Royal Jubilee Celebration at Paletta Lakefront Park & Mansion: Hats & Hillmans

 A bit of a muggy & gray day at the Paletta Lakefront Park & Mansion for the Strawberry Social in honour of HRH Queen Elizabeth. A vintage hat collection that spans 60 years of HRH reign is on display upstairs, and, for the car buffs, vintage British automobiles grace the circular drive - from the humble Hillman Minx to the mighty Triumph Stag. A proper piper piped by the lake for added atmosphere.

... my favourite shot from this little outing ...

Cootes Paradise & Our Timely Transition - Part 1 & 2

Keeping my hand in on the writing, I recently produced a review of early native cultures at Cootes Paradise at the western-most tip of Lake Ontario, one of the Great Lakes in central Canada.

For the writing part, consider 'this review', over on my writing blog at canadada.wordpress.com. And for the visuals, a few samples follow.

All and all, it was a fun & interesting assignment to try to IMAGINE this inland wetlands area WITHOUT the current & intrusive industrialization now so pervasive along its shoreline. Clearly, the 'balance' is way off-kilter. It continuously begs the question: is our on-going destruction of Nature really the net result of all our 'progress'?

Aside from perpetually pondering this, I did find some wonderful 'hidden' sites with a few very engaging characters ...  Enjoy.

Early village settlements around natural waterways confirm the 

500 year transition from nomadic 'hunter-gatherers' to sedentary horticulturalists.

(Graphs, above & below, courtesy of David G.Smith, archeologist University of Toronto.)

 Muskrat: in case you're wondering. A common food source 300 years ago, as in, 'muskrat stew'.

Wet your appetite? 

Head on over to the 

 article ... HERE

and just published on 

RaiseTheHammer.com

New Oil Painting: 'Fire in the Tepee with the Full Moon Outside'

oil on primed board

For Sale

contact the artist for size & price

End of Lakeland - VIDEO LINK

I've had a number of repeat requests to see the video from my spring newsletter. 

I've decided to post it again. Just click on the link below:

END OF LAKELAND

The music was composed by Avro Part (umlaut over the a)

entitled, 'Spiegel im Spiegel', a lovely piece of music.

This slideshow/video was created soon after I learned 

that my studio had been 'sold' unexpectedly in November of 2011.

 Somewhat surprisingly, I'm still here ... For how long, I don't know.

... we must count these small blessings wherever we can ... 

Enjoy.

New Oil Painting: Five Red-Wing Blackbirds in the Magnolia Tree

For sale: oil on primed board. 

Please contact zee artist for size & price.

Bruce Trail Conservancy Celebrates 50 Years of Volunteering

Despite periodic torrential downpours, 500 + intrepid volunteers, from Tobermory to Niagara, gathered to celebrate 50 years of the Bruce Trail. Suited up in 'all weather' gear, a massive BBQ got underway with entertainment by Juno Award winner, Ian Thomas,  & some gal whose bellowing pipes raised the rain spattered roof! On hand, with brief speeches, were Honorable Michael Chan, Minister of Tourism, Culture & Sport for Ontario, and Honorable Ted McKeekin, Minister of Agriculture. But by far the most moving and witty speech was given by Dr. Philip Gosing, who, at 84 years of age, and one of the founders of the ever-wonderful Bruce Trail, recounted the 'early efforts' of getting this massive trail up & running ...

The Bruce Trail has been completely built and maintained by dedicated volunteers from the tip of Tobermory to the river's edge in Niagara. Akin in concept to the Appalachian Trail, the Bruce is dedicated to preserve & protect the globally unique biosphere of the Niagara Escarpment in Ontario.

I was, and remain, very lucky & happy to have served for 5 years as a Trail Captain volunteer on the Ian Reid Side Trail, (off the Bruce Trail that runs on top of the escarpment at Kerns Road & Dundas Street in Burlington.)  Ian Reid, a delightful & dedicated sprite, was one of the principal organizers of the 'Hamilton Chapter' of the Iroquois 'section' of the Trail. The side trail, named in his honour, is a moderately difficult loop up and down the escarpment face. It is a very familiar trail to 'locals', young & old.

All in all, the festival, held at the Dundas Valley Conservation Area off Governor's Road in Dundas Ontario, was a great and fun event - albeit it, a bit 'damp'. This occasion also stands as a key 'marker' of growth for the Conservancy. The Bruce Trail legacy has now been firmly established. Soon it will be up to the next generation to carry on this important NATURALIST philosophy & tradition - and work - of protecting and preserving this patch of 'wildlife' that runs throughout Southern Ontario  - for The Future.

I am mighty proud, and also very humbled, to be a part of this Great & Good on-going effort.

HRH The Queen, Her Diamond Jubilee & Some Idiot's Underpants

I was watching the wonderful BBC coverage of the River Thames River Pageant in honor of HRH The Queen's Diamond Jubilee, and was kinda stunned by some relatively famous British actor remarking how he was wearing underpants to celebrate the occasion. What a yahoo.

Meanwhile, the Queen, the most stately & precious national 'pearl', is standing in the bitter cold & pouring rain during the final rendition of 'Rule Britannia'. The crowd, for the most part, had dispersed during the latest downpour. Yet, it is she and her 90 year old husband, Prince Philip, surrounded by her grandchildren, who stand stoic against the elements. By so doing, yes, they are honored, but more importantly, STANDING THERE as they do, they pay to tribute to the country that they - and she - so dearly love.

UNDERWEAR????  Psffffft. Dumb dufus. And honestly, BBC, sure, levity to gravitas, but come-on.
Who gives a rat's ass about some idiot's underwear??? 

Queen Elizabeth is truly a most remarkable woman. She has performed her 'duty' unflinchingly for six long & turbulent decades. A global leader and inspiration, she stands head & shoulders above some petty pouncing by a forgotten prat. Nota bene.

Tom Waits Narrates John Baldessari VIDEO

Another item to consider.

How BIG NAME contemporary artists 

collaborate & promote each other using 

MOD MEDIA

  -

Tom Waits Narrates John Baldessari: 

a Bio-Pic, on YouTube

 - HERE.

NEWS from STUDIO of MLH - Spring 2012

 'The Clearing', oil painting

Here it is, my spring newsletter for 2012, click on the link below:

 'NEWS from STUDIO of MLH'

As an added incentive this year I am adding a special 'SALE' item. I am offering the above 2010 oil painting, 'The Clearing' ( 'as is' in a simple black frame, 27"W x 20" H ) at 40% OFF list price.

It can be yours for just $3200. (CDN) 

I am doing this because I need to find a new studio soon. In simple terms, I need the funds to go towards a 'good place'. So, if you are here now, and do like what I do, please consider this, or another, purchase NOW. If you do buy the above item before the end of May 2012, I will absorb the taxes and the shipping costs (in North America) on this work alone. Contact me for payment details: mlhpro at hotmail dot com.

I also intend to have a late summer-fall auction, the MLH 'New Studio' Fun-Raising Auction, to raise additional funds for my 'new' studio space. If you would like to be on the mailing list for what promises to be a fun on-line event, please let me know. I'll be sending out more details about that later this summer.

Thank you for your on-going support!

Mona & Munch: Portrait

'Mona & Munch'

Arguably the two most famous portraits of our times, da Vinci's 'Mona Lisa' &  Edward Munch's 'The Scream'. (There has been some debate recently whether Leonardo did actually paint Mona.)  A version of 'The Scream' is coming up for auction this week in New York at Sotheby's. 

Who will buy it? Institution or 'private'?  

Will report back after the results are in ...
DONE. Sold for $119.9 million, 
buyer unknown as of 9: 20pm, night of auction ...

In the meantime, hope you enjoy my playful little composite and
Peter Watkins' 1973 film about Munch is well worth a gander.

Update: November 16th, 2012 -
Looks like Andy Warhol was onto this very early on ...
See below, from Christie's Private Sales venue - 

New Oil Paintings, Spring 2012 - Full Moon

'Borer's Falls, Dundas'

... the moon has been SO BRIGHT ...

'Over Lake Ontario, Burlington'

If interested in purchase, please contact the artist.

Kehinde Wiley - Yes/No?

'Sleep' by Kehinde Wiley

now in the Rubell Family Foundation, Miami 

You either like it or you don't. 

 Processes are 'secondary'. 

Did he actually paint it? 

Who cares.

Yes - or - No

?

Earth Day Every Day

Earth Day Every Day - Get Involved 

Incomplete Manifesto for Growth 

by fellow Canadian, Bruce Mau

 HERE 

Where it all began, 
the 1969 Santa Barbara Oilspill

Have a good 'un!

New Oil Painting - 'Spring Creek'

 'Spring Creek' 

- oil on primed oak plywood -

SOLD

Contact zee artist for trim size & price.

Photo Sketching: Yes or No?

As an artist who has used a pencil for as long as I can remember, it is a tad unnerving to use a 'photo sketch' software program to 'render' my photos into 'sketches'. Overall, yes, kinda cool, but without question something is lost in the translation. I think mostly it is the capriciousness of the human hand. These compositions are pleasing enough in their own right, but again, something is missing ... like the ACT of putting pencil to paper and integrating with THAT eye-hand synergy. The above 'illustrations' have been calculated by the push of buttons - and, again, yes, kinda interestin', but also, no, not really. Photography 'documents' moments in time in a way that is very different then a REAL pencil sketch. This effect -  like so many other 'special effects' now available with and for digital photography - are just gimmicky. There, said it.

The issue of our age seems to be the whole concept of TIME: past, present & future, finite, infinite, nano-seconds, clock watching TIME. It's taken me a few hours to get these 'photo sketches' to a state that I am willing to publish them on the net as 'digital renderings' that can now be 'reproduced' ad infinitum globally. Enough TIME, in fact, to have done at least 4 finite paper sketches from start to finish that would stand as tangible material culture from this spot on the planet.

.... hmmmm. Not convinced. ... Are you?

Postscript:  For fun, I linked this item through to the Fine Art Photographers Group on LinkedIn. The response was very interesting. If you are a LinkedIn member, you can access the dialogue/debate here.
(I'm not sure what happens if you try to access the thread if you're not signed up.)

Conversely, Paul Cadden is pencil drawing images of photographs. Samples here 

'The New Aesthetics': Waving at Machines

 Paparazzi Meet Prince Charles & Camilla, Canada, 2009 - Oil by mlh

Earlier this year I mentioned that I would be posting links/profiles of activities in the art world of interest. Yesterday I found this provocative VIDEO of James Bridle giving a lecture in Australia last December. The video is embedded in his website. More then anything, I appreciate that James is attempting to 'curate' the ever-increasing digital world that surround-sounds us. As much as machines watch us, we watch them. Some detest this increasingly intrusive 24/7 surveillance, but others have taken a more pro-active approach that is determined to 'teach' machines to be better, more socially receptive and less alienating.

To my mind, there is no going back. The technology is here to stay (as long as power that drives them exists) and has, in fact, become a mainstay of our existence. Ergo, we MUST adapt, and make the BEST of it.

Sit back and ponder what James is offering. Consider too his age: yup, he sure is a young buck. Now consider his emotional honesty, his desire to IMPROVE where we're headed, how we're getting there, and what to do en route ... His voice addresses our collective Future.

http://booktwo.org/notebook/waving-at-machines/

DVSA's 42nd Spring Auction, April 14th 7pm

 'Mind's Eye' Photo Collage donated by m.l.holton / Popular Choice at 'Memory's Shadow' Solo Exhibit

Dundas Valley School of Art
presents
42nd Annual Art Auction
Saturday, April 14, 2012 

Starts at 7 pm

Over 1200 original works of art from established & new artists

Oils, Pastels, Watercolours, Sculpture, Pottery, Jewellery etc.

Wonderful Works!

Free Previews: 

Thursday April 12 & Friday April 13, 9am – 9pm
Saturday, April 14, 9 am – 4 pm
Silent Auction bids accepted during these hours

Admission is $25 in advance, $30 at the door

21 Ogilvie Street, Dundas, Ontario
905•628•6357

More about the DVSA, here

Exhibit 8: Spring Collection - Art in the Workplace @ McMaster Innovation Park, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

'Northern Lake Light'  (2011) - FOR SALE  

Please join serious artists & zany collectors 

(and/or zany artists & serious collectors)

at 

Exhibit 8: Art in the Workplace

 'Spring Collection' - Reception  

    When?  Wednesday eve

March 28th, 7-9pm
Where?  The Atrium @ MIP

175 Longwood Rd S., Hamilton

Wine & Cheese. Great Crowd. Wonderful Art.

Exhibit runs from March 28 to July 12th, 2012 

80 talented & diverse artists - over 100 pieces of art for purchase!

Also, upstairs from the Atrium, beguiling
PORTRAITURE from the BENSEN FAMILY COLLECTION   

  

    Directions/more info: here

(NB: Free Parking in lot to the EAST of MIP.)

---- 
A few photos from the Opening Reception of March 28th, 
including some riveting early Canadian portraits 
from the fabulous BENSEN Collection ... 

My favorite two paintings:: Timothy Eaton, Grandson of retail titan Timothy Eaton,
painted by by Maurice Codner in 1930 - 
(Timothy Eaton was founder of Eatons Department Store, an icon of Canadian retail) -
and a charming Mrs. Woodhouse, painted by Nathanial Dame, circa 1750.
In both instances the depiction of 'character' and use of colour are exquisite.

 

The Crowd at McMaster Innovation Place.

 

Third fav portrait of the evening:  my pal 'Petey'
in front of my landscape on the ground floor of the Atrium at MIP.

Black & White Digital Photography Samples

 

Note: the above montage was done as a single item. 

Click on the image once & it SHOULD fill your screen for better viewing.

Clicking on individual images will NOT enlarge them separately. 

If interested in purchasing a single shot from this montage, please contact the artist

Thanks.

Two New Oil Paintings - Winter Magic & Snow Stars

It's been a rotten WINTER all round:  little snow, no ice, no blistering winds, or sustained frozen temperatures. There has been little back-breaking digging: no frozen breath, dribbling noses, frosted fingers or cold toes. There's been no crunchy steps on crispy mornings, no delightful snowflake swirls or crystal clear starry skies.  In short, no blissful white magic. I have missed it. Still, the mood, the feeling, the underlying sense of it all lingers deep within this 'canajun' psyche. Thus, these two new oils revere what hasn't been: WINTER'S MAGIC. - Enjoy.

 'Winter Magic'

 'Snow Stars'

Both items are FOR SALE. 

Contact the artist.