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.

I managed to enter a few photos into the Winter Wave Photo Showdown
I’m really looking forward to seeing the other entries, I know a few people who’ve entered the contest.

I caught a glimpse of royal blue matte and metallic silver frames to be used when I dropped of my entry at The Info Centre at Whiskey Landing, the exhibit should look pretty sharp with an impressive line up of local photos.

Event Results: The event was fantastic, and attendance was very good.

Congratulations to Wayne Barnes, Jeremy Koreski and Marilyn McEwen, everyone was absolutely blown away by the photos.
I was surprised at how many of the photos were taken along the wild pacific trail as opposed to the classic beach wave shots taken in the Park. I’m also excited to see the addition of another great Whale Festival event in Ucluelet.

the Wild Pacific Trail by Teresa Knight
16.5″ x 23″ Acrylic on board, framed.
$600

Sunset on the trail is one of the highlights of a trip to Ucluelet. The pacific has a tendency to flatten out at dusk and even then, when the water is glossy smooth the odd set rolls in and breaks much bigger than the rest.

Teresa Knight’s recent work is full of atmosphere – she imbues what she sees with the emotions the scenes evoke within her. The softness of her style and the subtlety with which she uses colour help create this almost mystical experience. The viewer enters a new and special place outside of normal time where words are not necessary, but where experience is shared.

Teresa has been an artist for many years, and had a love for animals for as long. She got started in art when she and her sisters would pass rainy days at the cottage by drawing and painting, and Teresa continued in art.

She obtained her B.A. in Studio Arts and Bachelor of Education in Art from the University of British Columbia and now paints and teaches painting out of her Union Bay studio.

Teresa exhibits her work at local and West Coast venues. She hopes, eventually, to use her paintings to raise money to improve the lives of overlooked animals

Exhibitions

Teresa’s paintings are available at:

• Cedar Corner Art Gallery in Tofino BC www.cedarcornerartgallery.com
• Leaving Impressions Gallery in Qualicum Beach BC
• Mark Penney Gallery in Ucluelet BC www.markpenneygallery.com

Selected pieces are also available through Art Sales and Rentals at the Vancouver Art Gallery. www.vanartgallery.bc.ca/about_services2.cfm and some of Teresa’s work is available as limited edition prints from Casa Collection info@casacollection.ca

Teresa’s website is featured at the Agora Gallery website in New York www.agora-gallery.com

• 2009 – Winner, Honorable Mention, NAVS 20th International Art for Animals Classic.
• 2008, 2009 – Participating Artist, Local Colours, Courtenay BC
• 2008, 2009 – Originals Only, Comox BC.
• 2008 – Exhibiting Artist, Nautical Days, Comox BC.
• 2008 – Member Artist, Woodland Gardens Juried Show.
• 2008 – “Art that Barks” – group show, Heaventree Galllery, Vancouver BC.
• 2007 – “Here and There” solo exhibition at the Pearl Ellis Gallery, Comox BC
• 2007- “Animals in the Human Landscape”, with Anne Birthistle, at Heaventree Gallery, Vancouver BC.
• 2005 – Winner Best in Show, “Arts in Context: History and Sense of Place” juried exhibition, Muir Gallery, Courtenay BC.
• 2002 – Columbia Street Studio, Vancouver – solo art show “Cats in Heaven”.
• 1999 – Community Arts Council of Vancouver Group Show UnderEXPOSED Photo-based art works.
• 1996-98 – Deborah Worsfold Gallery – gallery artist.
• 1997, 1998 – A Walk Is…, Vancouver “Artists Make Home Good” group show.
• 1984 – Agnes Jamieson Gallery, Haliburton, Ontario – solo show “Portraits”.
• 1983 – Knight Gallery, Toronto, “Portraits”.

www.pacificrimwhalefestival.com
24th Annual Pacific Rim Whale Festival – March 6th-14th, 2010

The Whale Fest posters have started to appear … with great anticipation. This year
Angie Roussin ( of Pina ) is the featured poster artist. She grew up in a commercial fishing family and has opened her shop here in Ucluelet, having spent some fishing seasons here. I like her graphic inked design work, it’s playful, very finely rendered and I think quite a strong contemporary look. I’m also fond of her paintings.

Last year Shannon McWhinney, a long time local Art teacher designed the poster in a pencil crayon illustration.

There’s  a photo contest on at www.ucluelet.travel

I’d like to say I had some good shots to enter but the fact is ~ it’s been flat calm since the contest started. Not to worry, I’m sure we’ll get a few good days in before the Feb 15th deadline.

I’ll bet there’s going to be some people out on the beaches enjoying some storm watching …  I’m looking forward to seeing the photos caught by some of this area’s talented and well equipped photographers.

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.

Charles Villiers reviews the print making and exquisit framing of his digital self portrait series before shipping them to Europe.

In 2004 I was asked to print a series of work by artist, and personal friend of mine, Charles Villiers. He was exploring digital image making and output in projection, web, and print. We went to great lengths, proofed in numerous art and photographic papers to make an archival print with color characteristics that would do the brightly colored images justice. The final prints were meticulously framed; mounted on a floating full bleed placard inside of a brilliant white matte and classic black frame.

The series was crated up and shipped to Europe for exhibition but were lost in transit. Eventually they did resurface and were shipped back to Vancouver Island, Canada. Charles had already been to London and returned to L.A. by the time that the recovered series was returned and has been in storage ever since. Now 5 years later – I have the opportunity to show these and selected works by Charles Churhill Villiers in my gallery here in Ucluelet, the show is currently in the planning stage – I’ll be posting some dates and info as things progress. Meanwhile, here’s a sneak peak at the recently rediscovered treasures…

Photos of The Olympic Torch Relay as it visited the west coast of Vancouver Island, the Olympic Flame arrived this afternoon in Ucluelet where it left on foot, running with an excited group of locals along with it toward Tofino.

Pacific Rim Arts Society, is having a local Artists showing. ‘Wave Art Show’ runs October 26-27-28 (in the Harbour Lounge) at Weigh West Resort, 634 Campbell St., Tofino.

More…

Wild Pacific trail – Mark Penney
20″x34″ photographic print (giclee) on archival canvas, gallery wrapped on cedar stretchers.
$400
The trail is a major attraction in Ucluelet, I find it intriguing how it dramatically it changes from hour to hour, day to day – each visit reveals new views of the west coast. It’s a well groomed trail, easily accessible from various points throughout the village.

Big Beach at Dusk – Mark Penney
20″x34″ Photographic print (giclee) on archival canvas.
$400
These are local coastal scenes; they’re printed on certified archival canvas, coated with a liquid acrylic laminate then stretched onto custom cedar stretchers. They’re lightfast and water resistant.
Big Beach is right at the heart of Ucluelet, and a great place for a beach fire

Ucluelet Harbour by Rob Elphinstone

16″x20″ oils on canvas, framed.

$1000

The Lady Selkirk is known to a great many people because she’s a popular whale watching vessel operating out of Ucluelet harbour. The Selkirk, usually moored at Jamie’s in front of Whiskey Landing is part of the harbour view from the gallery. Identifiable also in this portrait is 52 steps and Neptune Packers behind it.

I had the opportunity to fly with ‘Crazy Louis’ of West Coast Wild Adventures; he runs a charter flight service from Whiskey Landing, offering short flights and tours with his Cessna 180.

I’ve spent a lot of time on the Ucluelet area but almost none of it in the air.  Seeing the broken group and the coastline of vancouver island from the air is amazing. You come away from it with a new perspective on the peninsula and an appreciation for the beauty of the area.

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Still Waters by Teresa Knight

42″ x 42″ acrylic on wood panel

$1400

Teresa has been using, to great effect, wood paneling’s grain as an integral part of her paintings. She’s using washes of acrylic and embellishing it occasionally with oil based glazes. The results of her efforts are gorgeous paintings filled with subtleties.

Longing by Richard Hoedl
36″x48″ Oils on canvas
$4523
A contemporary depiction of Ucluelet Harbour featuring George Fraser Island, Crow Island and Jenny Reef, in Hoedl’s signature simplistic styling.

I really enjoy seeing other artists’ interpretations of familiar local scenery.

End Game by Marla Thirsk
18″x36″ Acrylic on canvas
$1200
Marla’s Salmon are a very popular. The annual salmon spawn gives life to the forest and fuels our whole ecosystem; from eagles and bears, down to prawns and even microbes. Early settlers in Ucluelet were determined to be farmers, but it didn’t take long for them to decide that fishing was a more practical way of feeding their families.

We’re located at Whiskey Landing. Ucluelet’s historic Whiskey Dock is at the Government Wharf the bottom of Main St.
Turn off Peninsula Road at the Church (across from the Co-op) look down Main Street hill and you’ll see a beautiful building with a red roof, don’t worry you’ll know it when you see it.

View Mark Penney Gallery; a Fine Art Gallery in Ucluelet in a larger map

A Painter’s Quest for Canada – Ken Kirkby

At this stage of my life all I wanted to do was go and live at my favourite place, a small village near a stream on the east coast of Vancouver Island. Most of all, I wanted to live an ordinary sort of life which had so far eluded me, a life where I could sleep when tired, eat when hungry, fly-fish whenever it pleased me and paint all those paintings that had become stored up in me like water behind a dam constructed by the events told in this book.”

Ken Kirkby has published a biographical account of his travels across the north, and of painting the largest canvas known; 12 foot x 153 foot long , Isumataq. Launch of the book will take place at Englishman River Gallery, in Parksville on Saturday September 12th  2009, noon ’til 4pm. I’ll extend my personal invitation to all of you.

Ken is a remarkable speaker, and a formidable painter. Ken’s works are represented here at Mark Penney Gallery, Ucluelet and at Englishman River Gallery, Parksville. The book is currently available online through it’s independent canadian publisher; Libros Libertad. I’ll be sure to bring in a few signed copies.

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I had the opportunity to take a few friends out for a chartered fishing trip. Jeremy Riley’s Tight Lines Fishing Charters, arguably the best fishing charters; pound per pound, in the area. His 29 foot Grady White is about optimal for shuttling out 4-6 guys to the fishing grounds, I was amazed to be traveling comfortably at just under 30 knots.

It was rainy and a little too rough to head offshore but we managed to make a day of it in the protection of the Broken Group Islands.  Lots of whales, an eagle or two and a few nice fish.

It’s easy to catch fish when they’re on the bite; when they’re not, it takes a little more work. That’s where local guides really shine.  Thanks to Jeremy, everyone in his boat went home with a 25lb salmon. My friends and I had a great time, salmon fishing from Ucluelet.