Pat Service

Return - bright, colorful, minimalist, abstracted landscape, acrylic on canvas

2004

The diaphanous spirit of a bird rises into a brightening sky in this inspired composition by Otto Donald Rogers. Rogers paintings, rooted in a cubist-constructivist tradition, explor...

Above the Beach No 5 is a part of a series in which Rick Rivet is probing the environmental crisis in Arctic regions. The polar territories of Canada are under serious and imminent threat resulting from pollution, global warming, and poor resource management. Sport hunting is depleting animal resources that local populations need to survive, global warming is melting the polar icecaps threatening polar bear populations, and lead pollution is resulting in poisonous biomagnification levels in some sea animals while plastic pollution is trapping and suffocating others. The major degradative pollution began in the 1950s from nuclear testing which introduced radioactive isotopes produced by nuclear fission into plant and animal life, the effects of which are lethal and long-lasting. The melting resulting from global warming has increased to such a degree that the previously, and notoriously, challenging Northwest passage has opened wide now allowing tourist ships to glide through, further contributing to oil pollution and environmental wear and tear. The red horizon line in Above the Beach No 5 sketching the intersection of the land with the sky demarcates the pollution that is penetrating every pore of our environment. The snaking cream-coloured lines in the foreground indicate the different paths taken, the journeys that were cut short, the short-sighted policies that taxed the land and fell flat leaving no solutions, the hunting paths, the lack of direction and clear vision. Nevertheless, this painting is not about doom it is about hope. The shock of bright green grass edging the bottom is flecked with yellow from the radiating sun. The sun, high in a cold blue arctic sky, is twice hallowed by a glow of white suggesting reverence for its ability to regenerate life and for us to carry forward together if we build a sustainable and long-sighted path together. Richard James Rivet was born in the remote area of Aklavik in the Northwest Territories of Canada in 1949. His early years were spent growing up in the delta in a Metis family which made their living by trapping, hunting and fishing. Of Metis background, Rivet's Indigenous roots, and his experience in growing up in Canada's North, have been important factors in his development as an artist. Since 1989, Rivet has worked fulltime on his artwork, mainly concentrating in acrylic painting, mixed media and collage on canvas, with some drawing. Influences in his artwork are varied and derive from Shamanistic imagery of ancient peoples the world over (North American Indian, Inuit, Australian Aborigine, Norse, Oceanic, Siberian). Equally influential are Western and contemporary influences from various artists and art movements (such as: Edvard Munch, German Expressionism, Abstract Expressionism, Antoni Tapies, and Paterson Ewen...

For Canadian pop artist Charles Pachter, the barn is one of the images that symbolizes his national pride. This vibrant red barn with its classic clean lines stands out against the backdrop of a brilliant blue sky and contrasts with the swatch of a green field in the foreground. The optical illusion of the painted frame on the canvas itself adds even more depth to the scene. Pachter has embraced the barn as a reminder of Canada’s early rural history; a nod to the strength and industriousness of the farming communities that helped shape his country. While Pachter has been much lauded as a pop artist often compared to David Hockney, Andy Warhol and Jim Dine, his charming imagery is distinctly his own. He is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a Chevalier of France’s Ordres des Arts et des Lettres and twice a recipient of the Queen’s Jubilee...

In brilliant yellow, Vancouver artist Pat Service has captured the classic image of a rowboat, moored to a dock. The form is near abstraction as only the outline of the boat in brown...

Calgary’s Aron Hill creates unique, pop art Inspired by the dynamic form and colour of abstract artists like Jack Bush. This piece in acrylic and ink on canvas combines architectural...

BC artist Pat Service spent almost a dozen summers at Professional Artist’s Workshops in Emma Lake Saskatchewan. A series of paintings were inspired by those memories, including seve...

Nichole McDaniel's artistry unfolds as a captivating fusion of contemporary landscapes and abstract compositions, drawing inspiration from both local surroundings and her exploration...

"My work is characterized by forms and lines. The relationship between background and figure is repeated persistently in each of my works. The figure, simple and almost always quadri...

"My work is characterized by forms and lines. The relationship between background and figure is repeated persistently in each of my works. The figure, simple and almost always quadri...

Simon emphasises the simplicity of form and the contemporary interaction between the light with haunting tone and texture combined with emotion. These are a study of low light observ...

Biddy Long is a traditional woman bringing years of bush living and travelling to her painting. Her early life was with other Warlpiri on Mt Doreen cattle station when her family was...

Lily Hargraves Nungarrayi was driven to record and preserve cultural knowledge and traditions, knowing she was fighting against the power of time and the new impeding culture. She lo...