Monday, March 3, 2014

Cabin Fever: Photo Mashups





 Note: None of these photo collages are 'for sale'.

It's very cold out there - with a blistering BRIGHT light. 
It's Cold. And Very. Bright.

Monday, February 17, 2014

New Painting - The Orchid Series

Having some fun with these at the moment ... coming along nicely. 
Should be done by the end of the week.
The Orchid Series, a set of three acrylic paintings, by m.l.holton

Painting on three 1/4" G2S mahogany plywood panels. Each panel is 2 feet square. Acrylic with gold ink accents. Contact the artist directly, if interested in purchase. Asking $6000 for the set of three, unframed. Looking good. :)

Thursday, January 23, 2014

THE BOXER - 'Black History Month' in Burlington, Ontario, Canada

If you find yourself in Burlington, Ontario, Canada during the month of February, be sure to swing into the Burlington Art Centre on Lakeshore Blvd to catch another aspect of the festivities for 'Black History Month'.  Hanging in the Community Hall will be a repro of an oil painting I did several years ago. It will be up for a month. 

The Boxer (of Panama City) - oil on board, by m.l.holton

Alternatively, if you find yourself at the 35th Annual Art Auction at the same venue on February 7th, take a wonder through the Centre and find this work. It may not be IN the auction, but it IS 'for sale'.  Asking $250 for the one-off photo print, signed and dated by moi. The original, in oil, 28" square, is $6500 (Canadian) framed in 2" black wood. If interested in either purchase, contact me directly.

As for the genesis of this painting, it's a good story. A very blonde Dutch friend and I were traveling around Central America when we landed in Panama City. We decided to walk around the waterfront and, quite literally, fell into a local 'boxing club'. Loud, smelly, very male, oozing testosterone and 100% black, we had a rather curious 'aha' moment about 'skin colour' and, tangentially, racism ...

In a perfect world, skin colour shouldn't 'matter' at all.
But it does. Black, White, Red, Yellow or a mix: we are who we are.


Wednesday, January 22, 2014

B Town Sound Presents .... Water, Water, Everywhere!

A group show / art sale of diverse mediums for ONE NIGHT ONLY
And yes, I'm 'in' with an oil called 'Northern Lights' ... 
Come see!
Thursday, February 6th, 2014
7-10pm. CASH BAR.
It's gonna be a happenin' event of local artists, great music and lotsa fun. :)

B Town Sound, an award-winning rockin' recording studio,
 is handily located just off the QEW, off Walker's Line. 
Easy to get to if coming from Hamilton or Toronto ... 

Address: 919 Fraser Drive, Burlington
Phone:(905) 616-7500 - Mark your calenders! :) 
 

Thursday, January 9, 2014

The New Year, 2014

'The Drink Tray' - Photography by MLH
Happy ... yes. 

It's going to be a vvverrrry busy year ....
 stay tuned.

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Christmas Wishes for 2013 & Tribute to Arthur Heming

Arthur Heming was told as a lad that he was color blind. As a result, he painted in black and white for most of his adult life, until, one day, he discovered he wasn't ...  Love this story, and love his work.  I've chosen this painting of his as a Christmas tribute to all the artists out there who persist in the face of overwhelming odds. Your dedication and your efforts are very much appreciated. Keep at it!

Season's Very Best to All. 
Merry Christmas!
p.s. More lovely evocative Heming visuals via Google Images ....

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Ambassador-at-large, His Excellency - Peter Wintonick

Shocked to hear that an old dear friend from Montreal died recently from a rare cancer. Peter Wintonick will remain an inspiration to many as a 'documentary' provocateur. One of the most 'open' individuals I've ever known, his carefully chosen words were consistently poetic and poignant. His vision was VERY LARGE, an all encompassing world-view. The planet lost a 'good soul' in his passing. R.I.P Peter. This small acrylic of mine lingers as a tribute ... I will miss him dearly.

Monday, December 2, 2013

Dollar Store Beauty

A mere 5" high, but iluminated with all the grace and elan of the REAL DEAL ... 
that is to say, young bucks in nature. And at just $1.25 RETAIL,  these solitary beauties have been produced by the hundreds of thousands .... Ultimately, they are creating much more then delight. This offshore 'stuff' enters our lives and gives us all new meanings. Like it or not.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

New painting - 'Running the Rapids'

'Running the Rapids' 
Contact artist for more info re: price and size.

Saturday, November 2, 2013

A Picnic on the High Level Bridge? Do We Dare?

Thomas B. McQuesten High Level Bridge, designed by architect John Lyle, is a cantilever short steel bridge built by the Hamilton Bridge Company in 1932 and now designated under the Ontario Heritage Act.

A new hashtag recently emerged on Twitter, #ambitioushamont, that bolsters the Hamilton Economic Development Office's latest promotional efforts on behalf of the City of Hamilton. A companion video is pumping a somewhat machismo 'New City Vision!' that shouts out the 'ambitious' future of the City built on the back of its industrial core.  As of noon, Oct.28th, that newly launched video had been seen over 18,300+ times. Not too shabby branding.

The Hamilton Economic Development webpage now lists members of the 'creative industry' as the "top tier of innovation" in the "health, technology and engineering" sectors. The push is clearly on to court national and global investors to put their capital into this City's necessary transformation from an industrial giant to a hotbed of audacious high-tech innovation with a progressive forward-thinking future.

Yet, what happens when an innovative press-grabbing IDEA appears out of the ether that would irreversibly transform the City for the Better in more ways then one? Who - and/or what - will actually turn that idea into reality?  

On August 13th, 2013, CBC Hamilton ran an intriguing story about just such an idea put forward by a fourth-generation industrialist with deep roots in the region, Patrick Bermingham. In short, what Patrick wants to do is have a picnic on York Boulevard, on the High Level Bridge.

Site of proposed picnic: the High Level Bridge 'platform'.
Huh? What? Whacky, eh?
Why would we do that?

As he says, "Close the bridge. Just for an evening. Then let the people take over. Let them bring their picnic baskets and enjoy the peace, the panorama and, the Gods permitting, a sunset."  The point, according to Patrick, is to celebrate and appreciate what this City really has to offer.

YES! What a wonderful way to "embrace the city". Visually, there's the humming industrial harbour to the East, and to the West, the sculpted natural bounty of Cootes Paradise. Enveloping all is an unparallel panoramic view of the Niagara Escarpment. It's one of the best and most welcoming views of the entire City and, hypothetically, a riveting spot for a leisurely picnic to absorb the lovely setting sun over Cootes Paradise.

View East
 Very few seldom take the time to appreciate this unique vantage as they speed along the boulevard into or out of the downtown core. Patrick's wants to change that, if for only just a few hours.
 
View West
In the light of the avowed re-purposing of the 'ambitious City', what has happened to this ambitious IDEA? Last week I phoned Patrick to find out.

First, where did this idea come from? Apparently, while in conversation with his older sister, Susan Jasper, ( founder of the now wildly successful  'Telling Tales' children's authors' festival held at Westfield Heritage Village ) , the siblings got talking about 'fundraising' in general. Specifically, it evolved to a discussion about how could they raise funds for Susan's latest philanthropic venture - the Cootes to Escarpment Ecopark System. She has joined the fundraising 'camp'.

The Cootes to Escarpment Ecopark System has been percolating since 2007, with initial exploratory funding supplied by the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation. A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was formally signed between the 10 partnering organizations earlier this past summer. Those partners now include Conservation Halton, Hamilton Conservation Authority, the Royal Botanical Gardens, the Cities of Burlington and the City of Hamilton, the Region of Halton, the Hamilton Naturalists' Club, McMaster University, and the Bruce Trail Conservancy.

Their combined mission is "to collaboratively continue preserving and enhancing the natural lands using a sustainable approach that balances natural ecosystem health with responsible human appreciation and activities to achieve the vision."

Their mission is built on the vision that the proposed Ecopark: "will be known internationally as a protected, permanent and connected natural lands sanctuary from the Harbour to the Escarpment that promotes ecosystem and human health within Ontario’s Greenbelt. "  

Proposed Ecopark Boundaries
 Overall, it is certainly a noteworthy and ambitious plan of conservation and rejuvenation that has profound long term business, tourist and resident ramifications for the entire region.

YES! The picnic on the bridge now has an #ambitioushamont purpose: raising funds for the Ecopark.

To test this plan Patrick invited the Mayor to attend a breakfast on the bridge to discuss the potential site as a "fundraising venue".  As Patrick reasoned, the city closes the road for the hugely popular Around-the-Bay running race. So why not this? Mayor Bratina  'got it' and has subsequently suggested that the summer solstice, June 21st, 2014, would be an opportune evening to hold the event.  So, seemingly, the City is more or less 'on board'.

Yet, the nagging particulars remain ... Who would come, how much would it cost to attend, who would cater? Would it be 'dry' or 'wet' event? What would it cost the City? Who would do the heavy lifting to get this event up and running?  I grilled Patrick on these issues.

By necessity, to raise funds for the Ecopark, the 'picnic' would have to be a ticket-only or private affair. Patrick did, however, seem agreeable to opening it up, allowing the necessary 'fundraising' through sponsorship pledges. As he says, HOW it's actually done is of little concern to him, "he's the IDEA man" and hey, wouldn't it just be grand to have a "big party" up there on the bridge?

When pressed on details, he reiterated that he's not really the "executioner", what he's done has put the idea on the table. What he hopes will happen is that other interested persons or groups will "take over and run it." His one fear though is that some groups might attempt to hi-jack the idea of closing the bridge. He has no wish to see the 'Sunset Picnic on the High Level Bridge' turn into a vendor-heavy noisy rock-n'-roll music "circus". The primary purpose, after all, is for patrons to slow down and enjoy the exquisite view ...

In answer to my continued questions about accessibility and cost, Patrick was rather vague. He concluded our conversation by saying that my questions were acting as an impetus to organize and implement the idea. He promised he would email with additional information last Friday. I emailed him on Sunday asking again for those outstanding details. I haven't heard from him. Yet.

As it stands today, I'm still not 100% sure if this idea is incubating, percolating or if it has just been moved right off the table. Will this wonderful IDEA ever play out on the High Level bridge?

It has been suggested by the Laura Babcock's Powergroup that Hamilton is, perhaps, on the tipping point of Greatness. Frankly, that seems somewhat doubtful if press-grabbing and innovative ideas evaporate in much the same way they appear, into the ether. 'Ambitious Hamilton', regardless of the all its scintillating promo vids, hashtags and inventive IDEAS, will remain dead in the water if there is no practical 'down-to-earth' follow through by residents and City Council.

So, over to you Hamilton ....
Like the Invest in Hamilton video suggests, "THIS STORY IS FAR FROM OVER".


Do We Dare?
Consider that the slow but sure development of the Cootes to Escarpment EcoPark System will certainly transform this City in many ways yet imagined. It is an ambitious and progressive forward-thinking long-term plan now established with a formal MOU within a practical time-line. You can learn more about it here . Rather then be dismissive or discouraged by its rather glacial evolution, let's be inspired - and motivated - by the derring-do of a maverick with moxie who leapt into the limelight for a few seconds to test the 'Do We Dare Do It?' parameters.

Mr. Bermingham may not, in the end, actually organize the picnic, but he has certainly launched a GOOD IDEA.  If you do think a picnic on the High Level bridge - in support of the Cootes to Escarpment Ecopark System - is something worth supporting, it's now up to us to make it happen.

To start, you can show your support by 'liking', 'joining' and volunteering with the Cootes to Escarpment Ecopark System on Facebook.  Check back often to that webpage for fundraising initiatives.

It may yet include the ambitious plan to have a Sunset Picnic on the High Level Bridge ...  if we dare.

... Stay Tuned ... 

Also published on Raise the Hammer.org - Saturday, November 2rd, 2013  - with lively comments
http://raisethehammer.org/article/1997