Michelle Marcotte - Artist and Writer

I do not see my food paintings as 'still life'. I see them as dinner - about the importance of preparing and eating a meal with family and friends, about the swirl of a lively kitchen and the goodness of wholesome ingredients.

I don't think you or I will do anything more important today than cooking or enjoying a meal for your family or friends!. Yes, we all work, but we are all working to put food on the table.

I am painting for the kitchen, the place where food creates family and friends.

Enjoy 

Our house at 4883 Simcoe St in Niagara Falls is offered for sale. The house is located two blocks to downtown Queen St. It includes a huge insulated workshop/studio (about 900 sq ft) with two skylights. You can see the tour at niagaraexecutivehomes.ca

I'll be exhibiting and selling my work at the Art by the Lighthouse juried show at the Pumphouse Art Gallery in Niagara on the Lake Aug 3 & 4 from 10:00 - 5:00 each day.

It will be my biggest show ever with over 15 paintings offered for sale. Stop by and say hello.

The McMichael Gallery in Kleinburg has pulled together a terrific juxtaposition of nature art with its Group of Seven works, and photos by Ansel Adams and Edward Burtynsky. While I think that the Group of Seven works (and contemporaries) as a whole will never be met or matched when it comes to allowing us to see Ontario (mostly), the works of Burtynsky in particular show us a very odd beauty, that of oil spills, tire fires, mines and swamps. Really, the works are beautiful, the landscapes shown are beautiful and Burtynsky's phtographic and print methods leave one awestruck by his ability to make such landscapes beautiful. Adams photos of Western US (mostly) and Canada are nice, but seem small and dull when placed in the warmth radiating from the walls and windows of the McMichael, and in the context of the color of the Canadians. All of them. Considering that we spend much of our time covered in white, we are a colorful people.  

Then, we drove to little Callander Ontario, on Lake Nippissing, where such a lovely small local art gallery is located. Showing the works of about 12 artists (watercolors, acrylics, some oils, some giclees, woodturning), and also running art classes, workshops and painting parties. What a whirlwind of art activity in a small town with Solomons at its center. Very nice to see and very nice to be part of.

This week Ken and I will load up the Outback and take a road trip. First stop the McMichael Gallery in Kleinburg Ontario to get us ready for the real landscapes we will see on our next stop.

The next stop is the big news - Solomon's Art Gallery in Callandar Ontario will be showing and selling my work! I'm bringing them my fresh, hot off the brush, Giclee Originals  -- my paintings, printed on canvas, then painted again, then varnised --- so each painting is an original. I'm bringing some small oil originals too.

Callandar is on lovely Lake Nippissing just around the corner from North Bay. I am very happy to be associated with Solomons Gallery as one of their 12 artist-members.

I'm working in Bangkok this week; I think this is my 5th visit here to work and travel. At this time of year, it rains most afternoons, sometimes furiously, and sometimes lightly, so the sky ranges from grey to sun (filtered by the smog and pollution here). What I love at this time of year are the flowering trees. From the UN building I look out over green trees lining the canals and many of those trees are butea frondosa known as flame tree of the forest. Artfully and generously arranged boughs of brilliant scarlet flowers show against the sky on these very tall trees. Lower, the deep green leaves of the wonderfully knotted plumeria trees shows the classic and elegant white flower which is incorporated in art all over Asia and Asia Pacific region.    

Here in Niagara Falls, the linden and lilac are fading, but the roses are blooming brilliantly. Three rose bushes in my front yard and four in my back and all are ablaze with color. The people down the street have yellow, pink and white roses, but mine are alizarine and merlot! I've nearly completed an abstract version which should be posted next week.

I lauched michellemarcotte on June 4th, with the announcment that I have given birth to a new baby -- this website. I received terrific and welcoming comments from so many people, and thank you so much for the encouragement. I would appreciate your referrals. Pass my name and website to friends, relatives, co-workers, bosses, and anyone you meet!