2021, Violet King Henry Plaza, No New Normal
Inside the Plaza, where David had his weekly picket signs laid out along the guardhouse wall, I displayed three paintings on a concrete block: Solar Eclipse, Smoke, and Wind. Two young ladies appeared, and one began responding to my paintings, especially Wind. Our discussion shifted from politics to art. Soon their grandmother and aunt joined us, turning it into an impromptu art show and tell, sharing ideas and listening to each other’s thoughts on art and creativity. I was honored by the one young grade 4 artist, who responded to my artworks with such insight. Her grandmother shared the young artist's amazing artworks stored on her cell phone. This smoky summer, full of painting and art shows began on Canada Day with two other young artists, one adding paint to my 2024 Moulin Rouge, a painting about wind, while the other gave instructions on what to paint on my canvas. It ended with this young artist, my art teacher, reminding me to reach inside and find that child within us all when expressing truth, beauty, freedom, during times of troubles where there can be no hiding our love away. Thanks to everyone who dropped by to visit this summer.
Celebrating its 10th anniversary today, this acrylic painting titled “1924” captures the beauty of Maligne Lake in Jasper National Park. I created this piece on August 28, 2014, exactly 90 years after Lawren Harris and A.Y. Jackson of the Group of Seven left Ontario to explore and paint this region. Over the winter, my weekly sketch studies at the Art Gallery of Alberta taught me a great deal about these pioneering artists, and this painting clearly reflects their influence.“1924” features the mountain range Opal Hills and Leah Peak. I also took hundreds of photos and some videos and sketched several drawings from a trip that began at 5:30 that morning and ended at sunset. 1924, YouTube
1924, Maligne Lake Jasper Park, 2014
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August. 21, 2024, Abstract, Maligne Lake parking lot.
2018, 2024, Jasper Train Yard
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The Union Foraged-capped Fred Shadows I created over 50 years ago featured in this painting may be my alter ego. Fred was partly inspired by Sad Sack, an American comic strip and comic book character created by Sgt. George Baker during World War II. British comic strip Andy Capp, created by cartoonist Reg Smythe, and the wartime Kilroy was here, graffiti made by an unknown.
The Four Pillars of the Alberta Legislature.
In political science, the term ‘Banana Republic’ is used to describe a country that is politically and economically unstable, with an economy heavily reliant on the export of natural resources. Simular, in Canada, the Free Trade Agreement has increased our dependence on products manufactured in third-world countries. These countries often lack robust labour and environmental standards, leading to a wealth disparity where the affluent corporate class becomes richer at the expense of the general population. The term ‘Banana Republic’ is frequently used to characterize a small, impoverished, and politically unstable country that is weakened due to an excessive dependence on a single crop or foreign funding. Is Alberta, a Banana Republic?
On a different note, ‘Banana Republic’ is also the name of a renowned clothing brand known for its contemporary classic wardrobe offerings for both women and men, including shoes and accessories. They have a retail location at Southgate S/c in Edmonton, AB. Turtle Island.
2024-08-14, Guests from Quebec added paint as we shared stories.
August 1, 2024, Paint, Art Show & Tell, next to the Alberta Legislature, featuring Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Red Face. RE: Wildfires and Indigenous, music of Al Jolsen featured during demonstration. Emancipation Day celebrations began on 1 August 1834, when people of African descent in Upper and Lower Canada marked the end of more than 250 years of enslavement throughout the British Empire.
Repaired, Retitled, & Retired 2017, 2024, Jodie Smiles.
Trees do talk, RESET (The Box)
2021, Mary Simon and the Orange Flower.
2024-07-08, Painter's Notes: In the noon hour, I was surrounded by a lively audience of young individuals near the reflection pool. They were brimming with questions and eager to exchange ideas about art and imagination. We discussed subjective art and the unique perspectives we each bring to interpreting paintings. The scene was further enhanced by adding painted tree stumps in the foreground of my 2014 abstract acrylic mountain painting. The daycare employee thanked me for taking time with his young friends, and I thanked them.
2024-07-07. During Sunday's Street Art Show and Tell, Share and Listen I presented a Muslim woman with a white rose, my third this summer, as a symbol of peace for the Middle East. I appreciated the Edmonton Police Service, who ensured the safety surrounding the protest as they marched down Whyte Avenue in Old Strathcona.
White roses shared with a girl and a Palestenian man.
“A Canvas of Shared Stories”
For years, I’ve extended an open invitation to people of all ages—whether young or old—to contribute to my social art masterpieces. With nontoxic acrylics in hand, they join me in a collaborative dance of creativity, each brushstroke adding to the vibrant tapestry of our shared experiences. In this act of communal painting, I find both honor and humility. It’s not about selling the finished pieces; it’s about inspiring dialogue and weaving connections. Art becomes a bridge—a way for voices to intersect, stories to unfold, and ideas to flourish. 🎨🗣️Painting transcends the individual artist; it becomes a chorus of narratives. The child’s exuberant splash of color, the elderly person’s delicate stroke—they all contribute to a collective symphony. 🌟And so, we gather—a diverse community of storytellers. Everyone has a tale to tell, a perspective to share. As the canvas absorbs each hue, it becomes a mirror reflecting our humanity. 🖌️💫So here’s to the storytellers, the dreamers, and the brave souls who dip their brushes into life’s palette. Let us continue to create, to listen, and to celebrate the beauty of our shared existence—one stroke at a time. 🌈✨
Backside painting on the Crumpling Umbrella.
July Abstracts: Is that a good dog, a bad dog, a wolf, or a bear?
July 1, 2024, Canada Day, The Moulin Rouge.
Alberta Legislature Tree; Gallery
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