” by Rutgers University, New Brunswick
A second illustrated book is currently in the works . . .

Joan will be back at Equi-Fair at Spruce Meadows this fall. It will be her 20th year there. Time flies to say the least. She will be previewing new works and new projects. If you would like an invitation to the “Preferred Customer Evening” please contact the studio and we will make sure to send you one.

Joan will be having a one-person show at The Old School House in Qualicum Beach, Nov. 10 – Dec. 7. She will be previewing some of the new “RCMP Musical Ride” artworks at that time.

Posts tagged Joan Larson

I know and respect each of the artists represented in the gallery, some I have worked with for many years, others have come to know me recently, through the gallery. I try not to limit the works to any specific genre, scale or medium despite my own personal biases.

It’s an absolute pleasure to admire, display, reproduce, sell artwork that I’m genuinely enthusiastic about.

Many visitors are amazed to learn how many artists are from Vancouver Island or who travel here to paint, study, vacation and sometimes to disappear for a while.

Charles Villiers seldom offers explanation of his work. He prefers to remain a bit of a mystery, leaving the viewer to form their own opinions of his art. Prolific painter, sculptor and more recently digital media artist, he’s made a transition that many artists struggle with; the process of making your art in different mediums without loosing your style. Somehow even highly technical compositions retain a bit of the innocence of his earlier figurative and nonobjective works. It’s not unlike the way you can still sometimes see the boy within a man.

Ken Kirkby is renowned at an internal level as a decisive canadian painter, he has a distinct graphic style formed by many bush miles. His paintings depict a minimal stillness not unlike other noted canadian realists. He’s a very passionate man who has a dedication to making an impact as an artist that goes well beyond painting.

Rob Elphinstone is a physicist whose area of expertise is the study of the northern lights. I find it fascinating that his work to quantify something ethereal is also reflected in his art, he’s an actualist painter and his paintings depict his experience, not technically what he saw.

Marla Thirsk – is known as Ucluelet’s artist, and I’d have to say she’s so much more. Almost every art event, function, group in the area has benefited directly from Marla’s help. The Whale Festival posters have been a calling card of hers for years. I’m pleased to have several exciting work of hers.

Jeff Edwards – a well known sculptor, and a well liked crab fisherman. Jeff chooses his stone from local area quarries, his works are highly prized. His enchanting bears, and marine mammals are well liked and collected, I’m happy to be showing several of Jeff’s figures, and shapes.

Joan Larson – renowned for her equine (horse) Illustrations, she works almost exclusively in pastels. We’re very pleased to showcase several of her local landscapes, and look forward her RCMP Musical Ride Series.

Peggy Burkosky – Known as a advanced watercolorist, Peggy is an capable painter in any medium. Her paintings have a sincerity about them, a true reflection of her island life. Sea scape scenes often include her daughter, family, or Bob’s fish boat, they are stunning paintings and portraiture. She teaches her secrets at the Old School House in Parksville.

Richard Hoedl – An accomplished painter, his bright whimsical style catches alot of attention. Richard paints in a walnut based oil on deep streched canvas.

Terry Jackson is a Metis artist working in carved wood, silver and cast porcelain. His contemporary use of materials lends a refreshingly clean look to his culturally based works. The porcelain is highly collectible, and the silver reflects an intrinsic value. Terry’s woodwork ranges from masks and wall panels to commissioned totem poles.

Jacqueline Windh, a Tofino based photographer, is well known for captivating seascapes and wildlife. Her work is frequently published and she regularly contributes to CBC Radio.

Nigel Brooks Peer is an art photographer of a different kind, he’s well travelled has worked in several genres, and is fascinated with reflections. He’s formed a style of his own in multiple image exposures, juxtaposing images, often on first blush they’re seemingly unrelated subjects, but subtle cultural refrences emerge to poke at your conceptions of art and photography.