Memento, recent work

Memento, recent print work by Tammy Ratcliff at Renann Isaacs Contemporary Art November 2 - 25th Please join us for the opening Thursday November 2nd, 6-9pm at 5 Gordon Street, Guelph

Memento The pieces in Memento - hand-pulled prints inspired by observation and memory, photographs, plant clippings and traditional decoration - each represent a souvenir of a significant moment in time for the artist, and collectively serve as a type of personal travelogue of the literal and metaphorical journey she has undertaken over the last year and a half. This journey includes the bittersweet milestone of having one’s child leave home, the exhilaration of a month spent in the Norwegian arctic, and the painful and frustrating experience of confronting personal illness. This body of work represents the arrival at a point of resolution, where the impressions of place and time - some joyful, some painful - have been digested, distilled and given a fresh new airing, aided by the clarity of hindsight and context. Objectively, the works stand as sensitive and thoughtful interpretations of nature, employing varied print techniques to render the expansive sensations and rugged beauty of a landscape, or the more intimate investigation of a botanical study. More subjectively, each is coloured with subtle emotional undercurrents that touch alternately on fear and melancholy, admiration and wonder, and hint at the artist’s desire, and the universal impulse, to make sense of one’s place within these intertwined narratives.

Copyright © *2017, Tammy Ratcliff All rights reserved. the view I, monotype with chine collé Our mailing address is: 123 Woolwich St. 3rd floor Guelph N1H 4E8 I apologize if you received this email in error. You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

Guelph Gallery Going

The other day, I had some time to do errands and I ended up taking in some of the wonderful group shows going on in the city right now. My first stop was the Boarding House Arts on Dublin St. and Waterloo Ave. The Art Gallery of Guelph (formerly the Macdonald Steward Art Centre) has a pop up shop group show representing some of the artists in the Art Sales and Rental gallery in the main space until June 27th. 

Some lovely work in the entrance gallery by James Olley, Colin Carney and Alison Judd. Unfortunately for snap shots- all works on paper under glass. The one above was the best I could get, Alison Judd's 'Log Jam Study 1'

Robert Achtemichuk's gouache paintings on silk

The catalogue fire sale where the deals were just too good to pass up.

My etching and washi work on canvas 'looking up is its own reward'

24" x 96" 2015

Ryan Price's 'I mother' graphite on plaster

In the Capacity 3 gallery space (still in Boarding House Arts) there was a fantastic show by artist Ekow Nimako, 'Building Black'

Ekow Nimako's Smiling Doll. All of the works are made from lego pieces. Accompanying the sculptures are written works that are worth reading. I really enjoyed this show.

Over in the New Guelph Civic Museum up on the hill on Cork St. between Norfolk and Dublin there is a wonderful group show by local artists to celebrate John McCrea and his poem, In Flanders Fields. This is the 100th anniversary of the poem. 

Randy Sutherland's photo, Guelph Graffiti Remembering IFF 

Nikki Menzies painting, A Field of Poppies

In Flanders Fields 1915, 2015, 2115: Past, @Present, Future Peace Robot Utopia

by Barbara Cohen and Jay Lefler

                                               

Anne Holman's textile piece, McCrae House Poppies

These are just a few photos of the many lovely works at the various venues. You should probably go visit to see all the works. Also, a great group show at Renann Isaacs Contemporary Art in downtown Guelph until August 1st. Coming up soon for downtown Guelph is the annual Art On The Street event. You can preview the list of artists through the link or on the Downtown Guelph website. Really looking forward to this!

Art Toronto 2014

Spent a wonderful Friday last week at Art Toronto with my sister Aubrey who was in town for a brief visit. yay. I had some new work with Open Studio at the show and was happy to visit the booth and the lovely Astrid. I wish I had taken some photos in the Open Studio booth, so many great print works. You can find lots of info, reviews and images from the show on the website artsy, in case there is something you are trying to find. Our friend Pam dropped by for a glass of bubbly (yes, they had a little prosecco station there!) and a wander around. Ran into lots of people, had some good chats and saw so many wonderful things. Later we were joined by Chris and Odin. Finished off the evening with a delightful dinner at the Swan with Renann Isaacs who was so full of energy after her first long day as an exhibiting gallery in the show.
I have been a visitor to this show for a number of years and think that this was one of my favourite ones. Here are a few shots of things we liked.

Red Lantern Sculpture by Donald Sultan

*Donald and I definitely like lots of the same things

Badland I by Andy Curlowe

*we all agreed on this artist. The colours and contrasts were wonderful and sometimes there is nothing sexier than a little Belgian linen showing through 

Veiled Hood #2 by Cal Lane

*I am still a lot about the bass...I mean lace

Pam checking out a Chuck Close woodcut self portrait.

You just have to get close to look at those prints. They are pretty amazing.

this shot was about the sculpture by Benedict Parmentier. reminds me of numerous things from my youth and definitely a little bit of Tank Girl

Aubrey finally got her ride on the BGL's exhibit Canada de fantaisie/Canada Fancy which will be going to Venice for the Canadian Pavillion at the Biennial

Here is an article about the work in the Globe and Mail.

Lucien Freud etching...sigh

This was fun. Lots of goauche paintings and projections by Katya Bonnenfant or the old boys' club. More info and images here on artsy

So this is was a very short list of some of my favourite things and lots of them were decided as a group or if I felt it was ok to take my camera out at the time. Anyhow, this painting titled, Niagara Falls #5 (Currier & Ives) by Alison Schulnik was one of my favourites. I love this so much that I am putting another photo here because the colours are so different in each. This painting was in the room in such a very large, easy and beautiful way.

Art Gives Good Gifts

Today Chris and I will be in our studios busy with our open house so will be missing the opening of Art Gives Good Gifts at Renann Isaacs Contemporary Art on Quebec St. We popped in last night to check out the show and it really is something to see. I am amazed at how she has hung all the small works, it looks fantastic. Someone told Renann hanging salon style is easy, but if you go visit the opening today between 2 and 6pm you will see that it could not have been an easy show to hang. Lots of wonderful small pieces from a very large group of talented people. 

Paper + Lace opening

Had so much fun with Pam and Renann and all the lovely visitors to our opening the other night. Thank you so much to everyone who was able to come by and say 'hello' on what turned out to be a relief of a cool Summer evening.

The show will be up until the end of July, so lots of time still to drop in and see our new work. Next weekend is downtown Guelph's Art on the Street, which is a great show to take in with lots of

talented artists and crafts people (Renann Isaacs Contemporary Art will be open as well!)

 One of Pam's gorgeous pieces.

Some of my woven works

 

 Lovely flier for Art on the Street by Cai Sepulis of Ballyhoo Media
and cover artwork by Gillian Wilson.

Paper & Lace

Opening this Friday 7 -10 pm. If you are downtown Guelph that evening, you might want to check out some of the other events going on as part of FourthFridaysGuelph.ca.

Paper and Lace

Tammy Ratcliff and Pam Lobb
'Paper and Lace'
-print based mixed media works-
at Renann Isaacs Contemporary Art
31 Quebec St.
Guelph, ON
519-821-9068

opening reception in conjunction with FourthFridaysGuelph.ca
on Friday June 22nd, 7- 10pm
hours: Tues.- Sat. 11- 6pm or by appointment

"Both artists are extremely disciplined in their craft and have perfected a
uniquely detailed approach to the application of layer upon layer of
tissue, printed Japanese papers, and fabrics. The work is sculptural,
delicately floating in box frames."

image: Tammy Ratcliff, 'sweet nerines in blue' etching monoprint
        with chine colle, 22" x 30"   2012

Young Bloods at Renann Isaacs Contemporary

Saw a super show of young artists, some students and recent graduates at the University of Guelph, at Renann Isaacs Contemporary Art in downtown Guelph.  Such a diverse group of talent, had to post some of the work here to share.  The show is up until the end of April and you can click on the link for the gallery to check out dates and times.

a Monte Burman candy

Sarah Walterhouse

Sarah Walterhouse

unfortunately, I can't see the names of all the artists but will find out and post them here with their images soon.

the red dot

I posted at the end of January, some details about a group show opening at Renann Isaacs Gallery that some of my work was included in but I did not post all of the show details... but here it is now.  Still lots of time to see the work.  I will try to take some photos to post soon.

new red works at Renann Isaacs

Renann Isaacs Contemporary Art Gallery has a new show up this week called the red dot and the opening reception will be on Saturday, January 28th from 2-6pm.  If you would like to see two of my new red works as well as lots of other wonderful art, you can find the gallery at 31 Quebec St. in downtown Guelph. 

 

'red flurry of lost times'  mixed print, washi on canvas  48" x 60" 2011

'red branch arrangement' etching, washi on panel 36" x 36"  2011

Chris Ahlers at Renann Isaacs Contemporary Art

So excited about an opening at Renann Isaacs Contemporary Art Gallery in Guelph this Saturday (November 12th) 2-6pm. Chris is one of four artists showing and I can't wait to see the work on the walls and celebrate what looks to be a wonderful show.  I am loving Chris's recent work and so happy that it has all come together just in time for his birthday.  Nice present!

one of Chris Ahlers works for Metal & Paint