EntreprenArt

February Artist: Rowan Hill & Commission Paintings

2012-02-06T19:08:00.006-07:00

February’s feature artist at Gibson Fine Art is Canmore-based painter Rowan Hill.

As part of her practice, Rowan often does commission paintings for clients. “I enjoy the challenge of commissions. Creating a painting that the client feels is extra special while remaining true to my creative vision can be very rewarding.”

Essentially, how her process works is that a client will pull together some photographs they love and then she will go through them to find the most interesting images to use for the painting. Rowan prefers candid and natural images – side profiles and action shots. Once the image has been agreed upon, Rowan will begin the painting and will work with the client to find a frame that compliments the painting.

If you are interested in talking to Rowan about commission paintings you can get in touch with the gallery here: info@gibsonfineart.com

Kate Melvina Performs Friday Night at GFA!

2011-11-01T21:09:00.003-06:00

Not only will there be incredible art, people, and food this Friday at Sheila Kernan's opening reception of Free To Imagine - there will also be a fabulous local musician performing - Kate Melvina. We chatted to her a bit about her music, her inspirations, and what to expect this Friday. In the meantime, check out one of her live videos here!

Describe your sound.

Many people describe my sound as soulful, but also much deeper (and bigger) than they expected. I would describe my own sound as a mixture of r&b, soul and jazz. I'm very influenced by the older soul/r&b singers like Donny Hathaway and Otis Redding, jazz singers like Ella Fitzgerald, as well as more contemporary artists such as Amy Winehouse and Alicia Keys. I've been playing the piano as well as listening to jazz since I could talk. I think that can definitely be heard in a lot of my songwriting.

Who do you look to for inspiration?

I look to my idols for inspiration - one in particular is Stevie Wonder. I've always admired how much joy he is able to put into his songs. I also look to gospel music for inspiration. Although, I'm not a very religious person, I consider gospel music to be one of the absolute best kinds of music. It is so inspiring and you can just hear the faith and joy coming through the songs once sung.

In terms of songwriting, I always turn to real events in my life for inspiration. I believe the best singers are the ones that really feel and know what they are singing about. I never try to write about something I have never personally been through.

What can the art community coming out for Sheila Kernan's reception expect to hear Friday night?

Lots of soul, a mixture of some of my laid-back originals and covers of some classic funky songs!

Inspired! Garrett's Popcorn of Chicago

2011-10-31T23:04:00.002-06:00

This Friday at Sheila Kernan's Opening Reception we will have amazing popcorn inspired by the legendary Garrett's Popcorn of Chicago. Here is a sweet memory shared by Sheila of her recent trip to Chicago and what inspired the snacks for the evening...

"Chris and I were in the Chicago Theatre District which is filled with amazing theatres and lots of shopping - it's in the heart of Downtown. We stopped into Garrett's Popcorn Shop to get a snack and I tried a piece of cheddar popcorn and then one of the caramel popcorn. I was having a hard time deciding between the two flavours and the store clerk said to just get both. There was no way I could eat that much popcorn! She said "No, get both in the same bag!". The look I gave her was priceless! I thought that would be an awful combination. She went on to say it's the best seller called The Chicago Mix - voted Chicago's best popcorn. What the heck - you only live once. It was amazing! There is nothing like their popcorn and if you're ever in Chicago you have to try it. Salty and Sweet - hit the spot! I later went on to find out that Garrett's popcorn was on one of Oprah's favourite things episodes and rightfully so. It's outstanding!!!

Free To Imagine: Q&A with artist Sheila Kernan

2011-10-24T21:19:00.002-06:00

November 4th, Sheila Kerna returns to Gibson Fine Art with a brand-new body of work entitled Free To Imagine. We had a chance to chat with Sheila about the inspiration for her new paintings - essentially it just makes us want to travel more, eat out more at delicious restaurants, and see the world through such excited eyes.

Tell me a bit about your inspiration for this latest show.

My work is always based on my travel and my experiences. Most recently, I went to Chicago and fell in love with the layers of the windy city. The food and the culture is truly amazing. The city is quite old and built on top of an underground city;there are many levels and layers to the city. The architecture is fantastic! Its also along the waterfront and there are rivers that go through the middle making water taxis are a common form of transportation. My latest body of work is inspired by Chicago but also New York San Fran, Toronto, Calgary,Japan, Seattle, Vancouver just to name a few. I love energetic city life and there is something truly magical about the transformation of a city at night. The lights buzzing, reflecting off buildings and creating an amazing atmosphere - I just want to absorb it all into my work. This body of work I focused on the colour - really utilizing bold pops of colour combined with more localized colours as well. As for my other side, the landscapes, I was inspired by more local scenery the Canadian Rockies. The aqua tones of the majestic lakes, rushing water and the freshness of the mountains streams were of particular interest to me for this show.

A lot of your work is inspired by your travel experiences - where is your favourite place?

I have a great connection towards large urban centers. I love New York, Chicago and Japan. I don't really have one favourite place. I love travelling and every place is so unique so that's a real tough question. I love the mountains here in Alberta. I really feel at home when I am hiking or driving through them.

How much time do you usually spend in the studio each day?

On average, I paint about 12 hours a day, give or take a few depending on the project I am working on. I often get lost in my work and time flies by.

A day in the life of Sheila, what does that look like?

I usually wake up, have breakfast and go work out. Then I come home and read emails before I head into the studio. At lunch I may go for a walk with my dog or do errands (paint store mostly!) but then it's back to my studio till around 7. At that point I will have dinner and sometimes head back down to the studio or go to boxing class. If I've had enough painting for the day I will either meet my friends or go to the movies and hang out with my fiance.

How do you feel about your recent success across Canada?

I feel incredibly lucky to love my job! I am really fortunate that I am able to paint for a living. I feel that without the support of such wonderful galleries across Canada I would not be where I am today. I love that people find a connection to my work and that really is what it's all about: making art and hoping that someone will understand and appreciate what I do. I feel inspired everyday to become a better painter to explore new ideas and learn as much as I can. I love painting.

Call for Artwork

2011-03-20T13:19:00.002-06:00

The TELUS World of Science is looking for artwork by Calgarians to display in the New Science Centre.

Learn how to submit your artwork for consideration.

Visit www.imagineaction.ca

The Final Say, Gibson Fine Art

2011-02-17T18:33:00.002-07:00

Meet Bill Brownridge.....

http://www.calgaryherald.com/health/Final+Gibson+Fine/4263716/story.html

The Art of Hockey featuring Bill Brownridge

2011-02-09T19:16:00.004-07:00

William Roy “Bill” Brownridge is one of Canada’s most popular hockey artists and author of three Canadian classic children’s hockey books. Bill’s artwork is a visual celebration of the powerful emotions Canada’s game evokes and it rekindles many fond memories inviting each of us to bring home our own Spirit of the Game.

Join us at the Gallery to celebrate Bill's work February 18 - March 11th.

The Art of Hockey - Feb 18 to Mar 11, 2011

2011-02-02T19:25:00.007-07:00

Artist's Reception & Silent Auction

Join Us Opening Night! Friday, Feb 18 6PM-9PM

On a weekend when 40,000 people will watch the Calgary Flames and Montreal Canadiens play a professional version of pond hockey, Gibson Fine Art and The Gerry Thomas Gallery present "The Art of Hockey".

This unique celebration of our national game will feature the works of famed hockey artist William (Bill) Brownridge and internationally acclaimed photographer Gerry Thomas.

The event will also include a silent auction with all proceeds going to The Calgary Flames Foundation. Guests will enjoy hors d'oeurves, a cash bar and exciting chances to win true hockey treasures.

Plan to join us and celebrate "The Art of Hockey".

Putting together an exhibition

2010-10-29T17:51:00.002-06:00

Only a week away from Sheila Kernan's exhibition "On the Edge of It" and so far everything is coming together. We found out this week that 100 Wines by David Walker will be providing us wine that is part of its "20 Wines under $20" collection. I am personally looking forward to sampling these wines as it is always hard to find fantastic wine in this price point. I also love the fact that all the wine has been personally selected by David Walker and his staff so that you know what your getting meets the standards of those-in-the-know. We are also firming up our executive chef but more on this later. I've also just heard from Sheila that she is just about finished the collection so can't wait to these pieces!

A Visit to Susana Espinoza's Studio

2010-09-27T09:20:00.010-06:00

In early September I had the opportunity to visit the studio of Susana Espinoza. Susana lives in the south part of Calgary and her home backs on to a lovely park like setting complete with a meandering creek running along side the edge of her property. Her place is filled with more than a decade-spanning collection of her work, and it is both home and studio for Susana.

The studio itself is spectacular and resides on the second floor. The space is huge and is filled with natural light from almost all directions. I can easily see how she is inspired to create in this space -- I was inspired by simply standing there.

I have been a fan of Susana's geometric encaustic paintings since the first time I saw them so when I looked around her studio I was pleasantly surprised to see that her most recent body of work had moved in a different direction.

Her new works seems, well, less edgy (as in geometrical) and more joyful, playful. Her feature piece for the current show "Impromptu" consists of 9 colourful squares and is titled "Alegria" which she informs me is "Joy" in Spanish (Susana's originally from Chile). The piece considers modern colours with classical proportions and I notice that these almost translucent pieces capture the natural sunlight adding to the luscious and glossy sheen of her pinks, oranges, blues and greens.

"I am also creating 3-D pieces for the show to attract and refract the light", says Susana, "the shapes are creating out of recycled pop cans". And these are some seriously fun pieces.

So there you go: I would say Susana's recent body of work is playful, saturated, less geometric with a bit less tension but still intense. Visit http://www.gibsonfineart.ca/ to see more of Susana's work.

Stampede is here!

2010-07-08T14:36:00.006-06:00

It's that time of year, Stampede is back and the city is a buzz with activity. To celebrate we will be hosting a rotating collection of regional artist throught out the 10-days.

We have just recieved new work from Canmore based artist Zelda Nelson - some fantastic, smaller pieces that would be the perfect gift to take home in a suitcase! Check these out at: www.gibsonfineart.ca/whatsnew.cfm

Gibson Fine Art also carries a selection of the artists who show at the Stampede grounds so if you are wanting to avoid the crowds, come to the gallery to preview the work.

Gibson Fine Art donates previously leased and/or rented artwork to Thandana

2010-06-20T08:41:00.011-06:00

On Friday, May 28th Thandana Calgary (www.grandmotherscampaign.org/thandana/) organized a fundraiser to support its efforts to raise money and awareness for its organization.

Thandana was born out of the Stephen Lewis Foundation's Grandmothers to Grandmothers Campaign and seeks to build solidarity, raise awareness and mobilize support in Canada for Africa's Grandmothers. The campaign was launched on the eve of International Women's Day in May 2006.

Since the launch, some 220 groups of Canadian grandmothers have taken up the call to action. To date, the campaign has raised over $9 million for African grandmothers and their children. For more info, on this amazing organization please visit http://www.grandmotherscampaign.org/

The event on May 28th saw a gathering of Calgary women who came in support of Thandana and were treated to a spectacular evening of art and conversation at Fratello Coffee Roasters. For sale were 100's of previously leased and/or rented pieces of art all donated by Gibson Fine Art. The funds raised from the sale of artwork at this event now total over $3,000.00 and Gibson Fine Art is proud to be a major contributor to the success of the night.

http://www.gibsonfineart.ca/

GFA Welcomes Karen Rieger

2010-06-05T14:06:00.009-06:00

Much of what I love about the gallery is the opportunity to continually be on the lookout for distinctive new talent (new to us at least!). This week saw the arrival of artwork from our most recent new artist, and we are pleased to announce that GFA will now be representing the work of Toronto-based artist Karen Rieger.

Karen’s work is bold and colourful and from the first time I saw it I was enamored with the images of woman depicted against a variety of patterns and motifs. Her still life images are full of intense colour with oversized images in striking ornate vases.

Karen explains it best when she states, “Colour is of prime interest in my work, conveying mood and a sense of beauty and sensuality. I use relatively flat areas of colour to emphasize that the painting is an entity in itself rather than a representation of an object. The use of pattern that unites the foreground and background, and an avoidance of the use of perspective, enhances this approach. I am not trying to create an illusion of reality but rather a new version of it.”

She goes on to say “My most important influences are the works of Klimt, Matisse, Modigliani and Gauguin, as well as sources as diverse as Japanese prints, Persian motifs and the textile patterns of 18th century Europe. I see my art as a dialogue between my imagination and the past, but the actual experience of painting does not come from an intellectual place. When I stand in front of the canvas I may have a vague idea or specific inspiration that begins the idea for the painting - it may be a combination of colours, a pattern or the model's pose that begins the idea, but the painting then seems to paint itself - revealing itself as much to me as it does to the final viewer.”

Visit us online at www.gibsonfineart.ca, or stop by the gallery to view this exciting collection of work.

SODO BLOCK PARTY

2010-05-30T17:24:00.008-06:00

Yesterday was the second annual SODA Block party and of course our first year to participate (http://www.sodo11thave.com/). The website explains how the term SODO was coined by Calgary architect Walter McKinley to describe the area "South of Downtown" on 11th Ave. I think it's a pretty cool term and am excited that it will gain some traction over the next while, and that one day the area may be referred to exclusively as SODO. But back to the block party....

The block had big plans for an outside orientated event - bands and djs and sidewalk sales - we were even going to have a lemonade stand outside Gibson Fine Art (with freshly squeezed lemons of course). A few weeks back the forecast was calling for sunny skies and warm weather but as the day approached I was beginning to hear rumblings of the "S" word in the forecast. When I looked outside Saturday morning I saw nothing but white - and lots of it. The day was cold and blustery but as true Calgarians many of you ventured outside your homes and made it down to the block party. The mood inside the various venues was festive and engaging despite the frigid outdoor temperatures. Local artist Sheila Kernan painted and chatted with many of you, while we served colourful gourmet sorbets (I ordered these a few weeks back!). And this is what I love about our city -- we get out and celebrate regardless of the fact that the weather was completely miserable. Thank you to everyone who attended and to all the organizers of the event!

http://www.gibsonfineart.ca/

Welcome to EntreprenArt

2010-03-31T20:08:00.002-06:00

March 31, 2010: It's almost the end of March (1 more day!) which means time for our Feature Artist for April. We are so pleased to be hosting a show for Canmore based artist Zelda Nelson. The exhibition opens on Saturday, April 10th and will be sure to delight both Zelda's loyal collectors as well as those who are not familiar with her work. Her bold, vibrant and passionate pieces capture the best of Alberta. I'm patiently waiting for all her new images, so once they arrive these will be posted online. We invite you to visit our site to see why Zelda remains one of the most sought after artists at GFA. http://www.gibsonfineart.ca