Henry Arifin, Watercolourist

Henry Arifin is from Toronto and he enjoys capturing the scenes of his city in waters.

He paints simply in a loose, wet on wet style and he has an excellent sense of composition and understanding of colour.

Henry writes of his style: "What inspires me most is taking a busy, even chaotic, scene, and organising it into a pleasing, simple pattern of values and colors."

Please click here to be taken to Henry's website.

Frank Haddock

You're More Important Than Me - watercolour

Anyone who loves dog, would surely be captured by the beauty of this work by Frank Haddock. Frank paints with a sensitive hand and a fine brush. And, this work makes the media seems so appropriate to the subject.

The diffusion of light and colour, is soft and it sets the tone for the gentle and patient love of the guide dog for its owner.

There are so many 'little things' which together built to make this an excellent work. Frank uses the power of contrast to make his statement even bigger than life.
The softness of the dog's coat and its gentle sense of forebearance, is enchanced by the contrast of it lying on a hard surface. And there is also the contrast of colours - the honeyed warmth of the dog, contrasted to the cool blue of its back cloth, and the blue of the hard pavement.

Notice too, the intersection of vertical and horizontal lines in the tiles. Frank's subject is pretty much defined within an area, within the picture. And,this defines the area of our focus.

The harness is the link between the dog and its owner. But, it is also our visual link to the animal. The leash runs parallel to the line of the tiles, and then loops into the round form of the dog itself. The leash gives the owner and the viewer a sense of ownership of the subject.

You can check out more of Frank's works by looking at his website by clicking here, or by clicking on his name on the profiled artist's list on the right column.

Kristi Hasson, New Brunswick Floral Artist

AnnaEileen, by Krista Hasson

Krista at work

I was born and raised in Saint John New Brunswick and currently reside in Rothesay, New Brunswick, Canada. I am a realist painter who loves using strong rich color to portray the things I am passionate about.

I find nature as a whole to be an endless supply of inspiration, but with flowers in particular, I am moved by their delicate beauty and mesmerized by their form and vibrant colors. I am inspired to capture their essence in my art.

My interest and talent for art was evident early on. As a child I loved to draw and paint, spending hours creating. I enjoy working with various mediums but work primarily with watercolors and soft pastels. It is my hope that when viewing my work you will find as much joy as I did while creating it.

Krista will appear in the April/May edition of the 'International Artist' magazine. She welcomes you to visit her website by clicking here.

Art as a Metaphor, with picture provided by Frank Haddock.

I see art as a metaphor for the human condition, and Frank Haddock illustrates this superbly with his above painting, "You're More Important Than Me."

We find in this work, love, patience and non conditional love. Qualities which make this guide dog for its visually impaired owner, so endearing. And these same attributes make for lasting and loving human relationships.

Frank, has that capacity as an artist, for closing his lens in on his subject and eliminating extraneous details. This picture is simple - a dog wearing a restraining collar, and a leach, and lying on a sidewalk.

This picture asks all the questions and lets your imagination fill in the answers.

A lovely work.

Please click here to go to Frank's Website.

Fredericks: Now Represented by the Stockdale Mill Gallery

Its the dream of every new painter to one day reach a level in their ability where a gallery accepts their works. Thanks to Bell Byrne, who introduced me to Janet Battaglio, owner of the Stockdale Mill Gallery - I gained an opportunity to present my portfolio for inspection. To my delight Janet selected some 20 paintings.

Stockdale Mill Gallery is located in one of two charming old mills which sit opposite each other,on Cold Creek. One was a sawmill and the other a grist mill. The gallery is in the refurbished grist mill and is located in the hamlet of Stockdale, a few kilometers west of Frankfort, in eastern Ontario. These communities are not too far north of Bellville and Trenton.

The mills are treasured local historical buildings and have been painted and repainted by many, including, as I was told, one of the noted Keirstead family painters.

Its with much appreciation that I take this opportunity to thank both Janet and Bell, Joan Riley (see the right side panel),Maggie Tainsh,Diana Britt, Stephen Snider, and the many others who saw potential in my fumbling fist.

Please click here to be taken to the Stockdale Mills Gallery.

Alex Fong, Watercolourist Supreme

Alex Fong is a rare breed - a succesful artist who makes a living painting "watercolours". Alex makes his home in Kelowna, British Columbia, and his reputation has spread from there throughout his province, and into Alberta and from there across Canada.

And, for those who are familiar with the arts scene - its a tough haul, for anyone to sell pastels, pencil work or watercolours in most of Canada's galleries. And, the reason is fueled by public appetite for acrylics and ois. Which leads to the question, "How can Alex be succesful in such a narrow field?"

Anyone who has seen Alex Fong's work, understands how Alex makes it work for him.

The common lament of most watercolour artists, is that their media doesn't have the same dominant colours as oil paints.

Alex's paintings are crafted with a pallet of brilliant colours. And, not just that, but he possesses the eye of a master in creating delightfully impressionistic works which show his colours at their finest.

Technically, Alex paints on a watercolour board surface, which he says, "has a little tooth, but not a lot." And, his subjects, be they pheasants, or fish, or wine bottles, liberate him to use brilliant colours - often enhanced with a touch of acrylic paint. And, styistically, Alex is noted for painting in a round pattern to draw the viewer's eye into his focal centres. Then, for good measure, he makes his works pop with effervence by playfully scattering masking fluid drops around his works. When he removes the dried masking fluid, white circles suggestive of bubbles appear. He then colours a few of them in with bright colours.

Alex joins a growing legion of Canadian watercolourists who cover the surface of their works with a lacquered finish, forgoing the use of glass. And this enhances the power of his colours. Many casual observers who are not painters, easily assume that his works are oils or acrylics.

But, through it all, Alex has carved out a reputation for himself as a premier watercolourist and his works are sought out and his reputation is supported by a number of upscale galleries. Hopefully one day, he will be invited to host a workshop and put on a demonstration of his craft in Ontario.


Please visit Alex at his site by clicking this line.