The Dancers in the Rhythm and the Storm: Sorya Gopalan

Opening on Thursday, 29th October 2009, 7.00pm to 10.00pm is the new show of Sorya Gopalan: "The Dancers in the Rhythm and the Storm", acrylic on canvas. Dancers from around the world have influenced Sorya's latest group of work and the result is an abstract style of figurative painting. Ms. Gopalan translates the movement of the dance to these large scale canvases.

Sorya Gopalan was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, moved to Montreal at age 15 yrs. and began painting whilst working on her Master's degree in Toronto. Ms. Gopalan now lives in Ottawa and paints full time.

Squigs and Doo-Wops ending 6.00pm 28th Oct. 2009

Here are some images of the show that will
be leaving Wednesday evening.

Sunday: 10.00am to 5.00pm
Closed Mon. Tues.
Wednesday: 11.00am to 6.00pm

"Squigs and Doo-Wops", mixed media by Ted Willis

"Squigs and Doo-Wops" mixed media on canvas by Ted Willis

Opening: (Party and beginning of sale) 7.00pm to 10.00pm, Friday 16th October 2009.

Short walk the talk at 8.30pm, with Q and A, Teddy bares all!

Ted Willis, who hails originally from California, brings the passion and urgency of big, breaking colour. Think "Surf's up, in Magicolor!!"

Quote from the artist: "I am less interested in commenting on the world than I am in making a complex and challenging visual experience, with a touch of humour. The "Squigs" are a re-invention of Abstract Expressionism - graffitti by Twombly and Pollock. As for the "Doo-Wops"; think "Miro, Arp and Noguchi meet the Jetson's".

Running until Wednesday 28th October.

See these images and below for John Benn's show

Here are some more images that would not fit in the preceding post, come by...

Coming to a Close "A Year in the Woods"

The collection of the show will be breaking up at the close of Tuesday, 13th October.
Twenty-four of the original thirty-nine remain.
Some comments:

"Being here is like being in the woods...so calming, quiet."

"Where did you paint that one, John? They look just like the woods where my father and I used to walk..."

"...ooh, these two are like Old Masters..."

"A Year in the Woods", oils 'en plein air' by John Benn

On Thursday, October 1st, 6.00pm to 9.00pm we are hosting the opening for John Benn's ambitious project: "A Year in the Woods". I met John in the mid seventies, when he was best known for his beautiful (and masterful) etchings. In fact, I remember spending the entire take of my 1975 show and going to find John in Toronto and making my first (for me major) purchase!

Here we all are in 2009 and this is a great show. John Benn will be giving a talk with question and answer at 7.30pm. I will let the artist explain:

"On the 27th July 2008 I sat down in the woods to paint, deliberately choosing an unprepossessing area so as to challenge and hone my abilities and not mask my deficiencies with mere content.

My plan was to continue, weather permitting, for one full year.
N.B. At minus 17 Celsius, oil paint becomes exceedingly stiff and difficult to work.

The year is over, but I find myself still going there to paint.
The more I look, the more I see and what I see in these simple woods is so beautiful, so very beautiful and staggeringly difficult to paint.

From that year's work, 36 paintings were chosen for this exhibition."

Erotic Art + Poetry: Benefit this Friday 25th September

I invite you to an Evening of Erotic Art and Poetry: "Uncovered and Unlocked", this Friday,7.00pm to 10.00pm in the upstairs gallery at Snapdragon.

Tickets are $5 and all the money raised from the sale of tickets will go to fight breast cancer.








































"Uncovered" refers to the sculptures in clay, made by Harold Schneider, who is now 91 years old and has had a distinguished career as both a painter and a sculptor. This retrospective, (eros-spective) is an extremely rare chance to purchase these joyful, sensual works that show couples celebrating love, life and each other. These sculptures are of everyday people, suffused with extraordinary passion. Harold Schneider's daughter, Susan Laing, will give a talk about her father's life and work at 8.00pm.



The second part of the title, "Unlocked" is the collection of erotic poems by Rona Shaffran. Rona is Co-Director of the Tree Reading Series reading series, one of the longest running in Canada. Many of these poems have been read at writer festivals, both in Australia and here in Ottawa. As on publisher writes: "a well put together collection...one that captures both the rich depth and sharp edges of relationships".
Rona Shaffran will be reading from her collection "Unlocked" at 8.30pm.

I am posting some whole images and some partial images, as this is an all ages blog. Hope to see you on Friday, 7.00pm to 10.00pm.