Ottawa School of Art Accepting Applications for fall program

Just a reminder that the Registration deadline for the Fine Arts Diploma and Portfolio Certificate Programs at the Ottawa School of Art is this Friday August 28, 2009. This year the Ottawa School of Art celebrates 130 years of visual arts training. Wow!
General interest art courses start on September 12, at both the Byward Market Campus and the Orleans Campus at the new Shenkman Arts Centre. Learn about painting from talented landscape painters, John Alexander Day and Tricia Savoie at the Orleans campus. Since 2002, John Alexander Day and Tricia Savoie have been represented by Tay River Gallery in Perth and both of these fabulous artists are among our best selling artists and are pretty terrific teachers as well, so I hear. There is a wide selection of courses and workshops in all media being offered by many professional Ottawa area artists at both campuses.
To learn more about full-time studies at the Ottawa School of Art and requirements for admission, as well as other classes offered, visit their website at: www.artottawa.ca.

John Alexander Day Featured on Regional Contact

John Alexander Day will be the very talented feature artist spotlighted on CTV Ottawa's Regional Contact Show airing this Saturday May 2nd at 6:30 p.m. Joel Haslam and Kathie Donovan produce and host this award-winning, television show that has aired for more than three decades.
This week's segment is the perfect opportunity to hear from and learn more about this extraordinary Canadian landscape painter living in Ottawa. John Alexander Day is a prolific and highly collected artist proudly represented by Tay River Gallery . View a selection of works by John Day on our website on his featured artist page

On another somewhat related note: A little birdie happened to tell me that the airing of this show happens to be on John's "Happy Birthday" day. I couldn't resist letting this out of the bag.
So please do join me everyone (who happens to see John in the next few days), in wishing him a "Happy Birthday" this Saturday! And tune in Regional Contact this Saturday at 6:30 p.m. on CTV to watch this fabulous show.
Happy B-Day John!

Preview of New Work by John Alexander Day Available Today at Tay River Gallery

Attention art collectors. A selection of new larger sized paintings by John Alexander Day has just arrived at the gallery. For your interest, we are providing a preview online of new paintings available for sale. Don't delay. Details are provided below. All paintings are framed in quality contemporary floater frames.
1. Winter Tamaracks $1600 24 x 36 oil on canvas framed
2. West Coast Afternoon $2000 30 x 36 oil on canvas framed
3. Nature's Palette. $3200 48 x 40 oil on canvas framed
4. Mackenzie King Winter $1475 24 x 30 Winter, oil on canvas framed
5. Reflections of a farm $1200 24 x 24 Oil on Canvas
6. Reflections of Autumn $2350 36 x 36 oil on canvas framed
7. End of the Day $1175 20 x 28 Oil on Canvas
8. Georgian Rock $2200 40 x 30 oil on canvas framed

Plein-air Painting in Winter: John Alexander Day comments

What can I say about winter, but I look forward to it coming, particularly because being an artist I get excited by the first snowfall and I think of the painting opportunities it brings with it. Although the fall has its leaves and bright colours, this season is also brings out the artist to paint. Scenes I might pass by in the warmer months I might not give a second look may well have been transformed into something extraordinary by its winter blanket. Winter truly transforms the ordinary and makes it spectacular.

Being an artist who works plein air can be at this time of year uncomfortable with the colder temperatures, but if you dress for the occasion then the results are well worth it. A few people might they say snow has no colour, but if you paint outside like me you will find it has very reflective qualities and colour bounces off it in the most incredible ways. From the sky, the trees, buildings, the sun, and even bright colored clothing from people can all add to a scene. These subtleties would be totally lost if you take a photo of the same scene.

Winter can offer the same opportunities as in the fall but in a different way, you just have to look for it. Depending on the weather and how cold it is might determine the size I would paint. So in other words I work smaller when it is really cold as I need to warm up, a large flask of hot coffee certainly helps here.

There are certain things you have to be careful of when painting outdoors in winter, such as the spot you are standing will soon get packed down and icy surprisingly quickly. On more than one occasion upon standing back to view my progress, I slipped backwards and hit ground with a thud and my brushes were sent flying into to air! Good thing is there no one around usually to see you "flat out" on the snow, so your dignity still remains intact!

Once I am out painting in winter it never seems as cold as I first imagined and I always come home feeling I have experienced something.

John Alexander Day
January 2009


John Alexander Day is an accomplished painter with over twenty years painting experience who prefers to paint outdoors to capture the qualities of light and atmosphere in his paintings. Day captures the character of his settings using his characteristic strong brushwork. John Day is an elected member of the Society of Canadian Artists (SCA) and is a highly collected artist.

John Alexander Day Plein Air Painting in France

In August 2008 I took my painting equipment to France. This was supposed to be a vacation for my wife Shirley and me. I was cautious about tying up each day painting, so I had decided earlier to keep the painting time to a minimum.





I also try to keep the weight down and travel light, so I packed only a few 8x10 and 6x8 oil primed linen boards. I thought it might be a challenge as I am accustomed to painting much larger on site. I took 14 boards with me so when we arrived in Paris I decided to only do a couple of paintings. I had already painted here a few years ago, and I decided to save most of the boards for the rest of the journey, as our trip would eventually take us to the south of the country. The first two I painted were in the Luxembourg Gardens on a hot day with everyone in the city, or so it seemed, walking around. I suppose the scene would not be much different to the what the impressionists of the day experienced, except for the modern clothing.

The next stop was in Lyon, and more of a stop over for the day as we were heading off towards Provence the next morning. We stopped in Lyon on route it has an excellent Art Gallery with some great artwork well worth a visit.











In Provence we stayed in the town of Vaison-la-Romaine, an old Roman town with interesting architecture. Most of my painting was done in the town, although we took some trips out to places like Roussillon with its bright coloured buildings of deep oranges, reds and ochres mined from the local stone. Typically, the Provençal weather was hot and I was happy that I had my umbrella attachment that fits on my pochade type easel to keep the glare off my painting and palette. Having my work shaded from the sun helps me judge the colours properly. Having plenty of water to drink and a hat helps the artist. It does not take very long after you set up before you attract the curious onlooker, and also the tourists who wish to engage you in conversation. Luckily for me, I have become used to it and I usually can carry on painting without upsetting the flow.




Our next stop was along the Mediterranean Coast in the town of Cassis. Many famous painters painted here including Monet and Mattisse, to name but a few. The town is not too touristy and has marvelous views of the rocky coast plunging into the deep blue green colour of the sea. I like painting rock and water, but I sometimes have to watch the rock I am standing on to paint from as it can get a bit wet with the spray from the waves coming in.



Our last place to visit was the little town of Villefranche-sue-mer with a lively little town centre and lots of restaurants offering seafood along the harbour. My last panels were painted from the harbour wall and of the narrow streets so typical of the area.


Even though it was more a vacation than a working trip, it was still possible to find an hour or two in the day to paint and capture something of the local area.

I encourage every artist to travel with paints. You will be amazed just how much information you can get on to a small panel. The main thing to remember is “travel light”.
John Alexander Day

John Alexander Day is represented by Tay River Gallery in Perth Ontario. An accomplished and prolific painter with over twenty years experience, Day paints primarily outdoors to capture the qualities of light and atmosphere in his paintings. John Day is an elected member of the Society of Canadian Artists (SCA).

WEST TO EAST with a Paint Brush!

September 2008 was a wonderful, unique month for two Canadian Plein Air painting buddies. They managed to paint in both BC & Quebec during September.
In mid September, John Alexander Day (Ottawa based artist) joined BC artist Deborah Czernecky for a week in the Victoria area. It was a great week of painting on location for them!
Deborah recounts highlights of the trips in her usual entertaining manner:
Even the weather co-operated fully - the gloomy, gray blanket delayed its usual fall arrival!

In typical BC style, many wildlife sightings occurred including seals within 12 inches, Bald Eagles circling above, whale bones on the beach, painting (very observantly) under the flight path of Canadian Geese and White Swans, to mention just a few. Did you know that Canadian Geese poop 3 lbs of stuff daily? Under a different type of flight path, the duo were treated to a show by the Snow Birds Aerobatics Squadron while painting at Fisherman's wharf in the Inner Harbour.







It wasn't all fun and games! After hiking with painting gear through the Rain Forest for what seemed like eternity (to some) to find that unique, isolated West Coast Beach scene we were surprised to discover a road nearby, that would have made the 30 minute hike (according to
John's watch) a five minute drive. As one says, you're not a true islander until you drive the Pat Bay highway with the 450 cars that just got off the Super Ferry - all "rushing" to the same place. John was having a good painting day until then! However, all was well in the end, as he painted the setting sun over Esquimalt Lagoon later that evening.

At the end of Sept, both artists joined the Les Ensemble plein air painting group for five days of painting the Fall Colours in the Eastern Townships in Quebec. Deborah met up with John in Ottawa. With John's unique navigational skills, they sailed through Montreal (cell phone
capital of Canada, every car must come with a cell phone) and found Sutton in record time. Upon arrival, they found the Fall Colours at their peak and truly amazing. It was wonderful gathering every day with the other artists in the dining room. Morning coffees were barely drunk
before the maps were out and artists were charting their locations for the day and sharing information. Between the rolling hills looking into Vermont, the Sugar Shacks hidden behind the trees, morning fog and seeking permission to paint on various parcel of land it was another
successful painting trip. On the way back to Ottawa, it was great having John's IPhone, so Tim Hortons was never out of range!
Wrapping it up here .... "that's quite the backyard we have here in Canada!" pipes Deborah.
Deborah Czernecky and John Alexander Day are represented by Tay River Gallery, fine art gallery in Perth Ontario. View works on the website at www.tayrivergallery.com

John Alexander Day Solo Exhibition "Elements "Oct. 2007

Tay River Gallery will present a major solo exhibition of new paintings by John Alexander Day "Elements" during the entire month of October. The opening reception will be held on Saturday October 6th from 2 - 5 p.m at 28 Wilson St. W. in Perth. Meet the artist and view his latest exciting new works. The subject of his current paintings on exhibit are the natural elements of land and sea, painted on locations of recent travels including the Georgian Bay area.

John Day captures the character of his settings with expert handling of dynamic light,colour and form using his characteristic strong brushwork. A plein air painter with over twenty years painting experience, John Alexander Day is an elected member of the Society of Canadian Artists.

As plein air painter, John Day paints primarily outdoors on location to capture the qualities of light and atmosphere of the setting in his paintings.

"I have a deep reverence for the Canadian landscape, and for that reason I primarily work outdoors on location. From the rural countryside to the urban landscape, I try to capture the light and atmosphere and their effects at different times of the day. I use these outdoor studies as the foundation for my larger studio works. By working in this way I feel connected to the great tradition of plein-air painting, and to the artists past and present who continue to be inspired by nature."