Skyscapes by Melissa Bothwell-Inglis at Black Honey
Melissa Bothwell-Inglis has long been creating interesting things. You may know her from repeated displays at the annual Focus Fair that runs each December at the Spill Café.
For this show at Black Honey, Bothwell-Inglis has created a wide array of painted works depicting dreamy hillsides and dramatic skies — all with insightful details the viewer will discover on prolonged inspection. There are stories in these works.
The small pieces, which appear on first glance to be simple in nature, have more detail than is immediately evident.
The larger works are a bold step forward, each with its own charm. Spend some time with these pieces and who knows what you might discover.
The show runs Black Honey Dessert & Coffee House (221 Hunter St. W., Peterborough) until June 17, with a mid-show reception on June 3 from 4 to 6 pm. Come on out and speak to the artist. Mel’s website is at needleandnestdesign.blogspot.ca.
“Follow The Yellow Brick Road” – Artspace 50/50
Another wildly successful Artspace 50/50 has come and gone. The theme for this year’s fundraiser — held on May 25 and 26 — was “Follow The Yellow Brick Road”.
A packed house of scenesters hung on the words of hosts Laurel Paluck and Michael Poulton, who handled the job of the art draw with a certain pizzazz. This was certainly the highlight of the night, with many folks selecting wonderful art from the walls — all donated by local and regional artists.
A range of local restaurants supplied wonderful food, including La Hacienda, the Sapphire Room, The Garnet, Grandfather’s Kitchen, Original Greek, Be Catering, Black Honey, and Parkhill on Hunter.
As well as the art draw, a great number of beautiful pieces were in the silent auction. Profits from all art sales are shared between Artspace and the artists.
If this sounds like it was a fun night … well, it certainly was. Make a mental note to put this creative event on your calendar for next year — it’s the most artful of spring eves.
Artspace is located in Peterborough at 373 Aylmer Street North and on the web at www.artspace-arc.org.
New Oil Paintings by John Climenhage and Peter Rotter at Christensen Fine Art
Local artist John Climenhage’s oils of the countryside, the city, and the lakes that surround it have become his calling card. You’ll often see his roughly hewn, colourful, cloud-driven pieces in a small, compact format.
On display at Christensen’s for the month of June, these dynamic piece are presented in their expanded form — and they are a sight to behold. I have to admit to having a couple in my personal collection, as I’ve been smitten with his work for some time.
Pushing a delicious envelope of abstract reality, Climenhage wrangles reality from some pretty fiery brush strokes.
Also on the bill — and a solid contrast to Climenhage — is Toronto-based artist Peter Rotter. Rotter’s work is also filled with overwhelming skies, paired with an overall feeling of calm. Giant expanses of subtle texture married with perfectly depicted wooded scenes or rocky islands create a lovely dynamic. It’s the light you’ll notice most — the detail and mood are inspiring.
The show runs from May 31 to June 29 at Christensen Fine Art (432 George St. N., Peterborough). For more info, visit www.christensenfineart.com.
“Sea to Surface” by Andreas Rutkauskas and Jessica Auer at Evans Contemporary
Over at Evans Contemporary, we have a show featuring the work of Montreal artists Andreas Rutkauskas and Jessica Auer.
They’re a powerful duo, who bring together their not-dissimilar works to allow us better insight into our natural world. These two artists love the natural world and aim to bring the viewer a new, fresh view through their work.
Here, Rutkauskas’ work is video-based and quite stirring. The entire front room of the gallery is consumed by a projection entitled Oil!. This 10-minute video is enchanting, with its subtle soundscape and quiet rural imagery. Oil! exposes the viewer to a machine, developed in the 1850s, which still draws crude oil from wells near Sarnia, Ontario. What initially appears to be a moving sculpture reveals itself, by the end of the video, to be working away at a real-life task. Check this out, and plan to sit on the floor and take in the whole piece. It’s very low-key and will draw you in.
Auer’s photography work, from her Unmarked Sites series, portrays expansive Newfoundland landscapes that speak to both the rugged earth and the impact of cultural identity and history. These images are editorial in nature, but beautiful in their ability to draw together these sometimes mismatched themes.
The show runs to June 30 at Evans Contemporary (302 Pearl Ave., Peterborough). You can read more about the exhibition at www.evanscontemporary.com.
All photos by Jeff Macklin except where noted.
