Column Paintings

Column Paintings

The paintings in this section are basically flat paintings with an inset triangular column or columns. The viewer rotates these columns to change a section of the painting; the panels on the column either provide more information on the subject of the painting or bring in multiple narrative possibilities to the painting. Moving the columns means time is involved in the experiencing of the painting, and by rotating the columns the viewer is exposing the nature of the picture plane.

Geli
2018
Oil on wood
54" x 40" x 8"
(with handles)

Renee
2017
Oil on wood
54" x 34" x 8"
(with handles)

Julie anne
2015
Oil on wood
55" x 24.5" x 8"
(with handles)

Paige
2014
Oil on wood
52" x 22" x 8"
(with handles)

eye-f

Carl
2016
Oil on wood
65" x 34" x 8"
(with handles)

Eye-(f)
2015
Oil on wood
17.5" x 5.5" x 6"
(with handles)

Royal Roads
2009
Oil on wood
59" x 36" x 6"

Bromley Rock
2010
Oil on wood
48" x 32" x 6"

Meliah the Olympian
2011
Oil on wood
30" x 18" x 7.5"

My youngest daughter Meliah posed for this painting, sitting for drawings, photographs and painted colour notes. Meliah most definitely sees herself as an athlete and is proud of her involvement with Special Olympics, so she had to be portrayed in that shirt (not to mention it is a gorgeous colour). The panel with the “neutral” expression is how Meliah presented herself when asked to “pose”. The other panels reflect the range of emotions Meliah presents in life from a wonderful, engaging smile to a screaming “NO!”; and with Meliah you can almost experience them as quickly as the viewer rotating the column of the painting.

Okanagan Lake 2
2010
Oil on wood
36" x 25" x 8"

Private collection

Gorge Waterway
2010
Oil on wood
30" x 18" x 4"

Okanagan Valley
2009
Oil on wood
18" x 23" x 3.5"
(private collection)

Saxe Point
2009
Oil on wood
48" x 23" x 3.5"

Rhodo
2008
Oil on wood
12.5" x 20" x 3.5"
Private collection

Triangle Mountain 2
2008
Oil on wood
19.5" x 27" x 3.5"
(Private collection)

Sage Mesa
2008
Oil on wood
17.5" x 21" x 3.5"
(Private collection)

"Everything Belongs" (Prayer Group)
2008
Oil on wood
47 " x 60 " x 5.5"
Private commission

This painting was commissioned by friends Hannah and Robert. They wanted a painting about the contemplative prayer group that met at their home. The members of the group are artists, poets, musicians and writers who gather in silence to listen to God. Afterwards there is tea, talk and laughter. This is the complex painting I came up with that involves ten columns that rotate. During the meetings Robert walks the dogs and then joins us later so occupies a different space in the painting. Within the room each head has an expression of prayer, then rotates to one of talking or laughing. Each member of the group was asked to pick a religious figure from historical paintings of biblical imagery and those became the third facet of the rotating columns.

Royal Roads 2

Royal Roads 2: Spirit of Emily
2011
Oil on wood
40" x 20" x 3.5" closed
(Private collection)