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