Bob Kebic’s Visual Landscape Poetry

November 24, 2019 By in Art, Ontario Tags: , , , , , , , , 67 Comments

Bob Kebic, No. 2136

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Visual poetry is what comes to mind as I contemplate the highly saturated colors and rich textures of Bob Kebic’s impressionistic landscape compositions.  His paintings are truly exquisite and are reminiscent of the outdoors imagery popularized by certain of the Group of Seven artists, particularly that of Tom Thomson.   However, Kebic’s imaginative canvases reflect a contemporary sensibility by incorporating a subtle cubist stylization of distinctive squared-off “blocks” and edges within many of his works.

As this small sampling indicates, Kebic notably only titles his paintings with numbers, an approach that he regards as allowing each viewer to bring their own experiences of nature and landscape scenery to a piece without being overly influenced by a title that is tied to a location or that is otherwise suggestive.

You can see more of Kebic’s inspiring paintings at his official artist site and at the gallery sites for Toronto and Winnipeg’s Mayberry Fine Art and White Rock, B.C.’s White Rock Gallery.

Bob Kebic, No. 2143

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Bob Kebic, No. 1028

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Bob Kebic, No. 1095

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Bob Kebic, No. 2007

(Image credits: Bob Kebic)

Similar Posts on O’Canada:

• Amazing Landscape Artistry of Philip Buytendorp, Jennifer Woodburn and Steve Coffey

• David Pirrie: Mapping Western Terrains and Our Sense of Place

• Robert McAffee — Artist to Appreciate

 

Chad Hiltz’s Awesome Re-Imagined ’34 DeSoto

September 29, 2019 By in Nova Scotia, Photography Tags: , , , , , , , , , , 37 Comments

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While I often highlight notable visual artists, I’m sure most of us appreciate that artistic creativity is expressed in many forms.  Case in point is Chad Hiltz, who has carved out a distinctive niche creating all manner of custom vehicles.  While he’s done his share of classic car restorations, where Hiltz really shines is using the old bones and other raw material of a rusty jalopy and making that into something that was previously nowhere else but in his imagination.

An excellent example of Hiltz’s work is his take on a delivery truck for Noggins Corner Farm Market and Cider Company, a local farm market and cider company in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley, which is where I crossed paths with  Hiltz’s spiffy creation on a recent weekend drive.  I pulled over and snapped a few shots and then made a note to find out about the backstory.  The curves, the styling, the double rear axles, and so much more about this one-of-a-kind street rod are all inspiring!   I don’t know all the details for this build but the starting point was the body of a 1934 DeSoto Airflow sedan, a car that when introduced was noted for its then-innovative aerodynamic design.  Hiltz took that foundation and elongated it and then reinterpreted what that car might be if it were a truck.  The results are outstanding.

Hiltz operates Hiltz Auto Co. in Canning, N.S. and has parlayed his creative skills into a Discovery Channel – Canada show called “Bad Chad Customs”.   His Facebook page has additional photos showing the progress of his work on this Noggins Cider delivery truck.

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Similar Posts on O’Canada:

~ Cool Vintage Junkyard For Sale

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James Fowler’s Wonderful Geometric Cityscapes

August 24, 2019 By in Art, New Brunswick, Ontario, Quebec Tags: , , , , , , , 31 Comments

James Fowler “The Village, Toronto” (2017)

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James Fowler’s non-traditional landscape paintings perfectly merge broad aerial-like vistas with a strong geometric and digital sensibility.  His artwork hints at the methods of the nineteenth century pointillists and, of more contemporary vintage, Chuck Close’s “pixellated” portrait paintings.    The result in Fowler’s talented hands and imagination is a distinctive abstract style of landscape that is slightly whimsical and very impressive.

As this Toronto-based artist notes on his websites’s artist statement, the idea, partly, is to convey the “lively feelings one gets when flying into a new big city for the first time, when we try to take everything in, or the lasting impressions stored in our memories of traveling anywhere far from home.”  Well said!  And he’s done this with cities throughout Canada, the United States and across the world, as indicated by the small sampling noted here.

More of Fowler’s vibrant work can be seen on his website here and on his Twitter feed here.

James Fowler, “8Bit Montreal” (2017)

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James Fowler, “San Francisco” (2016)

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James Fowler, “Quebec City” (2019)

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James Fowler, “Fredericton” (2018)

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James Fowler, “Downtown, Kansas City” (2019)

 

(Image Credits: James Fowler)

 

Similar Posts on O’Canada:

• Artist to Appreciate: Katharine Burns

• Elyse Dodge’s Imaginative Geometric Landscapes

• Artist to Appreciate: Miyoshi Kondo

 

Manhole Covers Roundabout Saint John

August 11, 2019 By in Art, New Brunswick, Photography Tags: , , , , , , , , , 44 Comments

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Another installment of these cast iron circles, this time from Saint John, New Brunswick.

Hard to say for certain, but I found this group a bit grittier than those in other places.

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Similar Posts on O’Canada:

> Halifax’s Manhole Covers

> Creativity Afoot!: Toronto’s Varied Manhole Covers

> Manhole Covers of Quebec City

 

Quirky and Quaint: Signs of Saint John (Pt. 1)

August 3, 2019 By in Art, Business, New Brunswick, Photography Tags: , , , , , 41 Comments

On a recent late Spring visit to Saint John, N.B. the distinctive signs adorning area shops and walls added lots of color and charm to a meandering walk through the city center.

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⇒ Signs of Vibrant Charlottetown

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⇒ Love These Vintage Neon and Bulb Signs!

 

Eloise Brodeur: Seeking Understanding Through Cows

April 14, 2019 By in Art, Quebec Tags: , , , , , , , , 42 Comments

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Eloise Brodeur, “Best Friends” (2017)

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The cow as a principal subject of painting may seem an odd choice.  But Montreal artist, Eloise Brodeur, has elevated the bovine creature to a sort of muse.   By painting images of her cows against a stark background of a single color, Brodeur suggests to her viewers that there is communion to be had between creatures and people and that perspective should cause us to reflect on our individual and collective lives.

From my own experience, cows seem to be naturally curious creatures, even if they are often skittish around strangers.  Brodeur seems to capture that sense of curiosity and sensitive feeling in her images.

More of Brodeur’s intriguing work can bee seen on her artist site or at the site for Galerie Got Montreal, which represents her work.

Eloise Brodeur, “Just Another Ordinary Day” (2013)

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Eloise Brodeur, “Candy” (2015)

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Eloise Brodeur, “Cherries and Memories” (2016)

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Eloise Brodeur, “Bisou” (2017)

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Eloise Brodeur, “Vote For Me” (2011)

Image Credits: Eloise Brodeur

Laurie Campbell Perfectly Captures Winter in the City

January 27, 2019 By in Art, Quebec Tags: , , , , , , 55 Comments

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Making one’s way through almost any busy city during snowy winter days requires a certain hunkered-down and focused steely resolve.  Montreal realist painter Laurie Campbell beautifully captures this feeling in her cityscapes of Montreal and elsewhere.  The chill in the air, the wetness of walkways covered with snow and slush, and the occasional icy slipperiness beneath the feet are all perfectly evoked on her canvases.

Given the present season, I’ve chosen to highlighted her winter scenes here.  However, Campbell’s artist site and the galleries that carry her work (including Montreal’s Galerie Eric Klinkhoff and Toronto’s Roberts Gallery) are worth visiting to appreciate her wide range of subject matter and the artistry and skill that she brings to her work.  On her website you’ll find several themed series of work, including ones featuring rainy day people, umbrellas, New York City, park hockey, among others.

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(Image Credits: Laurie Campbell)

Marc-Aurele Fortin’s Small-Town Quebec

December 26, 2018 By in Art, History, Quebec Tags: , , , , , , , 44 Comments

Marc-Aurele Fortin, “Grande Vallee” (1952)

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Sticking (mostly) with the winter theme that I’ve been thinking about lately, Marc-Aurele Fortin is another artist in whose works winter figured prominently.  Fortin was a contemporary of the Group of Seven painters and he focused on scenes of small-town Quebec, his native province, and the landscape of the surrounding St. Lawrence River Valley.  Because he was so prolific a variety of styles can be seen in his work, but many of his paintings are typified by vibrantly colored houses and hillsides, dramatic skies and billowy cloudscapes.

While Fortin’s art is available through several prominent galleries, the Artnet website is one of the better resources to see a wide variety of his work in a single place.

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Marc-Aurele Fortin, “St. Urbain” (ca. 1936)

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Marc-Aurele Fortin, “Ste. Rose Paysage” (1939)

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Marc-Aurele Fortin, “Les Cordes a Linge” (1939)

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Marc-Aurele Fortin, “Baie Ste. Paul Sous La Neige”

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Marc-Aurele Fortin, “Maison Rouge en Hiver” (1918)

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Marc-Aurele Fortin, “Winter Scene” (1940)

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(Image Credits: Marc-Aurele Fortin)

Similar posts on O’Canada:

〉  William Kurelek and Winter on the Prairie

〉  Magical Winterscapes by Group of Seven

〉  Old Farm Tractor Along Charlevoix / St. Lawrence River

Gorgeous Winter Scenes by Nicholas Bott

December 25, 2018 By in Art, British Columbia Tags: , , , , , 36 Comments

Nicholas Bott, Near Revelstoke

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Nicholas Bott is a contemporary Canadian painter originally from the Netherlands who has adopted the vast landscape of the country, particularly British Columbia, as his muse.  His style is reminiscent of a couple of the Group of Seven landscape painters, such as Lawren Harris and Tom Thomson.   These gorgeously rendered wintery scenes by Bott seem appropriate for the chilly season in which we now find ourselves.

You can see more of Bott’s colorful landscapes at the websites for Madrona Gallery and Mountain Galleries.

Nicholas Bott, “Breaking Ice, Baffin Island”

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Nicholas Bott, “Looming Arctic Storm”

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Nicholas Bott, “Northern Village”

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Nicholas Bott, “Winter Light, Bulkley River”

 

(Image Credits: Nicholas Bott)

Backroads Nova Scotia: Old Chevy Truck

November 10, 2018 By in History, Nova Scotia, Photography Tags: , , , , , , , 50 Comments
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Vintage Chevrolet Truck, Backroads of Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia

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I’m always thrilled when I come across a rusty old truck or auto from the early era of transportation and I have my camera handy.  This vintage Chevrolet truck, from about the late 1930s (my guess), was perfectly situated near a weathered garage down a meandering country road.  The distinctive front-end of this truck features an oversized grill, exaggerated fenders with standout headlights, and an iconic sleek hood ornament.  I spoke with the owner, who explained that he restored old vehicles.  So this vintage beauty may yet roll along the road again and turn a few heads as it does.

Vintage Chevrolet Truck, Backroads of Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia

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Vintage Chevrolet Truck, Backroads of Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia

 

Similar Posts on O’Canada:

~ Cool Vintage Junkyard for Sale

~ Old Farm Tractor Along Charlevoix / St. Lawrence Shore

~ Broke-Down Farm Equipment

 

Building the Toronto Subway: John DeRinzy’s Art

November 2, 2018 By in Art, History, Ontario Tags: , , , , , , , , 45 Comments

John DeRinzy, Three Men With Jack Hammers (1950)

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Unless you were around when it was built (I wasn’t, by the way!), it’s difficult to imagine how massive an undertaking it was to build Toronto’s subway system.  Shortly before it’s opening in 1954, local artist John DeRinzy, who worked as a graphics designer for Simpson’s department store (later part of the Hudson’s Bay chain), documented the progress of this major public works project in a series of watercolor and charcoal landscapes.  His inclusion of workers in these images helps the viewer to connect emotionally to the scenes depicted.  They are reminiscent of the style displayed by public art of the New Deal era a couple of decades earlier in the U.S.   (DeRinzy’s work also brings to mind Caven Atkins’ painting “Arc Welder Working on Bulkhead” (1943), which can be seen in this 2013 O’Canada post.)

More background on these images can be found in the City of Toronto Archives here.

John DeRinzy, Underground Utilities, Yonge Street (1949)

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John DeRinzy, Welder (1950)

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John DeRinzy, Men Excavating in Timber Lined Trench (1950)

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John DeRinzy, Man With Jack Hammer (1950)

 

Image Credits: John DeRinzy; City of Toronto Archives

Up-and-Coming Band: The Dead South

October 27, 2018 By in Music, Saskatchewan Tags: , , , , , 36 Comments

The Dead South is a terrific band from Saskatchewan that is up and coming.

They have a great sound that is tinged with roots, blues, folk and traditional country.  If you haven’t heard of them before, I think before long all of us will be hearing a lot more of their wonderful music.

Eric Goggin’s Inviting Travel Posters of Atlantic Canada and Beyond

September 7, 2018 By in Art, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island Tags: , , , , , , , 53 Comments

Travel posters at their best showcase memorable places in distinctive ways as well as the talent of remarkable artists.  A case in point is the beautiful series of travel posters by Salisbury, New Brunswick-based graphics designer Eric Goggin.  The stylized design, bright colors and buoyant fonts are all fun.  Many of Goggin’s posters have a pleasing vintage feel to them and focus on locations throughout Atlantic Canada.

While well-known cities and areas, such as Gros Morne, St. Andrews By the Sea, Cape Breton and the Bay of Fundy, are featured, Goggin also directs some of his artistry to lesser-known but still picturesque locales, including Cape Forchu, N.S., Shediac, N.B., and Cavendish, P.E.I.  Of course, because they are travel posters they fulfill their principal purpose by inviting curiosity and wonder about the places depicted and make the viewer itch to get on the road to see these sites.

You can see more of Goggin’s terrific poster designs on his DestinationArt website here.

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Eric Goggin, Shediac

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(Images Credit: Eric Goggin)

Similar posts on O’Canada:

¤ Cameron Stevens’ Vintage-Style Canada Parks Posters

¤ Magnificent Travel Art of the Canadian Pacific Railway

¤ Retro Winter Recreation and Travel Ads

Islandmania!

September 5, 2018 By in Art, Nova Scotia, Photography Tags: , , , , , , , 13 Comments

Graffiti At Ferry Terminal, Freeport, Long Island, N.S.

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Way out in the country you don’t often see graffiti, and certainly not the artistic variety. So this painted statement near one of Nova Scotia’s most remote ferry terminals (in Freeport, Long Island) stood out for its vivid colors, its possibly enthusiastic statement about its location, and the fact that it took someone more than a little time to complete this.

Similar posts on O’Canada:

Θ Shades of Toronto Graffiti (Part 3 – Designs)

Θ “Three Things . . .”

Θ Wall Art a la Montreal

Along the Wharfs of Westport

August 31, 2018 By in Nova Scotia, Photography Tags: , , , , , , , , 49 Comments
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Lobster Traps, Westport, Brier Island, N.S.

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Colorful buoys, rusted anchors and long coils of rope strewn hither and yon, and vibrantly painted sheds dotting the rugged shore of Westport on Brier Island, N.S., provide unmistakable signs that this place is a longtime fishing village.  Situated as the westernmost part of  Nova Scotia, this compact but charming island is just a modest drive (and two short and scenic ferry rides) from the much larger port of Digby, which is a little to the east up the the gorgeous Bay of Fundy coast.  People routinely make the trek here for the beautiful coastal vistas, to go whale watching or just to meander to and through a quieter place and time.

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Fishing Boat Buoys, Westport, Brier Island, N.S.

 

Virginia Mak: The Art of Soft Focus

August 10, 2018 By in Art, Ontario, Photography Tags: , , , , , , , 57 Comments

Virginia Mak, On One’s Own #9

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Soft-focus photography might appear easy to execute but doing it well and in a way that conveys feeling and meaning in the image is quite difficult.  In her photos Toronto photographer Virginia Mak skillfully uses this technique to give her images a distinctly moody and ethereal effect that is more evocative of painting.  In contrast to photographs rendered in sharp relief, viewers of Mak’s carefully blurred images are able to contemplate various possibilities of meaning and emotion suggested by her elegant minimalist compositions.  The sampling shown here conjures up feelings of serenity, mystery, vulnerability, desire, longing and wistfulness.

Mak is represented by Toronto’s Bau-Xi Gallery and Calgary’s Newzones Gallery and more of her exquisite images can be seen on the sites for each of these galleries.

Virginia Mak, Hidden Nature #7

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Virginia Mak, Character Reference #1

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Virginia Mak, Character Reference #12

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Virginia Mak, Small Song For the Firefly #6

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Virginia Mak, Small Song For the Firefly #12

 

Image Credits: Virginia Mak

Signs of Vibrant Charlottetown

June 27, 2018 By in Photography, Prince Edward Island Tags: , , , , , , , 49 Comments

Charlottetown is a delightful city on Prince Edward Island, whose residents are blessed to live in such a vibrant place and beautiful province.  Small cities and towns throughout Canada often struggle to sustain a thriving economy and a high quality of life.  To its credit, Charlottetown appears to have figured out a formula that works well.

On a recent visit to its city center, I was amazed at the evident diversity of its wonderful shops, eateries and arts and music scene.  These shop signs are a small reflection of that.  Although PEI may be the smallest province in terms of geography and population, it holds its own quite nicely.

Similar posts on O’Canada:

» Annapolis Royal Through Its Signs

» On the Street Toronto: Fun & Unusual Signs

» Colorful Montreal Shop Signs

Vintage Magic in PEI: Ice Boat Rarities and Island Uniquities

June 16, 2018 By in Art, History, Photography, Prince Edward Island Tags: , , , , , , , , 35 Comments

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Not far from the Confederation Bridge on the Prince Edward Island side of that engineering marvel a scenic backroad leads to the cozy town of Cape Traverse and two of the best antique shops in all of Canada’s Maritime Provinces: Ice Boat Rarities and Antiques and, its sister shop, Island Uniquities and Antiques, which is just a few hundred yards away down PEI Route 10.   Both shops are housed in 19th century buildings — one an old church  and another a former masonic lodge — that have been masterfully restored and updated by owners Larry and Jane Dugdale.

The exceptional assortment of antiques, curios, artwork and furniture on offer started as a personal collection of the owners that eventually morphed into the well-organized groupings that seem intentionally curated for visual delight.  The Ice Boat building features the former church’s simply designed but stunning original red, blue, green and yellow stained glass windows, which cast a warm, luminous glow throughout the place.  These shops deserve to be called galleries as much as anything else.

If you’re into stylish old or reclaimed furniture, these shops have you covered; automotive and industrial neon, check; vintage toys, thermometers, oil cans, model boats, duck decoys, postcards and ephemera, tools or farm implements, check to all that too — and a great deal more!  Of particular note is the collection of whimsical painted wood sculptures and other artworks by noted PEI folk artist, Kerras Jeffery, who sadly passed away last year at way too young of an age after battling a long illness.  The Ice Boat Rarities shop serves as almost a museum of some of his brightly colored pieces and the shop also features a marvelous cloud-painting by Jeffery on the ceiling of its largest room.

In addition, the staff in both places are super friendly and helpful and the prices are about the fairest I’ve seen for antique shops anywhere.  These places are definitely worth a visit if you find yourself nearby.

More information about these terrific shops can be found at their respective Facebook pages here: Iceboat Rarities and Island Uniquities.  More about Kerras Jeffery and his art is available on the Backroad Folkart blog here, which was formerly written by him and is now maintained by one of his relatives.

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Similar posts on O’Canada:

♥  Cool Vintage Junkyard for Sale

♥  An A++ for Toronto’s Gadabout Vintage

♥  Fred Herzog’s Vintage Vancouver

Elyse Dodge’s Imaginative Geometric Landscapes

May 27, 2018 By in Art, British Columbia Tags: , , , , , , , 38 Comments

Elyse Dodge, “The Stawamus Chief”

 

When I first came across the geometric landscape paintings of Vancouver’s Elyse Dodge, the towering mountain images composed of colorful polygons brought to mind The Beatles’ song “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”.  That song’s not-so-veiled allusions to psychedelic and kaleidoscopic visions seems fitting for the vibrant playfulness exhibited in Dodge’s art.

In an artist statement, she notes that her “work aims to capture the vibrant beauty of the landscapes that we call home.  . . . The contrast between the crisp geometric lines of the mountains and organic textures of the trees has become my signature aesthetic. The polygonal shapes transform the peaks from being something that is recognizable as a mountain to a faceted, diamond-like form. These surreal scenes encourage the mind to imagine what an alternate and more vivid world could look like.”

Dodge’s work as a professional illustrator (you gotta pay the bills!) and the techniques she borrows from that undoubtedly informs her expressions as a fine artist and her deft manipulations of the iconic landscape of western Canada.

I love the compositional aesthetic of Dodge’s art, but even more I appreciate the deeper ideas about perception that she explores through her paintings.  Her work is a wonderful example of how a talented artist can use her art to challenge us to see our world in a different way and conceive of possibilities we might not have considered otherwise.

Her artist site here provides more insight into and examples of her art and links to some lovely video interviews and profiles.  Vancouver’s terrific Ian Tan Gallery also showcases Dodge’s work.

Elyse Dodge, “Vermillion Lakes”

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Elyse Dodge, “Squamish”

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Elyse Dodge, “Elfin Lakes”

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Elyse Dodge, “Cleveland Dam”

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Elyse Dodge, “Emergence”

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Elyse Dodge, “Vermillion Reflections”

 

(Image Credits: Elyse Dodge)

Similar Posts on O’Canada:

→  Cameron Steven’s Vintage Style Canada Parks Posters

→  Amazing Landscape Artistry of Philip Buytendorp, Jennifer Woodburn and Steve Coffey

→ David Pirrie: Mapping Western Terrains and Our Sense of Place

Cameron Stevens’ Vintage-Style Canada Parks Posters

May 1, 2018 By in Art, History, New Brunswick, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec Tags: , , , , , , , 71 Comments

Cameron Stevens is a hugely talented graphics designer working in Ontario.  Several years ago he embarked on a project to design vintage screen-printed-style posters for a number of Canada’s national and provincial parks.  A few years later he’s now up to 58 gorgeous posters, each of which is characterized by a spare, consistent layout and muted pastel tints as evidenced by the sampling shown here.  Whether intentional or not, most also include a body of water, which is certainly reflective of the vast number of lakes, rivers and sea coasts throughout the country.

On his official Canada’s Parks poster art site, Stevens notes that he was inspired by the artwork produced by the U.S. Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the 1930s and 1940s to promote America’s National Parks.  His Canada Parks posters clearly harken back to that earlier era, as well as the time when the Canadian Pacific Railway blanketed the country with its highly stylized travel posters.  These contemporary posters with a vintage feel are beautiful to behold while bringing well-deserved attention to many of Canada’s spectacular outdoor treasures across its provinces and territories.  Stevens sells these as posters and prints, which can be accessed through the above official poster site and his graphics site.

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(Images credit: Cameron Stevens)

Similar Posts on O’Canada:

~ Retro Winter Recreation and Travel Ads

~ Magnificent Travel Art of the Canadian Pacific Railway

~ Let’s Visit Ontario

~ Go By Air With TCA

Shades of Toronto Graffiti (Part 2 – P.S)

April 6, 2018 By in Art, Ontario, Photography Tags: , , , , , , , , 19 Comments

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I realized after I shot these four images that the faces had similar characteristics and they were all tagged “P.S” and were likely done by the same street artist.   Their creator  favors funky, angular faces and there’s definitely a certain style going on with these.

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Similar Posts:

~ Shades of Toronto Graffiti (Part 1 – Overview)

Seen Its Better Days

March 25, 2018 By in History, Nova Scotia, Photography Tags: , , , , , , , , , 15 Comments
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Antique Farm Combine, Near Clarence, Nova Scotia

 

In Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley wintery weather maintains its grip late into March as the province bounces back from the fierce winds and driving snow of this past week’s Noreaster.  Although this old relic of a farm combine sits in a forlorn state shortly after the storm, it’s a beautiful piece of machinery with its pops of orange-red on the wheels and threshers contrasting nicely with the muted colors of the rest of the combine and the bleak surroundings.

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The Daring Canadian Pulps: Oh, My!

March 3, 2018 By in Art, Books / Literature, History, Society Tags: , , , , , , , 55 Comments

Spurred on by a wartime ban on the importation of non-essential foreign goods, including the lurid magazines from below the 49th parallel commonly referred to as “pulps”, the Canadian pulp magazine industry flourished during World War II and the decade after.  Like all good pulp publications, the featured stories often blurred the lines between fiction and reality and routinely served up tales that were risque, grisly, shocking and as often true as not.  Avid readers ate up this stuff!

Adding to its diverse holdings, Library and Archives Canada acquired in the late 1990s a core collection of pulp magazines dating back to the golden post-War era of such publications.  These cover images are from the Archives’s fascinating “Tales From the Vault” exhibition.  Of these covers, I think my favorite might be the fairly simple red-and-black layout above that promises dirt on a Vancouver cult and Winnipeg’s pock-marked Frankenstein. I’ll bite!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shades of Toronto Graffiti (Part 1 – Overview)

February 25, 2018 By in Art, Ontario, Photography, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , 63 Comments

Toronto, being the big city that it is, has more than its share of diverse street or wall art, more commonly called graffiti.  This isn’t every one’s cup of tea, but it’s hard to ignore the creative expression that goes into these highly stylized works.

Among the varieties to be found gracing the corner wall of an old building, on either side of the occasional alley way or wherever else you may find these quirky pieces are classic graffiti tags, the enigmatic or humorous character scenes, the images laden with social or political messages, and designs that are as much about vibrant colors as anything else.  I took a lot of shots of these recently, so have broken them up with some being posted here and others planned for a later set of shared images.

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Similar Posts on O’Canada:

∅ Ossington Avenue Graffiti

∅ Montreal’s Vibrant Walls of Graffiti

∅ Wall Art a la Montreal

The Good Old Days: Rural Life in Vintage Postcards

February 17, 2018 By in Art, History, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Photography, Quebec, Society Tags: , , , , , , 37 Comments

Hay Making, Nova Scotia (about 1960)

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Out in the country people work hard, and back in the proverbial good old days they worked even harder.  Whether on a farm, a fishing village or in the forest, rural folk have always had to put their bodies and souls into their labors to eke out a living.

As these vintage postcards from the eastern parts of Canada attest they at least did so amidst beautiful settings.

River Saguenay at Chicoutimi, Quebec (about 1940)

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Ox Cart, Rural Quebec (about 1940)

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Spinning in Rural Quebec (1950)

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Back of Spinning in Rural Quebec (1950):   “Dear Ma – That’s you and me working. Lots of little farms and little houses here. Horses do most of the work. Farms are very small. In winter the men work in the lumber business, in summer farming. Women do fancy work in winter to sell it in the summer. Love Helen”

 

 

Similar posts in O’Canada:

⊕  Quebec Charm in Vintage Postcards

⊕  “Dear Auntie . . don’t be cross”: Scenic British Columbia in Old Postcards

⊕  Moonlit Views of Yesteryear Canada

“I’ll Meet You There”

January 28, 2018 By in Art, Books / Literature, Ontario, Photography Tags: , , , , , , , , , 44 Comments

Can’t help but smile about this quirky handmade sign stumbled upon recently in the Kensington Market district of Toronto.

The words are from a poem by Rumi that is generally understood to be about putting aside judgments that divide people and instead to focus on appreciating the wonders of being and the things that connect us all.