A Lifetime of Art in the Canadian Bush

April 14, 2015

A Lifetime of Art in the Canadian Bush

I have some really fun news. One of the most commonly asked questions I field is about the art in our home - specifically, the paintings by Hubby's Grandpa, Bert Weir, a professional artist who is now in his 90th year. I've chatted about the pieces we have (in this post and this post), but it has largely remained inaccessible to readers because Bert resides outside of Parry Sound, so to see or purchase his work has meant a trek to McKellar, Ontario. BUT, until the end of September, his work can be viewed at Evergreen Brickworks Centre for Green Cities in Toronto (which is a little more accessible). I know some of you live in, or visit, Toronto, so here is all of the info about Brickworks.

For those who can't make the journey, Bert also has a book of his artwork available for purchase. We have a copy and I find it inspiring to thumb through because he uses such vibrant and invigorating colours.

I might have some other ways for you to get your hands on some of Bert's art, but first let's take a tour around the Brickworks exhibit. I tried my best to capture the beautiful paintings on display, but the lighting is a bit dim (and a bit fluorescent) there, so it was tricky. You can also see his work on his website.

The showstopper is this 32 foot (!!!) painting, called Transitions, painted in 1978. Hubby's standing in front, for scale. Incredible, right?

Transitions, 1978

In the same space as Transitions are these four pieces:

I surprised myself by favoring not the blue painting, Winter Balsam (second from the left above)...

Winter Balsam, mid 1970s

Instead, I was mesmerized by a painting with lots of purple (!) - purple isn't really in my roster of favorite colours but this painting, October Red, pulled me in (of course, it doesn't hurt that there's a little aqua layered in there).

October Red, 1977

This is why I advocate buying a piece of art you love, and pulling colours from it to decorate a room. Artists just get colour - they have an innate sense of what colours look good together. Design a room around the painting above and it will look stunning.

Brickworks is a great space and it was such a change to see Bert's art against brick walls with history, but his paintings really belong in the space.

After the Red, 2012

I love this peek of Full Summer as you walk down a set of stairs.

Full Summer, 2012

Unfortunately, two of the my favorites, part of the Wave Series, were moved to a meeting room that doesn't have a lot of character. The series, which is comprised of twelve large diptychs, was inspired by Bert's burgeoning passion for sailing. The way in which the wind and water interact is brought to life in these incredible paintings, painted in the late 1980s.

When we went to Brickworks, Hubby and I were told that the conference room which houses the Wave Series was booked, so we weren't allowed entry. There was no way Hubby and I were going to drive more than 3000km and not see these paintings. Hubby didn't want to interrupt (he's so polite!), so I steeled myself, prepared for a bit of confrontation and barged right in but, to my surprise, the room was empty. We were able to take in these paintings in peace and quiet, which was lovely. Can you imagine having something so beautiful to look at during your next meeting? Lucky ducks.

Wave Series # 7, 1989

I love how softly Bert layered the colours in #4 of this series. I took dozens of close up photos and I've been studying them (plus I shared some on Instagram).

Wave Series #4, 1988

I can only imagine how disappointing it will be for everyone who uses this space when Bert's work is removed at the end of September. Having such beauty in the workplace must make it so much more enjoyable - I imagine it would spark a lot of creativity, too! Just look at this hallway:

If I remember correctly, The Purples of Fall is down the corridor pictured above. It's another painting with purple that caught my eye... Hmmm.

The Purples of Fall, 2010

At the end of the hall is another one of my favorites, New Growth, from the Bush Wall Series.

New Growth, 2010

I thought that our painting in the dining room is from the same series, but it's actually from the Summer Landscape and Summer Grasses Series. It brings Hubby immense and immeasurable joy to have his Grandfather's art in our home. For me, it's more about the aesthetics and the energy, but Hubby enjoys a sense of closeness to his Grandpa because our home is filled with his art. He picked out the piece in the dining room, and we appreciate it for different reasons. I love how it makes us feel totally ensconced in nature; with huge windows across from it, it feels like another portal into the wilderness, but for Hubby it means something more. Hubby rarely chimes in about decorating, but much of the art has been chosen by him. It makes our home feel comfortable and familiar for him because he grew up surrounded by Bert's art! We're so thankful that Bert has been so generous and has given us so many treasured pieces.

There are many more paintings at Brickworks, so if you have a chance stop by. If you happen to share a photo on Instagram or Twitter, I'd love if you'd use #BertWeir and tag me so I can see! I'd be happy to pass on your thoughts and experiences to Bert.

For those of you who are as smitten with Bert Weir's art as we are, you can always contact him directly (a studio tour can be arranged by appointment), but Hubby's Mom chatted with me recently about the possibility of selling signed, limited edition prints of his work ($100-200 range) or smaller original paintings. Because I know that many of you, like me, are on a tight budget, there's also the possibility of notecards with images of his work...the sky is really the limit because Bert's wife is a talented photographer and she has cataloged and documented his extensive body of work. For anyone who has ever asked about Bert's art, what would interest you? Prints? Smaller original paintings? Notecards? Something else? What would be your budget? Let me know what you think.

The Gold Standard

Do you ever feel a little weird when you liked something for awhile, then it became super trendy, and now to say you like it makes everyone roll their eyes because they're thinking, "of course you like it - everyone does!"

Like everyone on this planet, it seems, I have a crush on white plaster (or ceramic, although I love matte white) sculptures, especially every day shapes turned into art. I saw an exhibit of Lisa Gralnick's three part exhibit, The Gold Standard, last year at the Houston Center for Contemporary Craft and it's like she made it for me. As part of the exhibit, she cast everyday objects in plaster, but used small slivers of gold to visually represent the value of both, to make us think about perceptions of value. In another part of the exhibit, she created plaster ghosts of the gold she melted down (from bracelets, rings, etc.) to make her gold adorned plaster objects. That those once treasured items no longer existed was really moving. In the last part she created gold pieces of jewellery with fabricated histories that almost fooled me! For a more eloquent account, see this article.

I like how her exhibit made me think, but I was really bowled over by the beauty of her work. Her work makes a little more sense if you see some pieces (click here to see even more):

Photo Via

Amazing, right? I want this exhibit in my house! I don't have any skills in casting, but I can still make faux plaster objects for decorating the townhouse. First it was the bird . . . but what did I use the rest of the can of spray paint on?

Art Attack: Calla O'Malley

It has been awhile since I posted an "Art Attack" post and I have definitely found an artist I must introduce you to. I first saw Calla O'Malley's work in a sweet consignment and home decor store located just outside my city.

A fellow Ontarian, Calla is a freelance artist and illustrator who has a fabulous portfolio (plus an etsy shop so you can make some of her captivating prints your own). What impresses me most is that although she has a distinct style and voice, she also has the ability to create such diverse works of art. From her quirky illustrations to ethereal photography, I'm totally hooked. I've cherry picked a few of my favorite pieces and I think you can see what I mean about Calla having incredible artistic skill:

Effy Print

Bandits Print

Noir Silent Film Print

Sunday Landscape Print

City in Fog Print

Wild Flower Static Fine Art Photo Print

Photography: Blossom Series

Art Attack: The Corn Poppy

Last month, when Hubby & I were in Houston, we visited the Houston Museum of Fine Arts and Kees van Dongen's The Corn Poppy really captured my attention. I tend to favor abstracts, but this portrait is so engaging that I wanted to share.

Le Coquelicot (The Corn Poppy)
c. 1919

Doesn't she just grab your attention?

My photo is a bit more faded than the "official" one - see below.

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston

Inspired by the splash of red with muted colors, I bought OPI's Big Apple Red nail polish as a birthday present to myself. I wear a lot of greys, creams and beige so I am blatantly emulating the woman in this portrait. I just don't really like hats - too hair squooshing.

Can't see all of me 'cuz I'm still in PJ's!

Art Attack: Lime Green Abstract

Mmmmm. This painting really tickles me. Who am I kidding? I am salivating over the entire bathroom. I'd be thrilled if I could just have that doorknob.

Style at Home Via Marcus Design

Although I love bright green and have blogged about it tirelessly and shamelessly, there isn't that much bright green in the townhouse. I tend to commit more easily to the turquoises, teals and pale greens. But I'm feeling less lusty and more satiated now that I finally gave the townhouse a nice dose of bright green via my DIY'd felted wool art (that I also seem to blog about shamelessly):

Ahhhhh.

Dans le Lakehouse

April 14, 2015