CSPWC Group Exhibition in Port Coquitlam, BC

Two watercolours have been selected by jury for a group exhibit of BC members of The Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour at Leigh Square Arts Community Village in Port Coquitlam. The exhibition runs from March 26th until April 25th 2010, with the opening on March 27th 2-4pm.

Group Exhibion in Qualicum Beach

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New Book

15/11/2009

'Mixing text and drawings, this book summarizes the content of life drawing workshops.  It also discusses how to continue figurative drawing for practice and pleasure  beyond the workshops and outside of life drawing sessions.  The books 80 pages are profusely illustrated with drawings from life and of life.'

I've just self published a new book that might prove useful for people who have taken my life drawing workshops to review the course material.  It's 80 pages and 7"x7".  You can preview the whole thing at Blurb by clicking on the image above which will take you to it's Blurb page and then you can click the image with 'preview' on it, and even make your preview full screen by clicking again.

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Group Exhibition Crow Show in Cumberland

15/10/2009  Next Thursday night is the opening of The Crow Show at the Magnolia Gallery in Cumberland, a group show of gallery and invited artists.  The lovely poster above has been designed by Sue Pyper of Emagination Design (link).

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Group Exhibition of Figurative Drawing and Painting

3/10/2009 Thirteen members of the life drawing group to which I belong are having an exhibition at Tarbells Cafe in downtown Cumberland.

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Preview whole book at Blurb

25/09/2009  You can now preview the whole of the book of Vancouver Island watercolour paintings mentioned below.  Click on the image of the book cover to visit the Blurb page where you can find info and also move to a preview page.

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D. L. Stevenson Award for a watercolour

11/09/2009  I was delighted to recieve the D. L. Stevenson Award for excellence in waterccolour at the Open Water exhibition at the Lieghton Centre,  near Calgary; see second post down.  I've always liked Marocchis Grocery, it's like a filmic Lynchian Portal into the underworld, and it's just down the street. I've never crossed the threshold although I've painted the building many times.

(For your interest the store was also featured in a short nocturnal film (the third building filmed in the fourth scene) made by film maker Rupert Howe who lived in the village until this past May, when he moved back to swinging London. You can see his film here.  I know several of the people in the film, and they are actually decent sorts.  I've painted all the buildings in his film, during the day, but always in low lignt with long shadows;  also trying to bring out a bit of the menace in architecture. It's amazing how Rupert has turned the mundane, the stuff literally a couple of hundred yards away, into something really really menacing. Watch for the quick truck-in and the wipe as the cars pass in front of the Masonic Hall. Rupert films and edits on a Nokia cel phone.  Among the other shorts, check out his 'videoblogging The Conversation'. Hilarious!)

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Book

11/08/2009 I've just published a book of watercolour paintings that were done over the past several years. All are landscapes from Vancouver Island as the title indicates.

'Canadian watercolour painter Clive Powsey lives and paints on Vancouver Island, a topography that is evocative of nineteenth century landscape paintings. This book is a selection of his watercolours casually grouped into three elemental themes. It contains 82 separate images on 72 colour plates and the majority of those images are 7.5"x5.25".' 

It's printed on a 'premium' paper, so pages are opaque with a nice finish and good resolution. Click on the image of the book cover above to link to the Blurb (publisher) page at which you can preview the first 15 pages of the book. It can be purchased from that page.

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Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour annual Open Water Exhibition at the Leighton Art Centre, Calgary, Alberta

Click on above poster to link to Leighton Art Centre and more info

10/08/2009  This watercolour was  submitted to the annual CSPWC open juried show this year, and was accepted.  The show will be hanging at the Leighton Art Centre just outside of Calgary Alberta September 5th to October 24th 2009.  'Grocery' is one of my urban scenes, and at the time of painting seemed to represent a portal to a dark and different place.  It may well have been, but I never did go through the door...'

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Fundraiser for You Are Not Alone

'untitled view of the mainland', 15"x22", watercolour, donated to YANA fundraiser

20/01/2009  Art is a very self indulgent activity, so much so that it comes as a real pleasure to have the opportunity to contribute to a truly excellent cause.  I've donated the above painting to this fundraiser for an exceptional charity that helps and accomodates  ill children and their families from the Comox Valley while undergoing treatment for what ails them in the big city.  There is a much clearer description of YANA's work on their website, which you can link to by clicking on the above image.  I've lifted the information on the event and placed it below.  I should add that musical entertainment is provided by the talented voice and songwriting of Helen Austin.  I should also add I personally know of at least a couple of families who have had to contend with a serious illness in a child, and YANA has been an enormous help to them.

Tickets are $45 each
Purchase a table of eight and you will
receive two complimentary bottles of wine!

You won't want to miss this amazing event
filled with delicious food,
the dynamic auctioneer Dave Stevens,
fabulous auction items and prizes!
Tickets can be reserved by calling
our new office at 250-890-0343
or at the Comox Rec Centre, or at any
Coastal Community Credit Union.
If you would like to donate an
auction item or sponsor a table,
  email Lucy at president@yanacomoxvalley.com

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Ontario College of Art and Design WhoDunnit?

15/01/2009  Back in September I painted and submitted four small paintings to the OCAD WhoDunnit? silent auction fundraiser which is held annually in November.  It's a brilliant and popular idea.  There must be about 6 or 700 artists contributing small 5"x7" approx. images or relief objects which are displayed with no indication of who painted them (they are signed on the back).  Some of the displayed work is done by well known, and pricey, artists, and some by less well known, and affordable artists...like myself.  The Pros and the Cons... Everything sells for 75.00.  Every year I've done it I've sold my pieces, and the 75.00 price is about appropriate for my work, and goes to a good cause.  This years event has apparently raised 150,000 for the College, a remarkable feat that involved hundreds of contributors, sponsers, and a lot of organisation and logistics, I would think.  If you are the Toronto area next November and  want to have some fun looking for small, affordable pieces of art that could either be worth what you pay for...or considerably more...do check the event out.  Below are the four images I contributed this past year.

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Comox Valley Art Galley 2009 Calendar

'Masonic Hall, Cumberland', 11"x15", watercolour; the image selected for January in the CVAG Calendar.

29/12/2008  Posting this somewhat belatedly for the Christmas season, but in time for the new year. The Comox Valley Art Gallery has put together an attractively produced and designed calendar of local associated artists and I'm delighted to be one of those on it. Other artists are: Tracy Kobus, George Littlechild, Tony Martin the Gallery's Curator, Jeff Hartbower, Donna Mattila, George Sawchuck, John Powell, Elsie Griffiths, Ja Witcome, Mikhyla Stewart, and Anh Le.  The original painting happens to be at the Comox Valley Art Gallery gift shop and is for sale;  200 bucks unframed, or 250 framed.

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Courtenay Rotary Club 2009 Calendar

'light and cloud over Comox Lake', 11"x15", watercolour; the image selected for the month of March in the Courtenay Rotary Calendar.

29/11/2008  The Courtenay Rotary Club has produced a beautiful art calendar featuring the work of local Comox Valley artists. All proceeds go to to Rotaplast , an non profit organisation based in San Francisco started by two Rotarians in 1992. Rotaplast sends volunteer medical personel around the world to work performing cleft pallette surgery on children and young adults around the world. There are some locals from the Comox Valley who have volunteered their time and energy for this valuable work. I was so impressed I donated the painting of mine featured to the Courtenay club in the hope that it will fetch a small sum for them at one of the clubs upcoming fundraising auctions. A lot of work getting the artists together to submit work (similar to herding cats) was done by the unfatigue-able Joe Smith, a local painter of note. As well as Joe and myself, other contributors of images are: Ron Bridge, John Mortenson, Marg Selkirk, Christy Mitchell, Peter Shostak, Saskia King, Bev Byerley, Bill Maximick, Marilyn Timms, and Brian Scott. Of course, you can just google these names and you'll get their respective websites. Shops and venues in the Comox Valley are carrying the calenders, which would make a great Christmas gift. If you're from the area watch for them and pick one up. Visit Courtenay Rotary online at: www. courtenayrotary.com

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