ANOTHER Great event for a lovely Saturday afternoon

Will the action never cease???!!!!  I wanted to highlight another great event happening as part of our Get (sm)Art, Give (sm)Art Weekend this Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 3&4.  On Saturday afternoon from 4-6pm, Canmore's own Book Artist Dea Fischer  will be introducing some of her newest pieces in the gallery and giving a public demonstration of how these magical pieces of art are born.  Hot on the heels of her return from Denver to create a teaching video on book arts/book binding, Dea will show you the evolution of her now famous Starbook, as well as

 "River Worn" and a few more surprise feats of bookmaking.  Take a look at her Facebook page ; 

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Dea-Fischer-Book-Artist/228985713809499

The Limited Edition Christmas Card Series

Here they are!  They go on sale on Thursday evening during the Royal Lepage Food Drive at the Bow Valley Christmas Spirit Campaign headquarters in Aspen Park.  Then we will be selling them at the gallery until they are gone!  Remember that these are limited editions of 25 each, and you get to pick your own 5 cards for $25 donation.

Pascale Ouellet

Dawn Emerson

Don McIntyre

Janice Tanton

Karen Maiolo

Lucie Bause

Chrissy Nickerson

Conrad Habing

Mike Cameron

Tim Hoey

Susan Wallis

As part of our upcoming    Get (sm)Art, Give (sm)Art Weekend Dec. 3&4, we are welcoming Edmonton based artist Ian Sheldon to sign copies of his new book      STORM CHASER.

This compelling collection of 83 of the artist’s favorite paintings is a must have for the coffee table. At 168 pages,  it is a substantial celebration of some of Ian’s dramatic paintings from the last 10 years. The introduction includes the story of becoming a storm-hungry landscape painter, and includes photographs from his own collection. The paintings are broken down into the four seasons, starting with spring, and ending in winter. As well as offering the artist’s insights and words, he  has quoted some of his favorite writers,

like Sharon Butala, Pierrette Requier, and many more.

For all who have followed Ian’s work over the years, this is an amazing opportunity to meet the artist and acquire this comprehensive study of his last decade of painting.

Ian will be signing books on Saturday, Dec. 3 from 6-8pm.  Please join us for a glass of wine and some fabulous stories from the “Storm Chaser”.

All gallery proceeds from sales of STORM CHASER made on Dec. 3&4 will be donated to the Bow Valley Christmas Spirit Campaign.   That is $20 from each book!

Get (sm)Art, Give (sm)Art Extravaganza Weekend!

I have been a terribly lax blogger, but this week I will be bombarding you with posts all in honor of our upcoming weekend of events. The blog will give you daily updates of new events and activities added to our schedule, and new pieces added to our annual miniature exhibition. I'll start with a quick rundown of activities and opportunities.

On Dec. 1, we will be launching our very special series of

limited edition Christmas cards

by Elevation Gallery artists.

Each artist (18 in total) has donated the limited use of

a painting image for beautiful seasonal cards. 

They will be sold in bundles of 5 for $25,

with all proceeds going the the

Bow Valley Christmas Spirit Campaign. 

A million thanks to the participating artists for their

generous donation, as well as Dave Hanna for the printing!!!

The cards will be available in the gallery, and several other venues through to Dec. 24!  Watch this blog for daily updates on vendors and new cards avaialble. 

                                              O Canada Winter by Timothy Hoey

You get to choose your own groupings, so feel free to comment on your favorites.  We will also be selling draw tickets at $5 each for one of the original paintings, again with all proceeds going to the Christmas Spirit Campaign.  This program supplies food and gift hampers for the Christmas season to families in need.  Please help us support them.

Cedar Waxwing by Pascale Ouellet

I have included a few of the fabulous card images as a teaser!

More on our weekend activities later.....keep watching!!!!Home for the Holidays by Dawn Emerson

Gallery Artist Susan Wallis lends her image to a COOKBOOK, now available at the gallery

Here are some of the details and images for the recent release of "The Art of Herbs" featuring a new series of works in encaustic by Susan Wallis.  We will be receiving this fabulous book in the gallery within the week, just in time for fall cooking and Christmas giving!  Dont miss the chance to purchase, as supplies will be limited.  Susan's new images epitomize the experience of autumn harvest, and are sure to be a huge hit as the weather changes!

“Food and Art collaboration launches in Prince Edward County”

Picton, Ontario, August 5^th, 2011 – Renowned Canadian encaustic artist, Susan Wallis and Cynthia Peters, food writer and owner of From the Farm Cooking School, have launched  a one of a kind art cookbook, “The Art of Herbs”.

The cookbook is a collection of Wallis’ new Garden Series of herb encaustic paintings (the ancient medium of mixing oil pigment with molten wax) paired with herb infused recipes from personal chef, Cynthia Peters.

“It’s no surprise that this is a book of exceptional beauty – the texture, colors and visual appeal of the deliciously rich illustrations draws you in but well chosen recipes are what keeps you coming back. The choice of herbs and the satisfying variety of scrumptious recipes are unsurpassed. This book combines the art of cooking with the beauty of art”, commented Alexandra Bake, co-owner, Books and Company.

Starting August 8^th, the cookbook will be sold at selected outlets in Prince Edward County (PEC), in Toronto at The Cookbook Store and at the Bay and Bloor Indigo Store and on-line through From the Farm’s store at www.fromthefarm.ca. A series of six paintings have been chosen for greeting cards with matching recipes.

Notable food enthusiasts from the County have also contributed quotes and notes to enhance the experience, including Jamie Kennedy, Jamie Kennedy Kitchens, and Petra Kassun-Mutch, Fifth Town Artisan Cheese.

A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Ontario Association of Food Banks’ Buy Local, Share Local program. This initiative encourages the public to purchase and donate fresh, local produce to their food bank.

"The Art of Herbs” is the first published book for both Peters and Wallis. ‘We are excited about this artistic and culinary partnership. We wanted to create a book that captured the true joy of herbs through all the senses. The biggest dilemma will be whether to keep the book in your kitchen or on display as an art book”, commented Wallis and Peters.

Peters and Wallis are both residents of PEC, Ontario, Canada’s newest culinary destination and home to more than 30 wineries and a vibrant artistic community.

Update on Encaustic Workshop...2 Days and less $$$$$ !

Overwhelmingly, the response to our upcoming encaustic workshop has been that people cannot spend 3 days at it...so, we have changed the format slightly to accomodate.
The workshop will now be only 2 days, Oct 14&15th, with the show opening on the 16th.
The work days will be slightly longer to get in all of the information.
The new price including supplies is $425.00+ GST.
Please let us know as soon as possible if you are joining, as we need to plan supplies and the exhibition.

"Wild, wild life...." Michael Cameron

Gallery Artist Ian Sheldon releases his newest book "Storm Chaser"

Elevation Gallery is thrilled to announce that Ian Sheldon's long awaited book "Storm Chaser" has been released.  We will be doing a book launch and artist presentation in early October, but in the meantime, here are the details. Acclaimed Western Canadian Landscape Artist Captures Power and Beauty of Turbulent Prairie Skies in New Book
Storm Chaser presents 83 of Ian Sheldon’s vibrant, highly dramatic storm paintings. His work provides a direct experience of the vast space of both land and sky on the Canadian prairies. Sheldon’s stylized representation of the energetic turbulence of the storms that often sweep the prairies adds a new dimension to the artistic dialogue about the raw nature of our nation. Sheldon is a storm junkie, obsessively monitoring Environment Canada’s online radar, which he crosschecks with satellite information to figure out when and where major storm fronts might form. When a big front develops, Sheldon grabs his camera and races to the scene in his car. The photographs he takes form the inspiration for his paintings. Sheldon’s storm paintings, in their complexity of colour, texture, light and shadow, serve as the centrepiece to Storm Chaser, but by combining them with his own captivating writing and selected excerpts from other exceptional writers and poets, Ian offers us a layered book that is a paean to the joy and beauty of living on the prairie. Opening the book will lead you to enter a portal to a land and a journey—Ian Sheldon’s world of wind, grass, sky and spirit.
About the Author Ian Sheldon was born on the Canadian prairies and raised in other lands, including South Africa, Singapore and England. In returning to his birthplace, he applies that global influence to his landscapes and defines a new dimension in prairie art. Ian’s diverse works have been shown in San Francisco, New York, across Canada and in England. He is best known for his bold and iconic prairie skyscapes, works that have earned him the moniker “Storm Chaser.”

Update!!!Upcoming Encaustic workshop with Debra Van Tuinen

I finally have the details for our upcoming "Encaustics for Artists" workshop with Seattle based artist    Debra Van Tuinen.  Her brief description is as follows;

"My 3 day Encaustic workshop will give participants a thorough introduction to the encaustic medium and method - from the classical to the experimental. Artists with backgrounds in almost any medium will find this workshop an exciting opportunity to expand their visual vocabulary with wax. The dynamic created by a diverse mix of artists will contribute to the learning experience and to the discovery of new techniques and applications. Regularly scheduled demonstrations leave plenty of time for hands-on-experience."

We will be hosting the workshop in our Raven's Loft space Oct. 13-15(inclusive). Each day will be 10am-3pm, with time available in the space to continue working until 9pm. There will be lunch provided each day, as well as a wine and cheese group critique on Oct. 15th from 3-4pm.

Elevation Gallery will then be mounting an exhibition on Oct.16th highlighting the medium of encaustic in all of its forms entitled Hot Flash : examining encaustics. This exhibition will include Debra's most current work, invited guest artists who's work exempifies the diversity of this medium,  as well as any pieces produced during the workshop that the individual artists feel ready to show.  We are excited to curate such a transitional and spontaneous show....who knows what might happen in the 3 days before the opening!  Participation in the exhibition will be optional, but it will be a great opportunity for professional artists to introduce new possibilities in their practice, and for emergent artists to participate in a professional exhibition.

Debra will be bringing all of the large supplies such as hotplates, irons, etc. for group use and will be providing "Starter Encaustic Supplies Kits" as part of the course fee.  This will include everything that you will need to continue working in your studio after the workshop (with the exception of the hotplates/irons, etc!). 
The total cost including supplies and course materials is $585.00+GST.
Registration must be confirmed with a 50% non-refundable (unless we cancel the workshop) deposit by Sept. 25, 2011.  Balance will be due by Oct. 12.  If we do not have enough students by Sept. 25th, we will be cancelling the workshop, at which point any deposits will be refunded in full.
Any questions?  Call the gallery   403-609-3324

Long Weekend Anticipation

The long weekend is upon us and as usual, it's pouring rain.

The gallery will be filled with brilliant new paintings, so forget your camping aspirations and make it a cultural weekend!!                        

                   This new painting by Cybele Ironside "Belle Jour" is all that you need!

or this one by Janice Tanton......what could be a better celebration of the end of summer than the iconic Canoe???

..........or this one "Tell Me Again",  yet unseen in the gallery,  by Pascale Ouellet......

or brand new to his most recent series,  from Mike Cameron,   "Darwin's Dream"

Appreciate Art for Labor Day.

Nothing else to say.

Upcoming Workshop Opportunity!!

We are so excited to be presenting a workshop with internationally renowned encaustic artist

Debra Van Tuinen.

Debra's work has been celebrated at some of the largest contemporary art fairs in North America.

She is based in Seattle, and will be coming to Canmore to teach a 3 day workshop for practicing artists to learn encaustic technique.  Debra's process is quite traditional, and even artists who may be familiar with wax will be amazed by her breadth of knowlege of the medium.  This workshop will run Oct.14-16, 2011 in Canmore, and will be followed by an exhibition of the works produced, in addition to works by some of our very celebrated local encaustic artists.  To enquire or register, please call the gallery.  403-609-3324

Some fabulous new pieces in the gallery this week, this one by Arleigh Wood from Vancouver. Arleigh's work is poetic and whimsical, using photography, oil and encaustic to express the changing moods of her coastal environment.

.

Welcome to our entry into this decade!!!!! Elevation Gallery is blogging to keep you updated in ways that our website is just not able, and I'd be thrilled if you'll follow for awhile and help us to make this a successful means of communicating with you. We welcome your comments, suggestions and anything that might help us to not bore you senseless.  Our first posts will cover some of the changes to the gallery over the past months, as well as all up to date information on upcoming exhibitions, workshops and presentations.