ISLAND ART & ARTISAN ONLINE SHOW & SALE

July 1 to December 31, 2020

The Grand Manan Art Gallery provides Island residents and visitors with the opportunity to enjoy a wide variety of quality exhibits, and support for both established and emerging artists by promoting their work, and providing them with first-rate exhibition space and sales opportunities.

The doors of our Gallery currently remain closed because of health concerns related to Covid-19, but we are continuing to promote art and support artists. We have created virtual online galleries where our artists can display their work, and our friends and visitors can still enjoy good art, and be comforted by it in these challenging times.

This gallery showcases the work of 43 artists (both Island residents and Island visitors). With 141 images, and prices ranging from $20 to $2500, there is something for everyone in this show. Buyers who may be interested in purchasing any of this work will find contact information for artists in the biography section of the gallery.

A photograph on a computer screen can never replace the experience of viewing actual works of art that speak to us in a unique voice, but we recognize that digital technology has the ability to enhance what we do in the Gallery, and it will continue to play a role in the future.

If you have comments or suggestions, we would be pleased to hear from you. Contact our Exhibitions Committee in care of David Ogilvie (dmogilvie@sympatico.ca).

Now enjoy the show!
 

FULL GALLERY

Click on thumbnails below to enter full-sized gallery. Artist biographies and more information are displayed below this main gallery as well.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHIES

ADRIENNE GUPTILL

Adrienne Faye is an island born woman, inspired by the beauty of the landscapes offered by Grand Manan, and the raw nature of it’s inhabitants.Having held pencil to paper since childhood, she has long held a fascination with capturing reality and creating a little of her own.

Adrienne graduated from NBCCD in 2012, and has been painting, sketching and illustrating commissions since. From portraits, to landscapes, to the fantastical; acrylic, ink, pastels and now watercolour, Adrienne has sought to experience and share art through her unique perception of life.

Adrienne’s Facebook page is Adrienne Faye Fine Art, and her email address is adgu00217@gmail.com.

ALEXIS PHILLIPS

Alexis grew up in New York and studied art in High School and College. She has taught Art to children in New York (YMCA Camp & Private Instruction), and to Grand Manan students in the Junior Art Group.

Over the years Alexis’ painting (but not photography) had to be set aside while she raised a family, taught at the Swedish Institute for 21 years and handled a private practice. Then, in 2004 Alexis and John Edwards set off for an 18 month “tent-camping” adventure. On this adventure, Grand Manan Island became their home away from home. This past 15 years art has returned to her life – with her camera and paint brushes.

Moving to Grand Manan brought her back to her interest in Art including painting in oil, water color and acrylic. Three of her works are on permanent display at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton.

Alexis and her husband, John Edwards, moved to Charleston South Carolina in 2012 and shortly thereafter opened up three “Pop Up” Art Galleries on Daniel Island. This opportunity was an enjoyable challenge for them both.

She has shown her work in New York, Charleston and on Grand Manan. She has been on the Board of Directors of the Grand Manan Art Gallery for many years, and started the Art Guild of Daniel Island in 2015.

Alexis’ email address: afphillips96@gmail.com. She can be reached by phone at: (843) 471-1000 (H), or (631) 495-1072.

ALISON OGILVIE

I grew up in London, Ontario, but would visit my grandparents in Grand Manan every summer with my parents and brother. As an adult, I continued to visit the island every summer, and felt a greater ache every time I watched its silhouetted shape fade into a treasured memory until the following year. In 2018 I decided to move to Grand Manan and become a part of its tranquility, landscape and incredible community. I currently teach at the Grand Manan Community School.

I have always enjoyed art —the process of creating. As I sit before a blank canvas and try to coax out an image, I think about everything that goes into it — planning, composition, the math of perspective and angles, the science of colour mixing and drying time, problem solving, patience, conflict resolution, anger management . . . and the chance to have a fresh new start if I muck it up!

Every summer I look forward to taking a watercolour course on Grand Manan with artist Barry Combs. As a student, I am motivated by his knowledge and style, and as a teacher I find myself inspired by his ability to help his students discover and celebrate their own unique style and voice in their art.

Alison’s email address is alisonogilvie@icloud.com.

ALLAN McDONALD

Allan has always enjoyed nature, photographs and photography. Growing up in rural New Brunswick in the 1960’s, he was self-taught in photography, focusing mainly on nature and eventually specialized in the marine mammals and seabirds of Canada’s world famous Bay of Fundy. About seven years ago Allan’s photography took a decidedly new direction when he started taking up-close images of reflections on water. . . abstract images that unlocked the hidden beauty of the reflections at a micro-level.

Allan says, “When we look at a reflection on the water, our eye transfers a continuous image to the brain and we see the object of the reflection. The camera however, freezes a moment of that reflection. A view of the reflection that is quite often unrecognizable as the original object. What is revealed is the art and the beauty that have been unlocked by the camera from the ever changing reflections on the water. When painters paint a picture they create art or beauty. When photographers take a photograph they capture the art or beauty of their subject. Allan’s abstract images of reflections on water go one step further, they unlock a beauty that is otherwise hidden to the human eye. And Many of Allan’s images are deeper than just beauty, often revealing faces, figures and creatures, each unique to the eye of the imaginative beholder.

Allan’s web site is www.allanmcdonaldimages.com; his email is allanmcdonaldimages@gmail.com.

ANNE JOHNSTON

Anne is a pastel and oil artist, who paints landscapes and seascapes of New Brunswick and Maine. She especially enjoys painting the seacoast, fields, hills and any body of water of the area. She attended the Montreal School of Art and Design, and the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in Halifax. She has taken workshops in watercolor with Toni Onley and Chincook Tan, pastel with Michael Chesley Johnson, and Doug Dawson. She has illustrated books and taught art, craft, and nature courses for children and adults.

In part her philosophy has been developed through a combination of experiences including piloting her aircraft, sailing the Bay of Fundy and coast of Maine, backpacking in the mountains of north America, Asia and Europe including the Himalayas.

Although Anne has lived in other towns and cities she lives now on the family farm in the house built by her 3x great grandparents in 1800, enjoying her field, forest, brook and all the animals who she shares the land with.
Anne says, “It is the natural world that continues to amaze and inspire me, and send me into the fields and down coastal roads. The exploration of my art has been a process of sensing the deeper meaning of nature with the emotions and vivid insights it brings to me. It is an endless exploration of color, texture and form. My art explores light, textures and patterns in the landscape and seascapes, the relation between land and water, space between waves. Oil paints and as large a brush as I can use for any particular subject give me the texture with which to accomplish this.”

Anne’s email address is anniepaints@xplornet.com.

ART MACKAY

Art is a graphic designer, artist and commercial illustrator from the ‘old school’. He lives in Bocabek, NB and has tons of early works that are now on the market, and many more in the ‘file cabinet’ that he hopes to bring to light soon.

Art is enjoying the move over to digital programs, and marveling at the new life it gives to some of his old drawings and paintings.

His email address is artmackay@bayoffundy.ca.

BETH REICKER

Beth lives in Hampton, N.B. and has been coming to Grand Manan for over 40 years to enjoy hiking and photography.

Beth says, “Watercolor and acrylic painting are passions of mine – with my challenge always being to create something of beauty that people will actually stop to look at. Luckily, I can count many of the people from Grand Manan as my friends and thanks to their encouragement I have started to show a bit of my work. To quote EDGAR DEGAS and to sum up; Art is not what you see, but what you make others see. This is my goal as an artist.”

Beth’s email address is bethreicker@gmail.com.

BILL SCHWARZ, SCA

Bill graduated with a Doctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Toronto in 1966, and was admitted to the Law Society of Upper Canada in 1968. Born and raised for the first seventeen years of his life in Regina and Tyvan, Saskatchewan, he won his first colouring contest at the age of five! This burst of glory was interrupted for fifty years by school and his law practice. However, genius can never be suppressed!

His smouldering interest in art was re-kindled in 1997 when his wife, Nancy, suggested they take an art course. In the pursuit of excellence his artistic skills were developed at the Ontario College of Art and Design, the Dundas Valley School of Art, the Homer Watson House & Gallery, the Cambridge Library and Gallery, the Georgian Bay School of Art, the Fallbrook School of Art, and by attending artists’ workshops and painting trips in Canada, the United States, Mexico and Europe. Bill carries on an active law practice in Cambridge, Ontario with PSH Lawyers.

Artist Statement: Art helps me find the balance to what I was trained to do, what I want to do and what I see around me. As a lawyer, I am trained to look at facts, to study detail to find the core of an issue. Often in my practice, what may appear simple may be infinitely more complex. W ith my art, I want to do the opposite. The world around me – landscape, architecture, people – is a complexity of planes, texture and subtlety of colour. I want to make this intricacy simple. I feel that my art is a quest to find a balance between the detail I am trained to find and the simplicity I want to achieve.

I have a personal and abiding interest in the urban landscape. This means architecture of all sorts, from buildings and boats to vehicles or machinery. I am fascinated by the effect that nature has on this architecture . . . weathering it or breaking it down to give it a unique character. I am captivated by the idea that when architecture is new it looks essentially the same as any other architecture in the same category . . . it is time that gives it its unique quality and characteristics.

To view more of Bill’s work, go to his website (www.kirkwoodwagnergallery.com).

BRENDA RAYNER

Grand Manan born and bred, Brenda enjoyed a hairdressing career for 32 years, and then decided to take on the challenge of schoolbus driver. Her intention was to be a part-time driver until a chance at full time presented itself and now, 17 years later, still find myself enjoying children and driving them back and forth to school each day.

About a year ago, Brenda joined an art class that was being offered on Grand Manan. She says, “I am a novice , but I have totally fallen in love with painting. I love watercolor art, so it is my medium of choice; however, I find it very challenging. I also love photography, especially birds, so I look forward to spending many more hours in the foreseeable future chasing birds, or set up in my little art room painting. So much to look forward to!”

Brenda’s email address is brayner194@gmail.com.

CHARLIE SAVEDOFF

Charlie was born and raised on Long Island, New York. Little did he know that an intensive Outward Bound course in the San Juan wilderness area of Colorado would change his life — but it did.

He left Long Island and moved to British Columbia, Canada. Attracted by the beauty of Vancouver and the wilderness of Western Canada, Charlie began his career and family. A colourful resume, Charlie’s career spans many sectors. He worked as an executive in an engineering firm specializing in waste energy recovery systems. He founded a company that optimized lime kilns, he invested in and bred race horses, dabbled in food and beverage opening Vancouver’s first leading Sushi restaurant, and was the founder of a luxurious woolen company that designed and manufactured blankets and clothing in Vancouver.

Retired, Charlie and his wife Deborah live in a seaside stone cottage on Grand Manan Island, New Brunswick, Canada.

Charlie has exhibited his work in Portland, Maine and Grand Manan Island. His art is enjoyed in private collections, world wide, from Israel to Vancouver. In 2014, he was a featured artist in Stone Voices, a quarterly arts magazine published in Maine.

Artist Statement: I believe the unconscious is powerful and can eclipse the conscious imagination. It is always working. What I do is bypass my conscious and express my unconscious feelings as you would in a dream but I do in a kind of meditative state through sketches. I then choose a sketch that I like. The image I get is primitive and resembles the picture you would get from a child’s drawing. What I do that a child doesn’t do is spend time with what I did and delete what doesn’t work or rework it instinctually always trying to simplify.

I have no formal training. There is no striving for effect. I don’t have to learn anything or go through the process of unlearning because I haven’t learned in the first place. What I do then is draw or paint the sketch. I am convinced that what I consciously know is I don’t know anything and that is my starting point. What results if I am lucky is a painting or drawing that evokes a simple honest primal feeling. I want the works to be light, carefree, and evoke feeling like a flower.

In our modern day in day out world people are alienated from the natural world. Either there is no time to reflect on it, there are so many distractions that it doesn’t get reflected on, or both. In most primitive societies people live in a rhythm with the natural world. If you read the writings of Chief Seattle and other native chiefs from years ago when these tribes were intact there is a reverence for nature that is missing in our world. These tribes were responsible stewards of the environment and the earth stayed intact under their watch for many thousands of years. There is a catastrophic price we as a modern society are paying for not being in tune with this. A movement in art that hones in on unconscious feelings/thinking may help to awaken us to the primary and ultimately face up to what truly is important in this life, for example, the survival of our specie and the other species that we share this planet with.

Charlie’s email address is dsavedoff@mac.com and his website is charliesavedoff.com.

DAVID IAIN McDONALD

David was born in Cornwall, Ontario, and spent his career in forestry working across Canada and the northeastern United States. He finished his career teaching forestry in Fredericton, NB, where he now resides.

During the 1980s, David carved and painted working and decorative duck decoys, and he also did some carvings in stone. Many of his decoys are with collectors across North America.

He began painting in 2003, but it was not until 2010 that he began spending a fair portion of his free time in this pursuit. With the exception of a two year hiatus, he has been painting almost full time since retiring in 2013.

David says, “I paint exclusively in oils, originally with a knife although more recently with cloth and brush. My subjects range from still life to landscape to abstract. I have not taken any classes or lessons, but rather enjoy learning through trial and error. I paint purely from imagination. I prefer to paint large format pieces, seldom less than 16” X 20”. When I approach a canvas I have no idea what I am going to paint. I apply paint somewhat randomly until an object or feeling appears on the canvas. I then develop the painting from there. The finished canvas seldom appears as it did in the initial stages.”

Painting allows David a release of emotion. “Dance like nobody is watching” is how he paints. “Often I will compose a verse or poem and write it on the back of the canvas, he says. I write these after the painting is completed. They reflect my thoughts on the painting, or what I felt as it evolved. The verse often provides a further insight into who I am. The act of painting – the success and failure – are often more fulfilling for me than the finished product.”

David’s email address is davidiainmcdonald@gmail.com.

DAVID OGILVIE

David was born and raised on Grand Manan Island, and now lives in London, Ontario where he is an Emeritus Professor of Biology at Western University.

David says, “When I was a teenager, I learned how to develop film and print photos. The first time I saw an image slowly appearing in a tray of developer, I was amazed. It was truly a discovery moment, and I soon came to realize that photography is much more than art and science. Photography is pure magic!”

David maintained an interest in photography as he pursued a career as a scientist and professor. Retirement has provided the opportunity for him to embrace digital imaging, computerized image processing, and the technology to produce archival quality prints on canvas. He believes that the combination of digital photography and artistic canvas is a perfect marriage. He likes variety, and consequently his photos range from traditional landscapes and seascapes to minimalist and abstract images. David says, “I believe that art speaks to us with a powerful silent voice, and my primary objective is to communicate emotions through visual art.”

David’s website is www.davidogilviephotography.ca, and his email is dmogilvie@sympatico.ca.

DAWN OMAN

Dawn is a self taught First Nations Artist, born in Yellowknife, North West Territories. She is a direct descendant of Chief Snuff of the Yellow Knifes, one of the signers of the original Treaty 8 with the Government of Canada.

Dawn’s work is characterized by vibrant colours and a playful spirit. She has devoted herself to painting full time, and she opened her first gallery in Yellowknife in 1999. There have been many highlights in Dawn’s career. She designed the corporate logo for Canadian North Airlines, and in 2003, the Royal Canadian Mint chose one of her designs for the Festivals of Canada series fifty cent coin collection. Four of Dawn’s designs were selected for the UNICEF International Card program. Dawn was the first female Canadian Native Artist to design the poster for the International Standards Organization. The Vatican chose her art for one of their official Christmas cards. The Coca Cola Company commissioned Dawn to paint one of their six foot bottles that were displayed at various locations throughout the grounds of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. The Canadian Consulate General chose Dawn’s work to be on their 2016 Christmas card.

In 2010 Dawn moved to the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia where she opened her gallery in Annapolis Royal. She has now opened her new Dawn Oman Art Gallery in a decommissioned United Church building in Bridgetown, NS. The church’s stained glass windows, and Dawn’s vibrant artwork compliment each other beautifully, and there is an intimate concert facility in the former sanctuary.

Further renovations will provide vacation rental accommodations, or accommodations for recording artists who wish to utilize the fabulous acoustics of the sanctuary.

Contact information: Dawn Oman Art, 298 Granville Street, PO Box 369, Bridgetown, NS, B0S 1C0, phone 902 588-2002. Dawn’s email address is dawnoman@gmail.com, and you can view work on her website at www.dawnomanart.com.

DEB PERRY

Deb lives in Saint John, and she paints blissfully in her cottage at woods edge with her honey and three opinionated cats. She draws her inspiration from nature, gardens and seaside vistas. A versatile artist, her first love is watercolour although she also enjoys vibrant forays with brush and palette knife on canvas or wood. Fans of her work cite her choice of rich, deep hues in acrylics and subtle nuance in her watercolour as strengths. Of Deb’s paintings, it has often been said that people buy them because the images are happy ones.

Deb welcomes commissions and strives to bring smiles to her patrons.

Her email address is hatetoast@hotmail.com.

DEBB FERRIS BATES

Debb is a New Brunswick artist who has lived in Fredericton since 1986. She started a graphic design business in 1987, and she has been Artist in Residence for the New Brunswick Sports Hall of Fame since 2012. Her work exhibits a touch of realism as she captures likenesses and expressions of the people and animals she portrays. She works in oils but recently has begun exploring graphite, charcoal, and pastels.

Debb’s years of experience as a sign painter has given her the skills, confidence, and dexterity which she now brings to fine art. Her goal is not only to capture the appearance of her subjects, but to further show their true essence.

She is inspired by the people and animals she encounters in daily life. She approaches her subjects with the hope of captivating her viewers and leaving them optimistic. Debb says, “If I could not paint, I could not breathe.”

Debb lives at 840 McLeod Hill Road, Fredericton, NB, E3G 6J4. Her phone number is 506-452-7884, her email address is debbsart5@gmail.com, and you can visit her website at http://dfbart.com.

DEBORAH UPTON SAVEDOFF

Deborah moved to Grand Manan Island, from Vancouver, over 10 years ago. She loves picking up her camera and shooting at home and on her travels. She translates everyday scenes, people and objects in her work highlighting texture, the abstract, gesture, and poetic composition.

Deborah has attended courses at the Vancouver Photo Workshops, but is largely self-trained.

Her email address is dsavedoff@mac.com.

ELIZA MAKER

Eliza is twelve years old, and lives in Deep Cove, Grand Manan. She has been doing photography for three years now, and during this time she has also been a regular contributor to the Square Foot Show and the Island Art show at the Grand Manan Art Gallery.

Eliza and her grandmother Elaine haven’t missed an exhibit at the gallery in two years, and they hope to be able to continue visiting the galley again soon.

Eliza’a email address is Eliza.p.maker@gmail.com.

ERICA NAZZARO

Erica is a painter based out of Merrimack Valley of Massachusetts. She deals with complex landscapes by using simple strokes and unique color choices. Erica combines watercolor, pastel, and ink line.

Erica has won an artist’s residency in the Dunes of Provincetown, as well as a painting award from the City of Boston.

She shows her work in the South End of Boston, Milton, Concord, Dorchester, and internationally in Cuba and Italy.

Erica’s email address is ericanazzaro@gmail.com, and her website is www.EricaSnazzaro.com.

FRANK HAVEMAN

Frank is a graduate of the Ontario College of Art (OCAD University). He worked as a Graphic Designer for Domtar, and the Canadian Government Exhibition Commission. From 1971 to 2001 he served as Art Director/Visual Evalgelist with Nortel Networks.

Frank has previously exhibited his work at the Grant Gallery in Winnipeg, and he had a solo show at the Grand Manan Art Gallery in 2018. His work is inspired by events, surroundings and social dialogue translated into spatial divisions and colour. He has participated in the Gallery’s Square Foot Show for several years, and he enjoys the challenge of working within the confines of one square foot. His paintings are acrylic on board, and they all measure 12 x 12 inches. Their ready-to-hang price is $150, plus shipping and handling.

Frank’s address is 10 Hobbs Avenue , Ottawa, ON K2H6W9. His email address is fhaveman@sympatico.ca, and his phone number is 613 828-8724. (Self Portrait, right).

HEATHER BROWN

Heather grew up in Fredericton, where she enjoyed high school art classes, followed by Art education courses at UNB. Through high school and university, she took part in local markets and craft shows, selling toys and dolls that she had made. She says, “It felt good to not only finance my education, but to meet and be mentored by local craftspeople and artisans.”

Following her BEd, Heather received her diploma in Guidance Counselling. Not too long after that, she started teaching on Grand Manan, and just recently retired. She now works as a Life Coach, and offers art therapy classes.
Throughout her career, Heather always found time to create. This included, but was not limited to, writing and blogging, drawing, sewing, quilting, knitting, scrapbooking and card-making. She has welcomed this new season, as a chance to explore more mediums and create even more.

“My days at local markets continue on the island, and I’ve been so blessed to be reunited with Carole Forbes, from our early Fredericton market days. Carole has been such an encouragement to me to take my own art more seriously, and continue my creative journey as life-long learner. I’ve challenged myself to pen and ink, Inktense, watercolour and acrylic.”

“Grand Manan is such a beautiful place to live, and a constant source of inspiration. I’m constantly amazed by God’s canvas of the early morning sunrises at Swallowtail, to the tranquil beaches of Stanley’s and the Anchorage and to the rugged cliffs of Dark Harbour. How blessed are we?!”

“When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, ‘I used everything you gave me.” -Erma Bombeck

Heather has a blog at https://beingstillnow.wordpress.com/, and her email address is chocoholic1265@yahoo.ca.

JAMES J SULLIVAN

Since he was a teenager in Houston, Texas, James has been lugging his cameras around. He and his camera immigrated to Canada in 1982, and since then he has lived in Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Oaxaca, Mexico. Currently, he lives in Guelph, Ontario with his wife, Linda, and their dog, ‘Donkey Hoetay’. James and Linda were volunteer lighthouse keepers at Swallowtail in 2019, camera in hand.

James was privileged to have one of his photographs of Swallowtail selected to be on a Canadian postage stamp issued early in 2020.

His email address is jjsconsulting@gmail.com, and his phone number is 902-233-6657.

JANICE NAVES

Janice was born on Grand Manan, and has lived there all her life. She started quilting with her mother-in-law, she has been knitting since grade school, and a friend introduced her to rug hooking.

Janice says, “I love the nautical themes, and options to use your imagination in all of these hobbies.”

Janice’s email address is jnaves902@gmail.com.

JENNIFER HINRICHS, SCA

Born in Glasgow, Scotland, I was educated in Toronto, studying graphic design, drawing and painting at Central Technical School’s three year Diploma of Art program. While working for several years as an art director in advertising and publishing, I designed various leading national magazines. For over twenty years I have been exhibiting my work at Toronto galleries such as RedEye in the Distillery District, the Market Gallery, the John B. Aird Gallery and White Wall North, as well as the Grand Manan Island Art Gallery. Two of my paintings in this exhibition, “Island Boys” and “Girl at Seal Cove”, were inspired by the always treasured time on the island.

My paintings are represented in collections internationally, including the Masterworks Museum of Bermuda Art, Hamilton, Bermuda. For the past fifteen years I have been an instructor of drawing and painting at the Avenue Road Arts School, Toronto, and for the past nine summers I have taught landscape painting on Grand Manan Island. Sharing knowledge through the pleasure of teaching has always been an important factor and complimentary to my own studio practice.

My art practice includes three main areas of interest – drawing and painting directly from the model, plein-air landscape painting, and narrative/figurative painting inspired by photographic images. My work focuses on the use of strong underlying structure and colour to support figures and images that evoke memory and emotion. I use a variety of mediums including acrylic, pastel, charcoal and graphite to express the essence of my subject. I like to interpret freely from my source material, yet my paintings and drawings are always based in realism. Connecting with others through the medium of paint is what I love to do.

Jennifer’s email address is j.hinrichsdesign@gmail.com, and her phone number is 416-425-7242.

JOAN INGALLS

I’m a life long resident of Grand Manan and although I appreciate the beauty of the sea around me, I’m a person of the land. I love to garden and look after my laying hens. Several years ago I took a sketching, Inktense class from Carole Forbes. In my busy life I never had time to really pursue it. Six years ago I was
diagnosed with an incurable disease that changed my life. Although that sounds tragic I have been very happy since the initial diagnosis.

After deciding not to spend the next 20 years being depressed and useless I dug out my sketch book. Painting has become one of the most important things in my life. I become immersed in each picture, following its lead as it develops. I also love writing poetry and I am currently writing and illustrating a
children’s story for my seven grandchildren. Writing is enjoyable but painting is my passion.

Joan’s email address is ringalls@nbnet.nb.ca.

JOHN DRAPER

John Draper is a photographer living in Fredericton, New Brunswick. His background is in traditional photography and darkroom work. Before branching out on his own, John spent time as a printer in a professional photo lab, as well as working as a photographer for several companies.

Several years ago John discovered the joys of the digital world. He graduated from the Digital Communications program at NBCC and was then a founding partner of The Pixel Factory which for several years was the poster child for NB’s fledgling high tech industry.

John’s aim is to provide the best possible service to his clients. Sometimes that means a straight forward photo shoot, and at other times it involves digital manipulation of images to produce the best possible effect.
Some wet darkroom traditionalists are opposed to the manipulation of images in the computer, but John says, “I see little or no difference between what I do now on the computer, and what I used to do while making custom prints in a traditional wet darkroom. In both cases the end result was the best final
image possible . The only difference now is that the tools are better.”

John’s email address is johndra@hotmail.com.

JOHN EDWARDS

John Edwards has been an active photographer for over 10 years. He began to follow this interest when he and his wife, Alexis, became summer (and fall) residents of Grand Manan.

John has shown his work on Grand Manan and in Charleston, South Carolina. He is the current President of the Grand Manan Art Gallery and one of the “art show hangers” at the gallery. John was a co-founder and co-owner of the Daniel Island Pop Up Art Gallery for three seasons.

In addition to his interest in photography, John has participated in a number of community organizations: Grand Manan Rotary (President, 2018), Mananook Masonic Lodge-member (Grand Manan), Meals on Wheels (Driver/Deliverer), Center for Creative Retirement (active participant), Great Decisions Discussion Group (active participant), Grand Manan Tourism (member Board of Directors), NYSCOSS (New York State Council of School Superintendents) retired member.

John says, “While having a great deal of difficulty drawing a straight line, I have no problems with touching the shutter symbol on an i-Phone. It is this ‘comfortability’ factor that provides me with the motivation to make permanent some of the truly wonderful sights that come and go as I (“we” when I’m
with Alexis) walk through woods, along sandy beaches, and in plain everyday places. I have captured a number of such ‘sights’ and feel that placing them on canvas or metal brings out a depth of feeling that photographs alone cannot provide.

John’s email address is johnwedwards1@icloud.com.

JOHN O’DONNELL

John, whose passion for taking pictures began on a trip to Italy in 2006, is largely self taught in the art of photography. Most of his photos take inspiration from the daily goings-on, and the natural beauty surrounding both his home in Vermont, and his summer home on Grand Manan.

Relatively new to the world of photography, John spent most of his previous adult life teaching physics at Vermont Technical College, coaching baseball and hockey, and raising a family in Central Vermont.

Though John has multiple ties to the Maritimes, he didn’t discover Grand Manan until the winter of 2007. One trip was all it took to decide it was the place to buy a home by the sea. It was on Grand Manan that John developed a keen interest in birds, aquatic mammals, the patterns of the waves, and the beauty in barnacles, all common subjects in John’s photographs. While John loves capturing the play of fog or light on local landscapes, he also delights in discovering the magic of the minutiae in things like tide pools or wildflowers.

John says, “I have a printer, mat cutter, and frame making equipment. This allows me to produce a custom order for anyone who may be interested in buying a print only, a matted print with no frame, or a framed print. The “matting and frame” is done with power point and size and colors can be changed. Also the print can sized (e.g. 5×7, 8×10,etc.) I’m quite happy to be flexible with what to offer or keep it simple.”

John’s email address is jodonnel@vtc.edu.

KATERYNA KRYVOLAP

Kateryna is an artist originally from Ukraine who now makes her home on Grand Manan Island in New Brunswick. She was raised and educated in an artistic family where she found her passion for fine art which was being passed from generation to generation.

Kateryna creates fine art of various styles, and her inspiration most commonly comes from Petrykivka, the ancient Ukrainian decorative folk art which is included in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO. The Petrykivka technique is unique due to the extensive use of fine-tipped brushes made of cat fur.

Kateryna’s paintings are composed of numerous elements which reflect the spirit of the Ukrainian soul. Birds, flowers, and guelder-roses represent happiness, health and wealth. Her positive mood and powerful energy are transferred through her artwork to customers and collectors in Canada, the United States, France, Italy, Switzerland, Greece, Germany, and the Ukraine.

Kateryna regularly participates in international exhibitions throughout Europe and North America.

Her website is www.kryvolap.ca.

MARILEE and DANIEL JOHN (DJ) VAN NICE

Marilee lives in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and has been spending summers on Grand Manan with family all her life. Her art is inspired by the natural beauty of the island, and the peace it brings as an escape from her busy life as a school teacher. Marilee’s email address is mclintockm@hotmail.com.

Marilee’s son DJ has spent summers on Grand Manan with family since he was born. His sunset photo was taken with a GoPro Session camera during a father-son canoe trip in Quetico Provincial Park, Ontario, in June 2019. It was inspired by the natural beauty of the sky that evening, and the satisfaction derived from a hard day’s paddling, a full belly and a brief respite from the mosquitos.

DJ’s email address is djcr3ates@gmail.com.

MARINA VERN

Marina is the owner-operator of Marina Vern Collectibles, a family-friendly, studio and gift shop on Grand Manan Island that features handmade, visual art.

Marina says, “I was not born on Grand Manan, but now I call Grand Manan my home”! Island life and its people, fishermen and hard-working women, the Bay of Fundy and beauty of the island influence my work! Fellow islanders support me immensely and make me want to create more and get better at it!”

Marina’s email address is marina_vern@hotmail.com. You can see her work on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MarinaVernCollectibles; and https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/WisperOn.

MARTHA EATON

Calling herself a ‘Come From Away . . . with an edge’, Martha traces her ancestors back to Grand Manan. Born and raised in New England, she and her family immigrated to Canada in 1975, and she continued her teaching career in King’s County, N.B. After retiring in 2002, she and her husband spent four years teaching English near Beijing, China. They moved to Grand Manan in 2007.

In the mid-90’s Martha joined the KV Quilt Guild in Quispamsis, NB, and began quilting in earnest. She is self-taught. Though her quilts are generally quite traditional, she focuses on using traditional blocks in original settings utilizing scraps from past projects.

With her love of bright colours, her recent work tends toward the ‘Modern Quilt Movement.’ Her quilts can be found in homes of friends in China, Europe, and across North America. Martha is a founding member of the Tidal Threads Quilt and Needlework Guild on Grand Manan.

Martha’s email address is meegm08@yahoo.com.

MARTHA JOHNSON

Martha has a BA in Fine Art from the University of Guelph. Over thirty years working as a visual artist, Martha has produced drawings, paintings, sculptures and installations. She has designed sets and costumes for Canadian Stage Company, Necessary Angel Theatre Company and Desrossier Dance Theatre. As a founding member of Figure x 4, the Artist Group initiated annual figurative exhibitions featured in tandem with dance.

Martha’s installation work includes an 80 regional mural in the Bookshelf Cafe, Guelph On. An important continuing body of work, Survey the Valley, focuses on the animals found in the Don River ecosystem. When Martha began this body of work she had no idea that she was connecting to the legacy of Naturalist, Earnest Thomson Seaton. It was at this point she began to create her ephemeral wire sculpture forms.

She teaches painting at the Avenue Road Arts School in Toronto and Grand Manan New Brunswick in the summer. Martha also helped found Ensemble, assisting emerging artists develop exhibition experience. She is the Gallerist at White Wall North.

Martha’s email is marthajohmson@rogers.com. Her website is www.marthajohnson.ca.

MARY HAWKINS

Mary was born in North York, Ontario where she lived and worked as an educator until she, literally and figuratively, saw the light and moved to Grand Manan, New Brunswick.

Although she has attempted a few water colour paintings her life-long love of yarn and fabric is too great a distraction.

Mary was taught to knit by her mother and after earning her Girl Guide Knitter’s badge was seldom without a knitting project. She is grateful to be living at a time of a resurgence of interest in hand dyed yarns with local producers offering gorgeous selections of colours and textures. Her introduction to quilting came later when a friend told her of a local shop she might find interesting. The shop had quilt samples all over the walls. Mary was smitten and uttered the fateful question, “Do you think I could learn to do that?”

Mary’s training as an educator has come in handy as she has taught classes in both knitting and quilting, happily sharing her passion for beautiful yarn and fabric with others.

Mary’s email address is mhawkins45@yahoo.ca.

MICHAEL STEINHAUSER

Michael Steinhauser, born in Brooklyn, New York, and working in Toronto, has been drawing and painting since he was twelve years old. As a teenager, he studied oil painting in a studio in Brooklyn. After an academic career in the United States, Europe and Canada, he returned to being an active artist. He undertook further studies in the area of Classical Realism, studying at the Toronto School of Art, The Palette & Chisel in Chicago and with David Leffel of the Art Student League. He was artist in residence at the Masterworks Foundation, Bermuda and at the International School of Painting, Drawing, and Sculpture in Montecastello di Vibio, Italy.

Michael has always been fascinated with the vivid reality portrayed by the Ashcan Artists. This led him to paint cityscapes that draw viewers into the urban beauty of simple street scenes and the people that inhabit them. His interest in everyday objects and the predominant role they play in our lives led him to paint series of oil on canvas still lifes. He enjoys working out of the formal classical tradition and linking that tradition with the present.

Michael’s drawings and paintings are in private and corporate collections across North America and Bermuda. They include urban scenes, landscapes, seascapes and commissioned portraits.

His email address is m.steinhauser@utoronto.ca. His phone number is 416 424-1207. (Self Portrait, right).

M.J. EDWARDS

MJ is a multi-disciplinary artist with degrees in English Literature (Mount Allison , 1984), Interdisciplinary Fine Arts (NSCAD University, 2007), and Education (UNB, 2009). She grew up in Kingston, Ontario, and spent her childhood summers on Grand Manan where she has lived full-time since 2007.

MJ says, “Living in the woods overlooking Whale Cove, I find the daily reality of being surrounded by the natural world, with its processes of growth and decay, where land meets sea, strongly influences the subject matter of my art. My work as a museum director and curator and my background in literature also keep me mindful of the passage of time and processes of narrative construction. These and other preoccupations and concerns show up in my art, whether it be in my ink drawings, my documentary photography, my digital montage photography, or my encaustic, oil and cold wax, or acrylic mixed-media paintings. I am curious on many levels and cannot contain myself to one subject, one medium, or one point of view. Life is too complex for that and demands more than one way to delve beneath the surface of the multitude of ideas or feelings that keep arising.”

MJ’s encaustic paintings often incorporate scraps of old documents, photographs, steel engravings, flowers and other flotsam, ephemera and detritus of daily walks, as she creates imaginary landscapes, constructs new narratives, or explores the medium’s sculptural and textural possibilities. In recent years, she has also been painting in oil and cold wax and acrylic mixed media, creating paintings that explore the passage of time, transience, surface texture, space, and place.

Although she began her artistic explorations more than 20 years ago with a 34 mm Nikon camera and macro, wide angle and telephoto lenses, her more recent photography is digital and explores photographic montage, narrative construction, memory and nostalgia, and the built and natural environments.

She has exhibited her paintings, ink drawings, prints and photographs at galleries, libraries and museums in Kingston, Halifax, Saint John, Fredericton, Hampton, St. Andrews and on Grand Manan Island. Two portfolios of her encaustic mixed media paintings and digital photography have been published in the Still Point Arts Quarterly (Shanti Arts, Brunswick, Maine), and she has been featured in seven of their quarterly publications since the Winter 2016, Issue No. 24, and she received both an Award of Distinction and a Best in Show for digital photography submissions.

Work in various media can be viewed on her website (www.mjedwards.ca), at her Rocky Corner Studio on Grand Manan, and on Facebook at Rocky Corner Studio. She is currently represented by The Gallery on Queen in Fredericton. Her email address is mjedwards454@gmail.com.

MORAG WALSH

Morag arrived in New Brunswick from Scotland in 1970, after marrying a Charlotte County man. Since then she has lived within sight of the Bay of Fundy, an ever changing view which has been the inspiration for many of her works.

In addition to sea and landscapes, Morag enjoys painting flowers, pets and still life subjects. She has taken workshops with many well known Maritime artists, but is primarily self taught. She has worked in various media, but enjoys the challenges of watercolour most of all.

Morag has participated in many local art shows. Some of her work can be found in the “ Serendipin’ Arts” gallery in Saint Andrews.

Morag’s email address is moragwalsh16@gmail.com, and her website is www.moragwalsh.com.

PENELOPE PATRICK

I am never sure what it is I am going to draw or paint! There are times when I see some thing, some one or some place that I just have to try to capture on paper or canvas.

I have been painting for the past 8 years and have been fortunate enough to learn from some wonderful teachers, inspiring artists and very talented models. I started out working with chalk pastels doing life drawings then moved along to painting with oils and now acrylics, sometimes incorporating charcoal. It is important to me that my paintings reflect how I feel about the subject matter, and that people connect in an individual and personal way with the painting.

Recently I have been experimenting . . . working with different materials and on different surfaces. I enjoy painting on variety of paper surfaces and my focus has been on the light. Incorporating florescent paints into my palette has given me exciting results.

I have also brought figurative drawings back into my work as I am interested in creating an emotional response. It is my hope that when looking at my paintings, you will feel a connection, perhaps with an experience or time in your life, and that you will take a moment to reflect on that personal connection.

I work in my studio at my home address in Picton and you can call to come and see my work anytime. My studio is open most weekends. I am on the Prince Edward County Studio Tour each year, and my work has been shown at Arts On Main Gallery as well as Portabella Bistro in Picton, Gallery 121in Belleville, and is presently shown in Sidestreet Gallery in Wellington, ON.

Penelope lives at 12566 Loyalist Parkway in Picton, ON K0K 2T0, phone 613 476-7416, or cell: 613 503-2338, email: pmpatrick5@gmail.com; Instagram: patrick.penelope.

PRISCILLA SQUIER

Priscilla is an artist with an eclectic background. Her first introduction to art was through her father, who was a portrait painter. When she was in her teens a local photographer gave her a pile of prints and some oil paints. She practiced, and when he thought she was good enough he brought her piles more 8X10 photos of students, who were graduating school. It was pretty good money then, and it didn’t cut into her social life too much. Priscilla was considered a photographic artist for many years. The money helped her earn a college degree, and she didn’t have to leave home when her children were young.

Priscilla says, “I started painting years later. My first medium was pastel which I truly loved for its softness and brilliance. However, pastel is easily damaged, so it has to be handled and stored carefully. I decided to try oils and found that medium had different qualities that I loved. The viscosity of the paint was exciting to work with, and if fresh insights occurred it was easy to paint over, also it was easier to transport.. Pastel had to be under glass when framed. Oil paintings were lighter and less fragile. At some point since I travel quite a lot, it became clear that sometimes oils were problematic because of the drying time. So I began using acrylic. I found it too had qualities I liked. The fact that it doesn’t smell of linseed oil and turpentine is a plus.”

“For me the joy of painting, my art of choice, is in the making. I am working with design, texture, color, light and composition. I love nature. Painting is a way of enhancing my experience with the natural world. Images are a way of capturing a moment in time. It is my way of sharing that moment with you.”

Priscilla’s email address is priscillasquier@comcast.net.

ROBIN RIER

Robin lives on the coast in Jonesport, Maine. The scenery provides endless opportunities for interpretation. “Working on location is an invigorating and engaging experience. The challenge to paint quickly before the light changes or the tide comes in presents a situation where I must look hard, see, figure out my approach and apply paint to the canvas. The process requires concentration and attention. Decisions are constantly being made – composition, color, brushwork, do I need to change something? I remind myself to breathe and have fun. Nature is complex yet joyful and ever changing, therein lies the difficulty to be at ease all of the time. I allow myself to laugh. When my paintings transport a viewer to a new or forgotten place, or evoke a feeling, a thought, this is my bonus.”

Robin’s oil paintings carry a unique quality of color and peacefulness, and often result in a record of places gone by.

Robin moved to Eastport, Maine in 1979 where she completed a two-year wooden boat building and design course. Her eye for detail developed along with an appreciation for the majestic beauty of eastern Maine. She married, had a family and owned and operated a bed and breakfast in Machias.

Robin returned to university and graduated in 2002 from the University of Maine at Machias earning a B.A. in Interdisciplinary Fine Arts with a concentration on Visual Arts. It was here that she rekindled her love of drawing, painting, sculpting and art history.Robin has studied plein air painting with artist Sharon Yates, in New Brunswick, Canada. She has taken various plein air painting workshops with Robert Beck, Colin Page, and Barry Coombs.Her work has shown at galleries, juried outdoor settings, and scheduled open studio hours. An exhibitor with the Woodwind Gallery in Machias, and she has also shown with the Maine Farmland Trust Gallery in Belfast, and Schooner Art Gallery in Milbridge, Maine.

Robin’s email address is robin@robinrier.com, and her website is www.robinrier.com/j/.

SARA GRIFFIN

Sara is originally from Grand Manan Island, NB. She received a degree in Fine Arts from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, and an Education degree with specialization in Art Education from the University of New Brunswick.
Sara has carved marble in Italy, printed lithographs in British Columbia, taught English in Japan, and exhibited and curated exhibitions and learning programs in eastern Canada. She has been studio manager for several mural projects, served on the Board of Directors of Third Space Gallery, and acted as Executive Director of ArtsLink NB.
Sara now lives and works as an art educator and visual artist on Grand Manan, NB. In addition to teaching art at the Grand Manan Community School, she recently completed a large mural at the Grand Manan Museum.

Her paintings explore place and time, and illuminate the boundaries of seen and unseen experience. Inspiration for these visual works come from the artist’s personal heritage, old family photographs, and the rhythm of the Bay of Fundy tides.

Sara’s email address is sara.griffin79@gmail.com.