Peter Ramos - West Coast Photographer

We carry Peter Ramos' black and white West Coast photos on posters for many years now and once a year Peter comes in and shows us some new products or ideas. This year, beginning of August, he showed us his first Giclee reproductions on canvas - which we ordered and framed. They now are a true eye catcher in our gallery window!

Peter lives in Edmonton, Alberta and has created many beautiful photos of the Rocky Mountains and the west coast of Vancouver Island.

Peter's book "Photographs of Western Canada; Vol. One" is a collection of 87 beautiful black & white photos with field notes in the appendix. Volume 1 covers the area from Barkley Sound to Combers Beach on the west coast of Vancouver Island.

From the foreword of his book: "The west coast of Vancouver Island is home to an exceptional variety of ecosystems in an extraordinary range of environments from ocean floor to alpine peaks and meadows. Life is everywhere abundant..."

Find the selection of his photos on canvas and posters and "meet" Peter in our web site!

Just in time for October

October - Barn Owl not only stands out with it's format, but also with it's composition. A must see! Click on the picture for a closer view. Please make your reservation now and get it framed at The Framing Post. We ship to any destination!

This beautiful painting has been selected for Ducks Unlimited Canada's 2006 Art Print Portfolio and prints were available at DU fundraisers across Canada to assist in Ducks Unlimited's conservation efforts. Allan has Artist Proof prints available right now - it's October!! See also his other works in our Gallery web page.

Original and new prints by Allan Hancock

This year we got a couple of prints in which Allan did for Ducks Unlimited and which are now available in our Gallery.

Also, we have this beautiful original painting of a pasture south of town (Merville Area). Check it all out in our online Gallery!

New Michelin Originals and Prints

Diane just brought in two original watercolours and new Gicle prints on canvas and paper. See more in our Gallery Page!

Here is her artist's statement:

"My watercolours describe the essence of fly fishing as told by exoctic paraphernalia, rusty pick up trucks, fishin' dogs and snazzy tackle. The story is about optimism, bits of fur and feathers, solitude and companionship. Each day on the river is notable in the mist off the water or the misadventure of the moment. Consequently, I am inclined to depict the everyday aspect of our passion amid the complexity of the water, light and colour. For it is this that fuels us in our inordinate conservation commitments and the nonstop chatter in the fly shop."

Irene Klar's West Coast Art

Although living in Edmonton, Irene Klar's art has been a best seller in our Pier Street Gallery for more than 10 years. Out of her "indigenous patterns" from all over the world we focus on the native North West, mostly Haida patterns. We just met Irene in Edmonton again and ordered some of her new etchings. Also more of her posters, coasters, art cards, cushion covers and scarves with her unique designs.

Irene Klar was born in Montreal in 1950. After completing degrees in Physical Therapy and Science at McGill University, she moved to Alberta and received a degree in Fine Arts from the University of Alberta in 1977. Irene Klar was an instructor in watercolours at the University of Alberta's Faculty of Extension 1978 - 1987 and lectured in Art History at Grant McEwan Community College in 1978. She resides in Alberta with her family.

People, their textiles, pattern decoration and colours serve as inspiration for Irene Klar. Her interest in universal design elements has taken her on far reaching travels around the world from Alaska to Australia, from Guatemala and Peru to Morocco. These themes are incorporated into her paintings and prints, which are full of the intense colours of the marketplaces.

This print is called "Haida Patterns" and Irene writes "The Haida people live on the west coast of Canada and Northwestern USA. They, along with the Kwakiutl and Tlingit are 'famous world-wide for their totems, wood canoes, and longhouses with stylised interpretations of mythical figures. Their wonderful basket hats are often fashioned from split spruce roots. The height of the hat reflects the social status of the bearer."

See her products in our Web Site!

Two new Gillespie prints are in ...

John Gillespie's misty paintings are well liked by our customers. See the write-up further down in this blog (or click John Gillespie in the list to the right). So far we only carried his Giclee prints on canvas, now we just received two wonderful Giclee prints on paper. The image of this dramatic "Georgia Strait Tug" print is 30" x 15". See the two new prints in our Gallery Web Page.

Andy Everson of Comox

Andy Everson was born in Comox, BC in 1972 and named Nagedzi after his grandfather, the late Chief Andy Frank. Influenced heavily by his grandmother, he has always been driven to uphold the traditions of both the Comox and Kwakwaka’wakw First Nations. In this regard, Andy has pursued avenues where he can sing traditional songs and perform ceremonial dances at potlatches and in a number of different dance groups, most notably the Le-La-La Dancers and the K’umugwe Dancers.

Pursuing other areas of traditional culture has also led Andy to complete a Master’s degree in anthropology. Because the Comox First Nation lies on the border between the larger Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw realms, his thesis focused on notions and expressions of contemporary Comox identity. His work in anthropology provided him with a background in linguistics which subsequently inspired him to create a company, Copper Canoe, Inc, that specializes in the creation of Aboriginal language CD-ROMs.
Andy feels that his artwork stands on par with these other accomplishments. Although he began drawing Northwest Coast art at an early age, Andy's first serious attempt wasn’t until 1990 when he started designing and painting chilkat-style blankets for use in potlatch dancing. From these early self-taught lessons, he has tried to follow in the footsteps of his Kwakiutl relatives in creating bold and unique representations that remain rooted in the age-old traditions of his ancestors. The ability to create and print most of his own work has allowed Andy to explore and express his ancestral artwork in a number of contemporary ways.

Mark Henderson of Campbell River

Mark was born in 1953 and is a member of the Wewaikum Band in Campbell River. His father, the late Chief Sam Henderson, was a well known Kwakiutl carver. His mother, the late Mae Quocksister Henderson, was the eldest daughter of a high ranking native family.
Mark says they were a major influence on his early artistic development. "They wanted me to be familiar with my cultural background, and taught me legends, songs and dances that have been part of my family heritage for many generations.
Mark began painting traditional Kwakiutl designs at the age of eleven under his father's guidance. He also studied the work of other Kwakiutl artists, including Henry Speck, Mungo Martin and Willie Seaweed.
He works mainly with acrylic paint on paper, often producing limited edition silkscreen and giclee prints from his original paintings.

On October 11, 2006 the longhouse on Campbell River's Foreshore was rededicated after Mark Henderson had restored and repainted totem poles which were carved by his father Sam Henderson 35 years ago. The longhouse is one of Campbell River's well-known landmarks and represents carvings by several local First Nations.

NEW to our Gallery: Island Artist Patricia Banks

An award winning Canadian artist, Patricia Banks was born in 1955 in Edmonton, Alberta. She grew up in the beautiful Okanagan Valley where she spent all of her spare time drawing and coloring as a child. This laid the foundation for her skills in painting. Her love of the sea was evident at an early age. Although Patricia had never seen the ocean, on the cover of her grade two report card she had drawn a detailed seascape. After finishing high school, Patricia moved to the West Coast where she earned two degrees in Nursing. She worked in nursing until the demand for her paintings enabled her to paint full time.

Patricia and her husband live on Vancouver Island and spend much of their time sailing among the beautiful Gulf Islands and visiting the remote wilderness areas of the West Coast. It is on many of these trips that the peace and tranquility of a sunrise or the drama of a breathtaking sunset unfolds and becomes the subject of one of her paintings. Patricia communicates the moods, emotions, and colors of the West Coast through her detailed acrylic paintings. Her approach to painting draws from both the realist and impressionist traditions. Her work is sensitive and reveals an intuitive grasp of the subtleties of place and time.

Carol Haigh from Saltspring Island

New to the gallery! If you can, check out the framed prints in our store. You see here images of some of Carol's Giclee prints, and you find all available prints in our Web Site.

Carol Haigh is a Canadian west coast artist. She lives on Saltspring Island in the Gulf Islands of British Columbia where she has resided since 1955 when her family emigrated from England.
Carol’s paintings are regarded as high realism. She is best known for her seascapes and sailing images of the west coast although her work has also been influenced by visits to the South Pacific, New Zealand and Australia.
Carol is a self taught painter. During the last thirty years she has worked with various media but now chooses to paint mainly in acrylic. Her finely detailed images capture a clarity of light and colour which she achieves by building up multiple layers of thin acrylic washes. She has also developed a technique of dry brushing which enables her to create subtle gradations of colour, particularly in her skies.
Carol’s paintings clearly reflect her connection to the sea. From early childhood, her life has revolved around the ocean. As a teenager she sailed across the Pacific through the South Sea Islands with her parents and sisters on board their forty foot trimaran “Tryste II”. Carol has had a few boats since then and brought her children up to also love the sea. Her interest in sailing remains strong. Much of the inspiration for her paintings comes from sailing her classic boat “Korari” around the local waters and exploring the beaches and islands close to her home.
Since 1992 Carol has held numerous solo exhibitions of her original paintings in Ganges on Saltspring Island. She has also participated in group exhibitions in Ganges, Victoria and Sidney, B.C. Her paintings, silkscreen prints, limited edition prints and giclees can be found in private collections around the world

There is much more in store now!

Welcome to our blog!whereas this blog is meant to inform you about news and to do some "chat work", you find a detailed catalogue of our framed and unframed artwork in our new store website. Just use the link to Gallery Shopping and you can browse and order online! See you on the other side, and please sign up to our mailing list there, too!