While recently running an errand in Halifax I snapped these manhole covers as examples of subtle industrial design. I didn’t notice as much variety among them as I’ve seen in other cities but that’s probably because I collected these so quickly. Still, there are a few distinctive examples to see, including one that’s a square cover formed by two triangles.
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Mary Garoutte, “Sundown, Lincoln Street” (2015)
What strikes me most about Mary Garoutte’s urban landscape paintings is the way she highlights the play of light at the beginning and the end of days. These quiet periods that brim with potential, while also evoking a mixed sense of meditative loneliness and reflection, seem to be as much the subject matter of her work as are the historic houses and store fronts of Halifax, where she is based. Garoutte cites the Group of Seven artists and Wayne Thiebaud as among key influences on her art, which are evident in her choice of colors and the strong textural brush strokes on her canvases. Her wonderful art also brings to mind for me the feelings of solitude conveyed by Edward Hopper in his own paintings of dwelling places during the quiet hours.
More of Garoutte’s work can be seen on her artist website here and is also available through Argyle Fine Art.
Mary Garoutte, “Yellow Door (Falkland Street)” (2013)
Mary Garoutte, “100 Montague Street” (2015)
Mary Garoutte, “Dwellings (Light in the Window)” (2015)
Mary Garoutte, “Glass House” (2016)
Mary Garoutte, “Single Dweller” (2016)
Mary Garoutte, “Late Night Visit” (2016)
Mary Garoutte, “Red Bicycle, Young Street” (2014)
Mary Garoutte, “Sunset on Agricola Street” (2013)
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— Artist to Appreciate: Katharine Burns
Katharine Burns, “Perfect Day”
Capturing in a painting the emotion of the coastal landscape is a tricky thing and something that Halifax-based artist, Katharine Burns, has managed to do perfectly. Inspired by the serenity of Nova Scotia’s beautiful shores (one of my favorite places!), she skillfully renders the movement of ocean waves, with varying shades of light dancing across the water’s constantly shifting surface beneath vast expanses of cloud-covered skies. This past August, Burns had her first (of what I’m sure will many other) well-deserved solo show, this one entitled “Sea Level” and held at Argyle Fine Art in Halifax, which showcased many of her seascapes.
On her artist site she notes: “Preparing for my first solo show was one of the hardest things I’ve done. For six months I went through periods of serious self doubt and frustration along with some moments of sudden realization and inspiration. It was a bit of a rollercoaster for me emotionally but I learned a lot and grew as an artist.” You have to root for that sort of spirit and candor!
In addition to Burns’ evocative seaside paintings, her other work is also terrific. I especially like the painterly style of her series of bicycle paintings, a few of which are below. More of her art can be seen on Burns’ artist site here.
[As an side, much like the Ian Tan Gallery on Canada’s West Coast, Argyle Fine Art on the East Coast has a stellar roster of emerging and established Canadian artists and both are among my favorite independent art galleries. As I’ve done with some Ian Tan Gallery artists, this is the first of several posts I’ll be doing on a few artists represented by Argyle whose work deserves greater attention.]
Katharine Burns, “Diffused Light”
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Katharine Burns, “Glisten”
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Katharine Burns, “Lawrencetown”
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Katharine Burns, “Road Racer”
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Katharine Burns, “Linus”
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Katharine Burns, “Bicycle Series 2”
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Katharine Burns, “Marginal Road”
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Related Posts on O’Canada Blog:
Lyssa Kayra’s Inspired Tree Ring Art
Intricate Pebble Paintings by Kristina Boardman
David Pirrie: Mapping Western Terrains and Our Sense of Place
Andrea Kastner and Rejected Things
Artist to Appreciate: Richard Ahnert
These colored photo postcards from the early 1900s highlight the importance of town markets as hubs of community activity. Lots of horses and wagons, ladies in long dresses and men in dark hats and not an automobile in sight.
Postmarked October 6, 1910, Reads: “Dear Cousin, I have not received any letters from you, nor from Oscar. Hope you will write to the above address and by the time I return here, there will be many letters. Kind Love, Edgar”
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No postmark, but likely around 1910; No note
Postmarked September 8, 1909; No note
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♦ Moonlit Views of Yesteryear Canada
Gravestones, Old Burying Ground, Nova Scotia
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I find old cemeteries to be serene places for reflection and contemplation, and Halifax’s historic St. Paul’s Church Cemetery, also known as the Old Burying Ground, which dates back to the 1749 founding of the city, is one of the most gorgeous green spaces of this type. Its many weathered gravestones hint at stories of lives both brief and long — and all so long ago. The Burying Ground’s charm is evident by, among other things, the numerous times I’ve seen it used as a backdrop for wedding group photography or a leisurely setting for those simply enjoying a good book.
These photos are from an early Fall trip to Halifax a few years ago. [Click images to enlarge.]
“Sacred to the Memory of . . . “, Old Burying Ground, Halifax
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Memories For the Ages, Old Burying Ground, Halifax
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Solitary Gravestone, Markings Erased, Old Burying Ground, Halifax
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Weathered Gravestones, Old Burying Ground, Halifax
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