Final Days in the Window Dragonfly Arts on Broadway in Orangeville

It's a sunny warm day at last in southern Ontario.  The snow may finally give way.  This is very late notice, but if you're up for a country drive this weekend, maybe a curvy turn along the Credit Valley and on to Orangeville's scenic little downtown, you could take in my solo storefront window exhibition at Dragonfly Arts on Broadway,  where I'm one of many Canadian artists represented. 

Grey Pony Pair in Harness, oil on panel, 12" x 12" ©Shannon Reynolds

My show comes down Tuesday morning, so don't delay.  Some paintings will stay with the gallery, but most others will have flown. If you arrive outside of business hours, but see something you'd like, please contact me, or the gallery directly.

The Year of the Rooster...or the Coxcomb?

French Black Copper Maran Rooster (sporting a glorious coxcomb), oil on canvas panel, 8" x 8"

A rooster is often characterized by his coxcomb: the fleshy crest found on the heads of many gallinaceous (you know, the order consisting largely of domestic fowl) birds.  A variant meaning of coxcomb especially in Shakespeare and earlier literature is a loud, vain, and self-important man.

My favourite reference has to be from Henry V:

If the enemy is an ass and a fool and a prating
coxcomb, is it meet, think you, that we should also,
look you, be an ass and a fool and a prating
coxcomb? 

--Captain Fluellen to Gower in Act IV scene I

Silver-laced Wyandotte Rooster, oil on panel, 8" x 8"

So, in the spirit of synecdoche (a pronunciation trap for introvert readers if ever there were), whereby a part stands-in for the whole, I think it might be more apropos to rechristen this the year of the coxcomb.

Apologies to the celebrants of the Lunar New Year and roosters everywhere.

Portraitist Goes to the Birds

Globe Studios Art Show and Sale Friday November 25th and Saturday November 26th

Well, not entirely.  But I admit I've been painting many birds lately.  I've always been a birder, albeit a non-competitive, opportunistic one.  Birds are a living example of a prehistoric past, astonishing in their variety, and possessors of the perpetually amazing ability to fly.  Given their ubiquity and my recent acquisition of a super zoom camera, I've been turning to them as models more often.

Bird On a Wire, Northern Mockinbird, oil on panel, 12" x 12"

Birds of many a feather I've painted will be on display and for sale at the Globe Studios Art Show and Open House today and tomorrow, from fancy pigeons, to urban gulls, and birds of prey.  Some fish and fauna and even a landscape are also part of my little wall space.  I hope to see some of you there.

Osprey (left side), oil on panel, 12" x 12"

Osprey (right side), oil on panel, 12" x 12"

For more details of the Globe Studios Open House: http://globestudios.org/

My Heart's in the Highlands Wherever I Go

Black and Tan, Highland Cows, oil on panel, 11" x 14" © Shannon Reynolds 2016

I was thrilled to find a beautiful small fold (rather than herd, apparently) of Highland cattle at our hotel in Baie St. Paul in the Charlevoix region of Quebec when we stopped there for a couple of days en route to Nova Scotia.  Bred for the harsh climate, rugged landscape, and wily predators of the Scottish Highlands, this breed looks the part completely with their impressive horns (even on the cows), shaggy double coats, and sturdy legs.  I was able to observe and sketch them right from the balcony of my room.  The only drawback was the high railing which partly obscured my view.  If I went again, I'd request a lower floor. 

Sketches of Highland Cattle, watercolour and gouache in Moleskine sketchbook 

Over a couple of days of observation, we could see the hierarchy in action.  The beautiful black cow was the matriarch of the fold, and the mother of the one young calf (who seemed to outrank one of the other cows by association).  She was the first to run to the farmer in the mornings for the special feed and often stood atop the hay manger as if to claim it for herself.  Besides cows, the hotel had chickens, a sow with piglets, sheep, and ducks and a beautiful produce garden.  It's a bucolic place with sweeping vistas to the St. Lawrence and luxurious rooms...and a fantastic place to draw.

Cow in the manger at Hotel Le Germain in Baie St. Paul 

Sketching the highland cattle from my balcony

Snow Dogs in July

I said goodbye this week to two paintings commissioned by a family to pay homage to some of the dogs they have generously rescued over the years.  Dogs who have the good fortune to be adopted by this remarkable family will spend the rest of their days in a bucolic setting in the company of other dogs, ponies, and cats with mown meadow paths and snowy fields to meander and warm beds to sleep in.   Lucky dogs!

'Beagle in Snow' getting framed in a custom 3" reverse bevel frame

These paintings were commissioned and painted from supplied photos taken in winter with the cool snow offering a great foil to the dogs' warm colouring.

Beagle in Snow (detail), oil on panel 12" x 24"

'Beagle in Snow' and 'Snow Dog Trio' framed and ready to hang on the wall of their adoptive home

What's in a name? A portrait of Small

Small she was in voice only.  But she bore her ironic name with a quiet dignity.  For years she had to share her home with a tiny agile and dominant feline with a prior claim to the digs and the owner and sporting the name of a great American author.   Life can be unfair.  Except that Small outlived her rival companion and for a few years became the only cat in the room.  She seemed to come into her own as a soloist.  This portrait was commissioned posthumously and painted from supplied photos. 

Small, oil on canvas panel, 8" x 8" ©2016

Norfolk Terrier Portrait

Could there be a better antidote to black dog angst than a tiny, smiling, slightly unkempt, adorable Norfolk Terrier?   This is a portrait of 12 year old Abbey, still puppy-like and much loved by her owners.  I painted this portrait as a commissioned piece from a good assortment of supplied photos and enjoyed every moment with this imperturbably happy creature.

Abbey, Norfolk Terrier, oil on canvas wrapped board, 8" x 8"

From the mockumentary, Best In Show, here are the lyrics to "God loves a Terrier" written by Eugene Levy and performed by he and Catherine O'Hara in the movie:

God loves a terrier
yes he does
God loves a terrier
that’s because
brown sturdy bright and true
they give their hearts to you
God didn’t miss a stitch
be it dog or be it bitch
when he made the Norwich merrier
with his cute little ‘derrier’
yes God loves a terrier!

Old Gold for a New Year

Jake, oil on canvas board, 8" x 8"

I’ve never had a pet dog, but after painting this smiling retriever I’m beginning to understand the appeal of a constant sunny disposition in a companion.  My friends who have goldens truly adore them and Emma, my pet portrait winner, is no exception.  Even with a menagerie of pets at home, she chose her family’s aging golden retriever Jake to have his portrait painted.  Jake’s character seemed so epitomized by his big toothy grin that I decided to brave it despite the challenges of painting an open mouthed smile.  Emma had such a good selection of photos from different periods in Jake’s long life that although we’ve never met, I feel as though I’ve come to know him a little.  And I’ve had welcome assurances according to various members of his human family that I managed to catch something of his personality in this little painting.

Jake, (detail) oil on canvas board

And the winner is..

Thank you to everyone who joined my mailing list and by joining entered my pet portrait contest.   The winner is Emma Storey, who has very graciously accepted her prize. Congratulations, Emma. Emma has and has had many pets and will have to decide which will be the portrait subject.  I'm looking forward to seeing her choice.  I will post the painting here once it's completed, likely in the new year.

In the interest of fairness, I cut up my mailing list and drew one name from the pile

To those of you who didn't win this time, I am happy to accept pet portrait commissions any time.

Win a Portrait of Your Pet

Until December 13th, when you sign up to my mailing list (see form to the right) I'll enter your name in a draw to win an original portrait of your pet painted in oils on a 6" x 6" canvas from your own photo.  Just like this one:

Tasha, Golden Retriever, oil on panel 6" x 6"

When a friend of mine wanted a surprise portrait of her parents' dog last year, I decided to bend my rule about working only from in-person sittings or photos I've taken myself.  For this stealthy portrait, we resorted to a cell phone snapshot.  While not ideal, the result was so successful that I've decided to offer this option to people who'd like a more expedient and less expensive option (for portraits of pets only).

I'll draw the name and contact the winner on December 14th and make the announcement here and on my facebook page.

Of course, if you'd prefer not to leave things to chance, or can't wait until the 14th, you can always commission one of your own by contacting me directly. Just follow this link to my website and click the info tab at the top, then contact at the bottom to get my email address.

Doe, a Deer

a female deer.  Elegant creature. Tick vector. Driving hazard. Muncher of gardens.  We spotted this one and several others in the long grass near a popular surfing beach on Nova Scotia's south shore.

Young Female White-tailed Deer, oil on panel, 12" x 12"

Globe Studios Art Show and Open House

Once again it's time for the Globe Studios open house and once again I'll be among the juried guest artists exhibiting in the halls.  It promises to be a great show and a perfect opportunity to reduce your Christmas shopping list.

Amongst the paintings I'll be showing are these two small swan portraits:

Head of a Mute Swan, oil on panel, 6" x 6"

Head of a Mute Swan, oil on panel, 6" x 6"

Globe Studios is located at 141 Whitney Place, Kitchener in the former Bonnie Stuart Shoe Factory.  The show runs Friday, November 28th from 4-9pm, and Saturday, November 29th from 11-4.   I hope to see you there.

Sky Sea Rock Gull

I've returned from another inspiring trip to the East Coast and am hoping to conjure some of the elemental experience of sea, sky, and land in some new compositions.  At the same time, I'm continuing to take a portraitist's approach to the wildlife that seems as archetypal as the landscape.

Solitary Great Black-backed Gull, oil on panel, 12" x 24"

While gulls, genus Larus, are found almost everywhere in the world, I associate the Great Black Backed gull, Larus marinus, the largest gull in the world, with my trips to the Nova Scotian coast.

For all of its imposing size, this a shy bird, and never allows me to come very close however stealthily I paddle my kayak.  It seems to sense, with a predators keen eye, when it is being looked at with intent and abhors my paparazzo efforts.

That half of the year, well, we'll never be friends

Local Character Study #5 Black Squirrel with Granny Smith Apple, oil on canvas board, 8" x 8"

My winter-long love affair with the backyard squirrels is officially over.  As in Leslie Feist's lyric from Gatekeeper, this is the half of the year when we'll never be friends.  It's the half of the year when the cute fluffy animals struggling to survive the bitter winter and posing as ready models around my bird feeder transform themselves into wanton destroyers of beauty.  No tulip or magnolia or crabapple blossom is safe from the ruthless biters.  It's the season of anticipation when, when instead of flowers, alas, there are only bare stems and strewn petals. Ugh.

Local Character Study #4 Eastern Grey Squirrel Looking Out, oil on canvas board, 8" x 8"

The two admittedly cute squirrels in this post were painted with snow still on the ground.  Future squirrel portraits, at least those painted in the next six months, will be far less flattering.  If I wanted to be truly realistic, they might even have mange.

The Local Scene

This has been the longest, most shut-in winter I can remember.  I've only made it out to life drawing a few times, but I've no shortage of models.  I've been painting the local scene.

Local character study #1: Black squirrel crouching, oil on canvas board, 8"x8"

 

 

 

The cat came back

Paper Mache masks of our dear departed

I guess I'm not quite ready to say goodbye to my cat (who departed this world after twenty years only weeks ago--see his true likeness here).  A friend's Hallowe'en party provided a perfect excuse to re-incarnate him, twice, while trying my hand at paper mache.

This one is the better likeness

I made these masks, which are lightweight, flexible, and easy-to wear, over a form I sculpted from SuperSculpey (a first for me) and aluminum foil using multiple reference photos.  The likenesses are far from exact, but I think the masks conjure him well nonetheless.

For the mask-making, I followed the ingenious techniques explained so comprehensively by Jonni Good on her amazingly informative blog: Ultimate Paper Mache.  Jonni, if you find this post, I've ordered your book, but haven't yet received it and so made use of your excellent YouTube videos.

And, since the carnavalesque masks seemed to represent only one aspect of his personality, I also sculpted a more dignified bust, using a paper mache clay also developed by Jonni Good over a wire and foil armature.  I haven't decided whether to paint him, as the ancient Greeks surely would've, or leave him to yellow slightly (there's some linseed oil in the mix).  I think I like the gravitas of the unpainted version for now.

Cosimo, profile

About face

Aloof

Plotting

Cosimo 1992-2012

My best animal friend for over 20 years.  This portrait is of him as he was in his final month--a still regal centenarian whose personality was, as always, a hundred times bigger than his size. 

Cosimo, oil on panel, 20" x 16"

Cosimo, detail

Cosimo, detail

Good Dog!

Joey, oil on canvas 16" x 20", 2010

This was a stealth portrait commissioned as a surprise birthday present. The secret remained so until the big unveiling (best birthday gift ever, so I'm told and was thrilled to hear), and now I'm free to post the painting without giving anything away.

Joey, detail

Joey is a handsome dog and I really enjoyed catching his characteristic pose--big grin, bright eyes, ears cocked, ready to play--in this traditional portrait.  I believe that animals have personalities as distinct as people's and can make great portrait subjects.

Portraiture Exhibition Opens Saturday

I have a couple of pieces in a new group portrait exhibition opening this Saturday at the Harbinger gallery in Waterloo. Both are from my ongoing series At the Feet of the Master(ed). One, What's Mine is Yours, is featured on the invitation, above. Three of the four artists in the show--Allan Harding MacKay, Isabella Stefanescu, and I--were featured in the first season of Star Portraits. Karen Fletcher, a figurative sculptor, adds another dimension to the show.

My new painting, If you remind me of my dog... I'm publishing here for the first time.

If you remind me of my dog... oil on panel, 30" x 40", 2010

As I was composing the painting, I kept humming the refrain from Jane Siberry's song, Everything reminds me of my dog: "If you remind me of my dog, we'll probably git along, little doggie, git along git along little doggie..." Do you know it? Anyway, I couldn't shake it, so I wrote to Jane Siberry requesting permission to use her lyrics in the painting, and, gracious woman that she is, she wrote back within the hour granting permission. I worked with Jane's ethereal voice in my head for the duration of the painting. Jane Siberry is on a salon world tour performing intimate concerts in the homes of her fans. How lovely it would be to share a small space with Jane's bright, funny, whimsical personality and uniquely haunting voice. To read more about her tour, visit her website: janesiberry.com

For more information about the exhibition, please visit the Harbinger Gallery website.

February 21

Flint and Ro-ro

Flint, oil on hardwood panel, 24" x 24"

Ro-ro, oil on hardwood panel, 24" x 24"

These paintings can be hung at any distance from each other so long as the eye contact between cat and boy is maintained. Like this:

Or this:
I'd like to see them hanging in a stairwell.

These are the first two finished portraits in my new Feet of the Master(ed) series. I first experimented with the physical relationship between paintings in my Suspect Profiles series when I hung my portrait mug shots according to the height of the subjects. I think this series will present some great opportunities to mess around with wall placement again.