All posts by Deanna Musgrave

The Artist In The Bear Suit: The Watercolours of Jon Claytor

As an occasional lecturer at Mount Allison University, co-founder of SappyFest and a devoted father and artist, Jon Claytor is a regular feature of Sackville, New Brunswick. His work ranges from watercolours and traditional paintings to filmmaking and all fits into a uniquely Claytor narrative. His most recent project, ‘Take My Breath Away,’ is a collection of watercolours, bringing in characters from Sackville in a unique book; it’s a hybrid of visual ethnography, philosophy, music and humour. At the core of it is a family album exploring the intricate nature of love. So why does the artist appear throughout the book wearing a bear suit? Continue reading The Artist In The Bear Suit: The Watercolours of Jon Claytor

Multidimensional Landscapes Call For Conservation – The Paintings of Michael McEwing

Artists paint objects, people or places of beauty in an effort to conserve life’s precious and ephemeral moments. The reality is that all of it comes to an ending at some point. Conserving their longevity is of the utmost importance, especially  in the case of our natural New Brunswick landscapes, which define our sense of place in the province. Artist Michael McEwing embarked on a journey in 2013 to conserve nature by visiting all of the thirty-six Nature Trust of New Brunswick Preserves and complete a landscape painting of each location. Four years later, the exhibition of this work opened at the New Brunswick Museum.  Continue reading Multidimensional Landscapes Call For Conservation – The Paintings of Michael McEwing

The Unnoticed Batman, Suburban Pearls and Divine Muppet Dolls: The Art of Glenn Priestley

Glenn Priestley is a Fredericton, New Brunswick artist whose drawings, pastels and oil paintings can elevate aspects of daily life, even the mundane, to classical opulence. The intuitive play he creates is a confluence in the interacting figures, everyday places, and a rediscovery of forgotten kitsch treasures. It’s a balance that can only be struck by an artist who has achieved a mastery of skill in the language of painting, colour and form. Continue reading The Unnoticed Batman, Suburban Pearls and Divine Muppet Dolls: The Art of Glenn Priestley