Newsletters

Dear friends of the Blood Star,

After the monumental events of this week in the United States and elsewhere, we think it's time to talk about art. We hope you agree.

So with that in mind, here is our brief update.

Susan will be showing a recent nest drawing in the upcoming juried Federation of Canadian Artists (FCA) Works on Paper exhibit that runs January 25 to February 7 on Granville Island.

A Red-winged Blackbird's Clutch, ink, watercolour and graphite on paper

Frank will be showing his folk art piece titled Ubu Roi in the juried FCA Artists Choice exhibit which runs from February 8 to 21, also at the FCA Gallery on Granville Island. With this week's anarchy in mind, it's a fitting coincidence that this piece was selected for this show. The original Ubu Roi was a character created by Alfred Jarry in a play by that name in 1896. Ubu was considered a malevolent clown who people mocked until he gained power and wreaked havoc. Enough said!

Ubu Roi, wood and found objects

During these winter months the Blood Star will be open occasionally so your best bet is to phone or text us at 778 891 9437. We have covid measures in place. Masks are required.

As DBH says - be kind, be calm, be safe.

Our best to you, 

Frank and Susan

www.bloodstargallery.com

Dear art lovers and friends of the Blood Star Gallery,

Every year at about this time we celebrate the Blood Star's anniversary by offering you savings on everything in the Gallery, It's our 21st anniversary this year so you can take 21% off any work on our website www.bloodstargallery.com or in the Gallery this Saturday and Sunday, November 7 and 8. The gallery will be open 11am to 4pm both days. Please wear a mask if you visit. We have corvid safety measures in place.

Masked Ball by Frank Ducote, acrylic on canvas, 30 x 24

We hope to hear from you.

Stay safe everyone.

Susan and Frank

Blood Star Gallery

Dear art lovers and friends of the Blood Star Gallery,

Have you visited the Audain Museum at Whistler? It's something we've been wanting to do for a couple of years and finally managed this week. What a wonderful collection and it's just the right size - not at all overwhelming. Works by Emily Carr and EJ Hughes were prominent. Hughes' saturated colours were particularly uplifting. The First Nations' masks are masterful. And the current eclectic photography exhibit even includes a few of Wilson Bentley's photographs of snowflakes from the 1920s. Bentley took 5000 photos of snowflakes and demonstrated that no two snowflakes are the same. 

Opening tomorrow, October 5 at the Federation of Canadian Artists Gallery on Granville Island is the CRISIS Exhibition. Works by sixty juried artists reflect the importance of nature to our collective and individual wellbeing - more important than ever in this time of coronavirus and climate change. Susan was delighted to be invited to be a juror for the show. There are powerful images of environmental degradation as well as work that inspires redoubling of our efforts to protect the environment we hold dear. One of Susan's pieces from her The Importance of Plankton series is included in the exhibit which runs until October 18. If you'd prefer, you can see the show online at www.artists.ca.

The Importance of Plankton VII, acrylic and resin on wood cradle, 30 x 30

The Gallery at Hope Bay on the Pender Islands has a new show up now and until November 1 - Forest Life and Flights of Fancy. There's work in wood, felt, photography, clay, paint and more by the many talented artists of the Penders. Frank is showing a folk art bird from his corvid series and Susan is showing a nest from her ongoing nest series.

Strutting Corvid, painted wood and found object, 11.75 x 14 x 4

Home III, ink and watercolour on paper, 6.5 x 6.5, matted and framed 13 x 13 

Frank is currently working on folk art commissions in anticipation of Christmas giving. Here's one of his works in progress. What a cutie!

We'll be returning from our mountain break soon and the Blood Star will reopen on October 8, 11 to 4 with covid measures in place. Please wear a mask if you plan to visit. We'll look forward to seeing you.

Be safe everyone.

Our best to you,

Susan and Frank

www.bloodstargallery.com

Dear art lovers and friends of the Blood Star,

In 1896 Alfred Jarry published and produced the play Ubu Roi. The title character Père Ubu is a gluttonous, greedy and cruel individual who is willing to sacrifice anybody to accomplish his ends and ultimately proves himself a coward. Circumstances in the US brought this play to mind for Frank as he produced his sculpture Ubu Roi, aka The Mad King.

Ubu Roi (The Mad King), painted wood and found objects, 25 x 13 x 12

This piece as well as his landscape Craddock Beach can be seen in the 2020 ART OFF THE FENCE Show and Sale (disrupted) in the display case at the Penders' Driftwood Center for the next week or so. Frank's fascination with crows and ravens continues and one of the birds from his Conspiracy of Corvids series is also in this exhibit.

Craddock Beach, acrylic on wood cradle, 16 x 20

The Big Guy, painted wood and found object, 12 x 17 x 4.5

Susan is showing two larger pieces from her The Importance of Plankton series. Interest in plankton has built over the summer and most of the pieces in this series have now sold. A recent trip to Galiano Island to view plankton under a scanning electron microscope has reignited Susan's interest and delight in plankton and she now has new plankton pieces underway.

The Importance of Plankton III, acrylic and resin on wood cradle, 16 x 16

Frank and Susan both have had work accepted by the jury for the upcoming Small Work Exhibition at the Federation of Canadian Artists Gallery on Granville Island, Vancouver. The exhibition opens August 17 for two weeks. If you can't make it to Granville Island, it will be viewable on www.artists.ca beginning August 17.

Deep in Thought, acrylic on wood panel, 14 x 11 (image size), framed

Home II, ink and watercolour, 15 x 11 (image size), framed

The Blood Star Gallery is now open outside each day from 11 am to 4 pm weather permitting. If you're on the Penders, we'd love to see you.  The weather is constantly changing these days so confirming that we're open by texting or calling 778 891 9437 before you visit would be a good idea.

We hope every one of you is keeping safe and finding joy within your respective bubbles.

Our best to you,

Susan and Frank

www.bloodstargallery.com

Dear art lovers and friends of the Blood Star,

At the end of each day, weather permitting, with our respective drinks in hand, cinzano with a twist of lemon for Susan and a beer for Frank, we pull up chairs outside to catch the last rays of the sun. It would normally be gin and tonics but we can't get any bloody tonic. Tonic is like TP was in March - very rare!

On three consecutive days last week, just as we sat down a bee flew in front of us carrying a leaf and dropped it at our feet. At about the same time each day! Susan thinks it's a lovely gift from the bee; Frank thinks that's too woo woo and that the bee is just startled to find us in its flight path and drops the leaf in surprise. Whichever is the case, it's one of the delightful surprises offered up by Mother Nature recently. And now we know about leaf cutter bees.

The seriously disrupted 24th annual ART OFF THE FENCE Show and Sale continues. We are changing the exhibit weekly in the display case at the Driftwood Centre on the Pender Islands, as well as on FB and Instagram at Art Off the Fence.

This week Frank is showing a digital painting, an acrylic painting and a folk art corvid.

Elephant Garlic, digital painting, face mounted print, 12 x 9

Hello Kitty, acrylic on canvas SOLD

Strutting Corvid, wood and found objects

And Susan is showing two pieces from her ongoing The Importance of Plankton series and one of her bigger nest drawings. It's such a pleasure to see the plankton work, that celebrates the beautiful micro-organisms that produce half of our oxygen, going to the homes of new fans.

The Importance of Plankton XI, acrylic and resin on wood cradle, 10 x 10

The Importance of Plankton XII, acrylic and resin on wood cradle, 10 x 10

Home II, ink and watercolour on paper, 15 x 11, framed

If you're on the Penders this summer you'll find us open outside 11 to 4, weather permitting. To confirm, please text or call

778 891 9437.

We wish you joyful summer times with those near and dear to you.

Frank and Susan

www.bloodstargallery.com

Dear art lovers and friends of the Blood Star Gallery,

We're adapting to the current challenges, creatively - like so many others.

The annual ART OFF THE FENCE Show and Sale that we've taken part in for most of the past 24 years, continues. This year we're very happy to have the opportunity to exhibit our work at the commercial hub of the Pender Islands. It's not our usual one acre site for one weekend but a 24 square foot display case for six weeks and we're putting new work in the case each week and also posting it on Facebook and Instagram at Art Off the Fence.

Whether you're on the Pender Islands or the other side of the world, we hope you'll check out our new work.

This is week 2 of ART OFF THE FENCE.

Frank is showing faces, his favourite subject.

Amadeo Modigliani, acrylic on wood panel, 14 x 11, framed

In the Temple of Beauty I, acrylic, transfer and collage on wood cradle, 24 x 24

In the Temple of Beauty II, acrylic and transfer on wood cradle, 12 x 12

Susan is showing just one piece (because it's BIG, well, big for the 24 square foot display case anyway); it's titled The Importance of Plankton VII, and includes a few of the estimated one million microscopic plankton organisms. Susan's thinking is that by showing their beauty in her current plankton series, it will draw attention to plankton's importance to our way of life and to the importance of protecting our oceans from pollution and warming. Every second breath we take is thanks to the oxygen produced by plankton.

The Importance of Plankton VII, acrylic and resin on wood cradle, 30 x 30

We're keeping the Blood Star open 11 to 4 each day by moving our work outside, weather permitting. If you'd like to visit, we recommend sending a text or calling 778 891 9437 to confirm that the weather is co-operating in our neck of the woods.

We'd love to hear from you. How are you staying creative?

Our best to you,

Frank and Susan

www.bloodstargallery.com

Dear art lovers and friends of the Blood Star Gallery,

On Saturday, June 27 the continuing artists of the ART OFF THE FENCE Show and Sale will be placing Part II of the show - two or three  pieces of their new work, in the display case in front of Talisman Books at the Penders' Driftwood Centre. In a normal year, we would each show twelve or fifteen pieces at our annual outdoor show in mid-July. This pandemic year we'll change the show in the display case and online each week for six weeks. If you're not going to be on the Penders this summer you'll be able to see our work on Facebook and Instagram at Art Off the Fence.

This week Frank and Susan will be showing the following work.

A Timely Raven, painted wood and antique watch parts by Frank Ducote

Leonardo, painted wood and copper wire by Frank Ducote

Home III, ink, watercolour and graphite by Susan Taylor

The Importance of Plankton VI, triptych, acrylic and resin on wood cradles by Susan Taylor

If you missed Part I of this year's show, The Bee Project, you can still see it online at https://socialdistancingfestival.com/visual-art where it's receiving international exposure.

As for our own small gallery, weather permitting, we are displaying our work outside each day 11 am to 4 pm and ask our visitors to practise social distancing. Because the weather can be surprisingly different between North and South Pender Islands, we suggest you text or call 778 891 9437 to confirm that we're open. We'd love to see you!

We urge you to remain socially responsible and respectful of others as you enjoy the summer months.

Our best to you,

Susan and Frank

www.bloodstargallery.com 

Dear art lovers and friends of the Blood Star Gallery,

It feels as if we've been sitting in Parking gear safe and healthy at home for the last few months while essential workers care for the ill and dying and keep us fed, and more. We won't forget their work.

Now, all of a sudden we're lurching into Third gear.

Art galleries have been shuttered; art shows have been cancelled or postponed; others have gone online. Some artists and galleries have been very creative and developed hybrid approaches to continuing to exhibit work.

There's a summer art show on the Pender Islands - ART OFF THE FENCE - it attracts a large crowd over one July weekend. About a month ago, the organizers needed to decide whether this year's show would be a go or no-go. We decided on a compromise. In our desire to keep our community safe, we've moved the 24th annual ART OFF THE FENCE Show and Sale from our usual bucolic one acre site to the twenty-four square foot glass exhibit case at the Penders' commercial hub, and online. Sounds easy doesn't it. Not so much! But we're starting to get the hang of it.

A few days ago we installed Part I, The Bee Project celebrating the importance of bees, in the display case and put photographs of the work online. 

Mondrian's Rustic Bee House by Frank Ducote

A Nesting Box for Artistically Inclined Bees (with a nod to F. Hundertwasser) by Susan Taylor

Frank's piece Mondrian's Rustic Bee House and Susan's A Nesting Box for Artistically Inclined Bees (with a nod to F. Hundertwasser, artist and environmentalist) have both sold; wonderful works in clay, wood, pastels, photography and paper are still available.

Part II of the show will feature a rotating exhibit of eclectic new work by Art Off he Fence artists both in the display case and online.

If you're on the Penders, you can see the show in the display case in front of Talisman Books; if you'd like to visit online, you can find the show on Facebook and Instagram now at  Art Off the Fence on Pender Island . If you "like" us on FB and "follow" us on IG, you'll automatically receive updates as we add new work over the coming weeks.

The highlight of the last few months for Susan has been the selection of one of her nest drawings by the Family Physicians of Canada for the cover of their Journal's May issue. That issue was delivered to the mailboxes of 38,000 family physicians across Canada a few days ago. It's pretty much an artist's dream to have her work chosen from among all of the art available in the world and then widely distributed!

Home by Susan Taylor

Frank has been working hard producing and selling work, both digital and painted, online. We are figuring out how to do this effectively.

Still Life with Crab Claw by Frank Ducote

Katy, Bar the Door by Frank Ducote

As for our own small gallery, we've been mulling how to open safely and thanks to our friend Monica's suggestion, beginning Sunday June 7 for the summer months, weather permitting, we'll be taking our work outside from 11 am to 4 pm and asking visitors to practise social distancing. Because the weather can be surprisingly different between North and South Pender Islands, we suggest you text or call 778 891 9437 to confirm that we're open.

We hope you and yours are staying well and have discovered inner strengths and creative outlets to carry you through this time, unprecedented in our lives.

Our best to you,

Susan and Frank

www.bloodstargallery.com