DVAC Show at Todmorden Mills, Toronto, ON

Hi Friends and Art Lovers,

I am hoping that some of my sailing buddies will also have a chance to view these paintings, either in my blog or at the DVAC Show. One of my favourite past times is sailing, and I also enjoy painting from the quiet solitude of my yacht clubs in the winter, but occasionally, I also get in some painting at the club during sailing season. The first painting is of an Albacore dinghy returning from an evening sail at a club on Cherry Beach in Toronto. The next is of a wonderfull 8-Metres with dark sails which I painted from a photograph which I took a few years ago, precariously perched on the rail of my friend's J24 and also using his camera as mine had run out of batteries, and trying not to drop it into the drink.

Some of you may wonder about the horizon line in the second painting - and you may not like it - but, I think the sailors among you may be able to relate. When I first painted it, the horizon was level, but I changed it to capture some of the tension which I feel when I am beating my way to the windward mark in strong winds. If this painting makes you feel some of that tension, then perhaps I have succeeded.

The paintings are below, followed by the invitation:




Albacore at Sunset on Cherry Beach (Oil on Canvas, 12"x12")




8-Metres in Strong Winds Off Gibralter Point (Oil on Canvas, 12"x16")








Don Valley Art Club
Annual Spring Art Show & Sale 2011



The Don Valley Art Club cordially invites you and your friends to its Annual Spring Art Show & Sale at Todmorden Mills Museum and Arts Centre

Opening Reception
Saturday May 7, 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Show Dates and Hours:
Saturday May 7, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, May 8, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday, May 14, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Sunday, May 15, 12 p.m. to 3p.m. (last day of show)

Location
The Paper Mill Gallery at Todmorden Mills Museum, 67 Pottery Road, Toronto

Free parking
Visit our website for more details http://www.donvalleyartclub.com

Haitian Humanitarian Mission

Hi Friends and Art Fans,

In February of this year, I spent a little over three weeks in Haiti helping with the Lifewater Mission there. We were testing wells which had been installed by various other humanitarian missions over the years. Our work involved testing the wells and also noting the locations of the wells, putting numbers on them and taking down a description of the well, how deep they were, where the water was, etc.

Our tests had to be quite simple, since there are no available testing laboratories in Haiti. So, we tested for basic water quality parameters using test strips and then we tested for the presence/ absence of bacteria. A further test was conducted on wells which were found to have bacteria, to determine whether the water contained harmful bacteria such as coliform bacteria or e-coli. For this test I found a little incubator in the USA for a small sum of $500, shipping it to Florida cost $100, getting it to Haiti cost an additional $300, but getting it through Haitian Customs and their Port in Cap Haitien apparently cost $1200. Go figure!

To make a long story short - our mission was successful, but there is still much work to be done. Our volunteers will continue to go to Haiti to try to bring safe water to the people.

I have attached some slides of the places I was and the people I was working with. These are not the best photographs in the world, but I think they convey a sense of the experience I had while I was there. Many of these were shot through dirty truck windows as we lurched our way through the egg carton like roads of potholes. They haven't done much work on their roads in the past 20 years, and they are long overdue for re-surfacing. Currently, a dog can safely cross any road in or around Cap Haitien during rush hour, with little risk of being hit. I didn't see a dead dog the whole time I was there. I thought I did a few times, but as we passed them, their tails would flick or an ear would twitch - they were asleep. When the roads do get repaved, there will likely be carnage!

There was cholera in the villages we visited. There were many little stores selling coffins and auto parts. But, we found the people to be for the most part warm and receptive to our work.

I did find some time to do a little painting while I was there, but I was restricted to painting on the compounds, and was not allowed to venture out unescorted. While I never felt the least bit threatened, this is still a lawless land and you have to be careful. To paint in public for half a day might draw the wrong kind of attention. So, I will be generating some paintings from the other 1700 photos I took while I was there and in my next post I hope to include photos of the sketches I made while I was there.

Enjoy the slides,

Cheers,

Charles

Haiti - Lifewater Mission

Some exciting news. While this is not necessarily art related, I am going to assist with a humanitarian mission in Haiti for a few weeks. I hope to provide a few more up-dates and include some photos of our work and perhaps some of my sketches over the next few weeks. We are going to be testing some wells and assisting the developing of some wells. See the www.lifewater.ca website for details.

Cheers,

Charles

Large & Small Picture Show - Todmorden Mills

Hi Friends and Art Lovers,

I will be showing two little paintings (12" X 12" and 11" X 14") at the Don Valley Art Club's Large & Small Picture Show at Todmorden Mills the next two week ends. I will be present at the show during the opening and again on December 4 from 12:00 until 2:00 PM. Hope to see you then, and enjoy the show.

Cheers,

Charles


Don Valley Art Club
Pre-Holiday
Large and Small Picture Show 2010

Place
The Paper Mill Gallery at Todmorden Mills Museum, 67 Pottery Road, Toronto

Opening Reception
Saturday, November 27, noon to 4:00 p.m.

Show Hours
Saturday, November 27, noon to 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, November 28, noon to 4:00 p.m.
Saturday, December 4, noon to 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, December 5, noon to 3:00 p.m (last day of art show)

Free parking
For more details, including map and directions, visit http://www.donvalleyartclub.com





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OCAD U Alumni Exhibit November 2010

I will be showing one of my paintings at the OCAD U Alumni "Where Are They Now!" Exhibit from November 10 through 28 at Art Square Gallery Cafe at 334 Dundas Street West across from the Art Gallery of Ontario. The painting that I am showing is "Don Valley Brick Works In Winter, 2008" which is part of my Brick Works Series and can also be seen on my web site. I will be at the Gallery on Friday evening November 12 from 6:00 PM until 9:00 PM for the opening and also on Saturday, November 13 from 12:00 PM until 5:00 PM if you would like to drop by to say hello or to ask any questions (within reason).

All the Best,

Charles

Fall Art Shows

I recently joined the Don Valley Art Club (see www.donvalleyartclub.com) who meet for studio sessions at the Don Valley Brick Works and also have periodic shows together. Several of my friends from other clubs are members, so it seems like a good fit.

I am showing with them this up-coming weekend and the weekend following at The Paper Mill Gallery at Todmorden Mills which is located at 67 Pottery Road in East York. The dates of the show are September 18, 19, 25 and 26, 2010. I am showing two paintings at this show. There are a lot of very good paintings by other members of the DVAC being shown and I would encourage art lovers to come and enjoy the show.

I will also be showing at the Market Gallery with the Don Valley Art Club from September 18, 2010 until February 26, 2011. The Market Gallery is located on the second level at the St. Lawrence Market at 95 Front Street in Toronto. This show features work of artists from the DVAC documenting the Don Valley Brick Works and is curated by Susan L. Brown, artist and educator. There will be a reception for this exhibit from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm October 16, 2010 (RSVP if you plan to attend either by phone: 416 392-7604 or email: marketgallery@toronto.ca).

Until next time,

Charles

After TOAE

What a weekend! Sorry that I didn't get my booth number onto my blog, but it seems that finding me wasn't as difficult as I thought it might be. Special thanks to my wife Susan who helped me throughout the weekend. I am also very grateful for all the support shown by family and friends throughout the weekend. I am very glad that you have had the opportunity to view my work.

I truly enjoyed the many discussions that I had with people who came by my booth to view my work. One of these discussions led to a positive review of my efforts by Patrick Donohue in his art review blog at www.dilettantesdiary.com

I have up-dated my web site to include some of the pieces which interested you, including the Sombre Light at the Brick Works and the Brick Works with Pond in Autumn. I have also added a few of my northern Ontario sketches to my Ontario series.

My next show appears to be in September at the Market Gallery in the St. Lawrence Market (2nd floor). This show is a tribute to the Don Valley Brick Works, being put on by the Don Valley Art Club, where I have recently been accepted as a member. Two of my interior pieces will be on display, while others will appear in a slide show or banner.

Until next time,

Charles