Spring River

“Spring River” will be at the Toronto Art Expo.

Toronto Art Expo, is a premier event celebrating the value of fine art in our lives.

With over 200 distinguished Canadian and International artists and galleries from 12 countries, this weekend of art has become a destination for selective art connoisseurs from all over North America and Europe.

Is the Toronto Art Expo your destination? 

 

 

 

Calgary Artist in Paris at the Carrousel du Louvre

I’m soon travelling to Paris where I’m a Canadian delegate at an international art exhibition of paintings and sculpture: the prestigious Salon 2011 de la Societe Nationale des Beaux-Arts (SNBA).

“Antarctica Shoreline” is a juried selection by the SNBA to be displayed at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris, France, from December 7th to December 11th. Needless to say I’m honoured to be a delegate and very pleased the SNBA jury chose a work from the Antarctica series.

 

Following the exhibition in Paris, I travel to Florence, Italy, with paintings for another international exhibition: “Symphony of Colors” from December 10th to 17th. This too feels an honour.

www.jimpescott.com

“Venice Siesta”

For the first half day in Venice, I found no adequate words to describe what I was seeing or feeling. I walked a labyrinth of passages while watching something quite incredible. The buildings, the boats and the canals seemed held together in a marvelous balance yet I couldn’t grasp what was plainly there for me to see. And it wasn’t until I sat to sip an Americano a table alongside a canal that I fully understood what it was I was supposed to see. Reflections! Amazing reflections. Everywhere. Reflections mirroring everything in the city to make it seem like two cities. Reflections enveloping me like I’m floating inside a balloon with lovely dreams painted on the sides.

“Venice Siesta” is one of the uncountable reflections I enjoyed in Venice. I have a series of these to paint.

“Antarctica Shoreline”

Hostile, simply not habitable: “harsh” in itself being an understatement. Yet so prescious to the earth and to life. This coastline seems like no other I’ve ever  witnessed. When I first saw this place I was lost for words at the spectre of imagining how one, as a single human, might fathom the mere existance of such ice and vastness. Then, within it all, as I gazed out through the blue clear air toward these dense frozen sculptures, elements of attachment slowly seeped into my being as though I was existing with them.

“Antarctic Shoreline” is a real place on the coast of the Antarctica Peninsula. I’ve been there and I’ve seen it ( during the summer season). This is a snapshot really: the ice constantly changes in sync with glacial flows. At times the metamorphosis is stark as vast sections break away and plunge into the ocean.

“Antartica Shoreline” will be exhibited in Paris, France, in December 2011 at the Salon SNBA 2011 (Societe Nationale des Beaux Arts)to be held in the Carrousel du Louvre.

“Venice Reflections”

Two weeks ago I was in Venice, Italy, where I’m pretty sure I walked along every canal in the city although it is easy to be fooled about this given how streets and canals mingle. Certainly I encountered the same space more than once on a number of occassions: some people might call this being lost but I will only say it was so good at such locations the first time that to return was even more delightful. I will, however, confess to feeling overwelmed at the end of each day: visually overwhelmed to be specific. The oasis for me amidst all this was watching reflections on the water.

“Venice Reflections” relates to this oasis. I found this one mid-morning when I’d bought a wonderful espresso and stood outside the shop to watch things as I sipped absorbingly. Buildings everywhere in Venice seem newly painted with versions of patina and the canals blend these in soothing melodies like no where else I know. Big patches of dancing colours disturbed only by boats slicing through to spalsh everything back onto the buildings.

“Concert In Blue”

In Antarctica you sense the earth is consolidating into a hugely quiet place of beginnings. Sequestered. Motionless. Colossal too, like a vision of endless skyline skyscrapers, yet immense hush,  like someone pulled the plug on the traffic. Then watching the landscape you listen with all your being to see the music. “Concert in Blue” found me this way. Gentle at first but then deeply connective and wildly compelling before relinquishing to the winds.

“Concert in Blue”  shares a glimpse of Antarctica and for me the emotions of seeing it.  The canvas is 30″x40″

Prince Edward Island Shore Walk

A family asked if I would paint them as they walked along a favourite place they have on the shores of Prince Edward Island. Yes! Of course! No question!

And so I did:):):)

This moment, in a family’s life, may now be savoured  for generations to come in a much different way than buried images in a photograph album or in a digital archive. It is simply an everyday moment for this family as they return to this place often. Everyday moments matter so much. And for me it is an intimate moment as I seek out a tactile intimacy in a canvas: intimacy dwells   significantly for me in this 16″x20″ painting.

A request like this shakes my focus to bring new meditations and take my palate to new places. Moments that influence me more than anything.

“Antarctica Shoreline”

I had an opportunity to visit the Antarctica Peninsula coasline a while back. Totally incredible. Massive. Humbling. Much more then I expected. So dark yet filled with light: visually simple yet powerfully and physically complex. At times the ice and land shapes made the sky seem small.

The canvas for “Antarctica Shoreline” is  24″x30″. I’ve painted twelve canvases of Antarctica shorline perspectives that will soon be presented in a solo exhibition at the Gallerie Gora in Montreal starting April 13, 2010.

“Trees By The River”

Late summer. An outake stream from the river is already running shallow but there’s  enough water still for reflections to dance within the ripples. Sit here for an hour. Lose touch with the pace of life: listen to the water, the breeze, the birds, and watch how gentle the movements of colour are.

The is no ego in this place. Everything simply is what it is.

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“Trees By The River” is 12″x10″: acrylic on canvas.