www.markpenneygallery.com

The Arrival by Bruce Muir
24″x30″ Oils on Canvas
$2900

A Humpback Whale during it’s annual migration past Vancouver Island. There’s a lot we can glean from this portrait; we know the whale’s species, we can see it’s heading westward, and the proximity to shore. The weather and fog is well known to this part of the island. What strikes me is this; You can often see exactly this upper portion of the painting, but here, Bruce Muir shows you the part you can only imagine from the glimpses you catch from above the water’s surface.

The Reef by Bruce Muir
16″x20″ Oils on Canvas, framed.
$2000

This is a red tailed surf perch, they live in the inshore waters along the coast, right in the surf line. Starfish are tucked in the Anemones providing an emerald backdrop. It’s a wonderful depiction of the life here, underwater.

Kunamokst – Coastal Inspirations Mural Mosaic Unveiling

Coast and Trees 12″x12″ Oils, plate 81 of Coastal Inspirations Mural Mosaic by Rob Elphinstone

For the last year and a half over 200 of some of Canada’s finest artists from along the west coast have collaborated to create a stunning 12 foot x 21 foot mural. The mural has been invited to be officially unveiled as part of the 2010 Winter Games. It is comprised of 231, 12 inch x 12 inch original paintings that when all the images are combined together a united image comes to life. There are no digital effects and the artists did not know each other or know what the united final image would be. It is a mural about unity through diversity – a great symbol of the Olympic ideals through art.

Kunamokst – Coastal Inspirations Mural Mosaic combines artists as young as 16 years old to artists as old as 91. Nanaimo artist, Rob Elphinstone, has contributed a piece entitled “Coast and Trees”. There are first nations artists, world renowned artists, French Canadian artists and artists from various regions along the coast. World renowned first nations artists like Roy Henry Vickers and April White contributed to the mural. As did Iconic Canadian artist Robert Bateman. Many other of the 200 artists, have been featured on the world stage as well. Special guests artists include California world renowned whale muralist WYLAND and California muralist Judy Baca.

Mural Links-
www.muralmosaic.com/kunamokst.html

Winter Games web page
westvancouver.ca coverage of the mural

Kunamokst – Coastal Inspirations Mural Mosaic

Mural Unveiling Saturday, February 13th, 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.
West Vancouver Spirit Square – an official 2010 Celebration Site
West Vancouver Community Centre (Art Studio), 2121 Marine Drive, West Vancouver.
On Display from February 13th – February 28, 2010
10 AM – 5PM Daily, until 9PM Friday and Saturday.

Congratulations to all Island Artists who participated, among them: Rob Elphinstone, Elissa Anthony, Roy Henry Vickers, Gordon Henschel, Mark Hobson, Rohanna Laing, Peter Lawson, Martin Machacek, Christina Munck. What a great project

Three Fishers, Hoping by Ken Kirkby
40″x60″ Oils on canvas, c1980
$8000

Two Fishers, One Fish by Ken Kirkby
40″x60″ Oils on canvas. c1980
$8000

Sandy Tidal Pool by Bruce Muir
16″x20″ oils on canvas, framed.
$1800

A stunning portrait of Vancouver Island, there are thousands of tranquil little spots along the coastline, just like this. Star fish of many colors and varieties abound in the calm inshore waters of Barkley Sound. Masterfully painted, with many layers of glazing to build up the misty atmosphere depicted so well in this painting.

Harvest of Herring by Bruce Muir
20″x30″ oils on canvas, framed.
$2900

Hard at work in the herring skiff, these fishermen are a stark contrast to the rainy coastline. While the highlight of color draws our attention to life aboard the fishing vessel, we’re made conscious of the bounty of life shining as it comes aboard the skiff. The seine boat is beautifully rendered and I’m stunned by how beautiful the scene is.

Born in Vancouver, Bruce paints realistic portrayals of West Coast wildlife. Shown across Canada and around the world, his originals can be found in numerous public and private collections. Bruce has been named the B.C. Wildlife Federation Artist of the Year; twice. Muir salmon paintings are recognized in this area because his chinook salmon images have been used on Canada’s Sport Fishing License Stamp, several times.

Bruce Muir has become a premier Canadian landscape painter. Evolving from marine seascapes and wildlife, Bruce has been forging new territory, bringing a different viewpoint to British Columbian Landscapes.

Subjects rendered in an immersible perspective are the particular focus of Muir’s work. Choosing viewpoints that are ‘in’ the scene rather than ‘of’ the scene is his calling card. The light-play of sun on water reflecting and refracting on the aluminum bulwark of a commercial fishing vessel might not be a subject commonly held as ‘beautiful’ but Bruce recognizes it as such. Purposefully emotive over and under the surface of water depictions and bird’s eye views of intimate locations of coastal British Columbia have emerged in his recent works.

Bruce has pursued artistic endeavors since childhood with the support of his parents and teachers . At age 15, he became acquainted with Ken Kirkby, who was to become a major influence in his life and his artwork. By 1981 Bruce had devoted himself to painting full time. From that time until present Bruce Muir has participated in many showings of his work, produced 40 or more limited edition prints, won numerous competitions, and been the recipient of several awards including BC Wildlife Federation Artist of the Year and Trout Unlimited Canada’s Artist of the Year.

Posts tagged Bruce Muir

Hurricane Amanda by Charles Churchill Villiers
36″x36″ Oils on Canvas
$9500

One of small series of non-objective modern abstract paintings by Charles Villiers, each was named for a love in his life in the way that storms are named.

This particular piece really caught my attention, I like the square format and the custom metal floater framing. It’s an old-school modern abstract, heavy impasto oils on Egyptian canvas. Each in the series had varying scale, shape and framing details. It’s quite difficult to create a painting this way and I admire how almost sculptural it is.

Path to Unknown by Richard Hoedl
36″x48″ Oils on Canvas
$5425
This painting depicts the path to Florencia Bay, on the day Richard sketched it out; I wanted to photograph the beaches distinct rocks at the base of the bluffs. The other artists in the group were fast to climb down the sandy bank to the beach, but Richard remained behind awhile to take in the trail and of course to consider the trees along the way.

Lakeside Tranquility by Ken Kirkby
36″x36″ Oils on Canvas
$3000
Tranquility is the quality of calm experienced in places with mainly natural features and activities, free from disturbance from man-made areas.

At Peace, Spider Lake by Ken Kirkby
60″x30″ Oils on Canvas
$4000
This tall painting has all of the signature elements of a Kirkby’s lake-side paintings, grass, rocks, the tranquil reflection of the lake, but in this example Ken has rendered the detail on the tree trunk where the light strikes it, establishing a level of detail that keeps me staring out over the water and at the subtle details of this painting.

Solo Again by Richard Hoedl
30″x30″ Oils on Canvas
$1800

Making Space by Richard Hoedl

48″x10″ Oils on Canvas

$1257

The west coast is known for amazing trees. Towering trees are perfect for a tall narrow space. Richard’s signature style of wrapping the image around the edges of the painting make this piece almost sculptural.

Artist, Colin T Bell is glad to have a website of his own to showcase his work on-line.

His new website www.colinbellart.com has recently been launched. A fellow-member of the Calgary Artists’ Society recommended an artist specific web service, and it seems it was a good fit. It’s a modest start of just a few pages, but overall the design and the photo galleries are simple and clean.

Colin Bell is a very capable painter in any medium. He’s recently painted a couple of pieces referencing my photography of the Wild Pacific Trail. I’m flattered, the paintings are stunning… here’s a peek.

Island Farm by Ken Kirkby
30″x60″ Oil on Canvas
$4500
A number of farms on the inside of Vancouver Island were abandoned during the 2nd world war, many of the owners did not return to their homesteads. This painting references this with a fence line in the foreground. The reefs and the vista of mainland mountains might well have been enough subject for the painting but Kirkby’s attention to the grass eludes to the farm and it’s history.

Yellowbelly Trout by Ken Kirbky
30″x40″ Oil on Canvas
$4000
Yellowbelly trout were once thought to be extinct in the Nile Creek. They have been making a resurgence in the island streams; thanks in part to the salmon restoration work of the Nile Creek Salmon Enhancement Society. The re-introduction of Pink Salmon and the stream rebuilding practices of this group have made an incredible impact on the level of fish of all species in the Nile Creek and surrounding areas.

Sea-Run Cutthroat Trout by Ken Kirkby
24″ x48″ Oil on Canvas
$4000

A Sea-Run Cutthroat Trout is a beautiful fish, they spend time at sea, the brackish intertidal waters as well as the cold fresh streams of Vancouver Island.
They’re very pretty, with a distinct couple of orange/red lines in the skin folds of each side of the lower jaw. Cuttys are colored dark olive-green on their back, with flashy silvery sides and numerous black spots head to tail.

In this series of paintings, Ken Kirkby shows he is a passionate fisherman, you cannot paint a fish like this unless you have spent a great deal of time observing them ~ he has, and it shows.

Life in Progress by Richard Hoedl
Oils on Canvas
48″x48″
$6032

Based on Tom Thompson’s Woodland Waterfall, Richard hoedl paints a lively depiction of the same scene, but in his own signature style. Simplicity is difficult without becoming saccharine, and while there’s a certain boyishness to Richard’s style it’s clearly not whimsical.

Soaring Dreams by Richard Hoedl
36″x36″ Oils on Canvas
(exhibition only)

Richard paints tress in his signature bright colorful style, this particular piece happened to be his wife Krista’s favorite painting. A similar piece was shown at their wedding.

Soaring Dreams has now returned to the Hoedl home after gracing the walls here at the gallery. We’re thankful to have been able to show it, and Krista no doubt is very happy to have it back.