I've finalized my graduate show from the University of Waterloo. It'll be at Paul Petro Special Projects - downtown Toronto, in the heart of the Queen West Art District.

Paul Petro Special Projects
962 Queen Street West

Opening Reception and details can be seen HERE, at the Facebook location.

March 30 - April 14th, reception on Friday April 3rd, 7-9pm.

I went down to New York to attend Nathan Redwood's debut exhibition at Caren Golden Fine Art on West 23rd. Not only was the work what I knew from working with him in LA, it was stronger and more vibrant. I've always noticed a shift in palatte while I work; it goes from dark browns and ochres to some pastel shades of blue and pink within a few months. I saw that slight shift in Redwood's painting. I completed this in September and it became obvious to me that colour is playing a much larger role in my work. Continual Down is one of the first major works (86" x 60") that does not include a figure, yet it represents a doomed voyage; a survivalist thread of hope in a strange and uncertain environment. November 7th I open my debut solo show in Ottawa, Canada - many of the works will be posted here after the exhibition.

Juxtapoz Magazine recently did a short write up of my work. Read it here: Emerging Artist Feature

I've had my eyes in the pages of
Juxtapoz for more than a decade
and it was quite a surprise to have
the feature - thank you Katie!
This weekend is Nathan Redwood's
opening at Carl Berg Gallery in LA
(6018 Wilshire Blvd. 90036
 Carl Berg Gallery) which will
be pretty hype - there's some extremely exciting painting
happening.  Following that, Nathan and I will be heading
into the hills and the forests of the National Redwood
Forest to complete a weekend installation - an
event/happening that does not yet have a title.
The work will decompose on its own, and we will not
be causing any harm to the forest, but we will
undoubtedly create something cool.
There will be documentation here.

I've been in L.A. for a few days and have enjoyed it quite a bit. I'm working with artist Nathan Redwood who is preparing for a major solo exhibition at Carl Berg Gallery on Wilshire, LA. On the right is one of his large pieces for the show, and currently in his studio.

Not only am I learning about the L.A. art scene, but I've learned quite a bit in relation to my own practice, and how my studio practice may change in favour of efficiency and painterly freshness. There is something about a confidence in painting that I feel I have, but which can also be pushed much, much farther. As I set for myself at the end of April, scale is a considerable problem that I'll tackle with two 68" x 50" paintings. Beyond that will be four 72" x 60" paintings, beginning in September.

Just received word: I'll be published, along with 82 of Canada's best emerging painters, in a 360 page, fully illustrated book produced by the Magenta Foundation in Toronto. It will be hardcover and bound, and for sale internationally. There are about 40 in the established category, and about 60 in the mid-career. Published in August, 2008.

Also, I'll be interning with Nathan Redwood http://www.nathanredwood.com in Los Angeles for the summer of 2008.

It's been a while since my last post - mainly because I've been busy with my graduate degree at the University of Waterloo. I am assisting a 2nd year painting class through their first experiments in oil. There are about 25 of them, and each has their own hurdles.

I will be in an upcoming exhibition in Ottawa called 'I Like to Rock!' where I am completing a few paintings based on Thom Yorke's eyes and ears. I'm showing with a few artists from NY and a handful from Ottawa. Should be a goodie. There will also be 4 drawings at HeadQuarters gallery in Montreal in December. The works will be up for no more than $100 a piece, unframed - so get down there and pick through what's left!

My website is always updated - so keep your eye on new works that I have posted such as 'Long Jump Extraordinaire', 2007. It's a large work and will be included in a large body of work based on Olympic struggles. I will post my 'Doubles Back Flip' in a week or so.

I should mention that there were 4 publications in 2007 - Lighthouse Wire Magazine, Kitchener Waterloo; Corduroy Magazine, NY; Preston Catalogue, Ottawa; and NY Arts Magazine where they profile the exhibition Stare in London England, NY. Preston and Corduroy are available online, as well as in Chapters/Indigo.

Cheers

UPCOMING:

Artist Profile: Corduroy Magazine, NY - Issue 1, 2007 http://www.corduroymag.com
MFA Students Exhibition - University of Waterloo, ECH Front Gallery, Sept. 2007
La Petite Mort Gallery - solo exhibition, October 2008. http://www.lapetitemortgallery.com

UPCOMING

64 Steps Contemporary Art
Por’tri-choor

July 12^th-August 4^th 2007
Opening Reception: July 12th, 7-10pm

1164 Queen St West
Toronto, ON
t.416.535.7837

An image is worth a thousand words. A subject cast in one light can evoke the darkest feelings, in another light the same figure looks out at the viewer with optimism and lighthearted mirth. Landscape as a psychic portrait, macro inventions as divine subject, abstracted works that tell a story with a slash of colour and brushstrokes that evoke specific imagery. This group show explores the parameters of the portrait, what defines its specific form and wherein lies its true nature.

Works by Scott Everingham, Betty Kaser, Jen Lantz, Josh Reichmann, Lisa Rose Normandale, and Kristina Kudryk.

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Summer Exhibition

La Petite Mort Gallery
306 Cumberland St.
Ottawa, ON

Artists:

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