Yet another working weekend,..in paradise

My latest adventure has taken me across the northern route, from Ottawa to Renfrew, and down through Bancroft, Haliburton, on to Orillia, Barrie, and finally to the McMichael Canadian Collection, in Kleinburg. But before I get there, let me tell you about starting out. I have driven this route many times, but when I started out on Friday morning, there was so much heavy fog, you could hardly see a thing. But it was SOOO beautiful. Very moody, the shifts in value as you viewed through space was really wonderful. I was imagining many paintings as I drove. It took me a lot longer than usual as well, because I kept stopping to take pictures.

Friday morning, about 7 am.

I was kind of sad to see it lift, and the morning to become clear. 

 I bought some gorgeous flowers at the Barrie farmers market, for my student, Jan,...who kindly and generously always puts me up. 

We made it down to the AGO to see the new Colville exhibit. It was opening day of the show, and it's on til January 4th, 2015. I urge everyone to see this exhibit.

It's always so insightful to see a lifes' body of work. 

Colville chose to live small town maritimes, affording much effort into deeply studying his art. With little chance of distraction. 

After viewing painting upon painting, one gets a sense of the environment Colville was putting forth-a lot of grey clouds, greyness, bleekness,... meticulous brush work, more bleekness. Many "set-ups" created great depth, infering a larger view. Underlying bigger ideas. Using small town anywhere imagery to ask bug daunting questions. Don't be fooled by the realism in Colvilles' work. There's something much deeper at work here. 

For those of you in the Ottawa area, this show will be at NGC next summer, but since I am a member of both galleries, makes it easy to see it all. 

I hope he knows how lucky he was, to paint his whole life, and have great purpose and success in his lifetime. The AGO has published a book to commemorate this exhibit, it's a hardcover, and only $35.00. 

Many pieces I have never seen before, were borrowed from private collectors, so this was well worth the visit. 

Now that I know Colville was a talking Heads fan, I wish I'd known him, and will have to get to know him better through his art.

          Women are the see-ers,.....