By Mark Skeffington Some 2 ½ years ago, FineArtCollector published a story called A Guide to David Blackwood’s Best Prints. Since then, several thousand people have read the blog post. Now is a good time to update this guide. Our first guide shone the spotlight on six David Blackwood prints, selected from more than 150 etchings based on factors such as beauty, majesty, desirability, scarcity and reputation. That list looked like this: Fire Down on the Labrador(1980, etching … [Read more...]
Steve Wells: Art Collector, ALS Survivor
December 2, 2016 by
By Mark Skeffington Steve Wells’ hospital room walls are covered with Canadian art. Steve, who is North America’s longest living person with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), has made a conscious decision to surround himself with beautiful things that bring him joy as he continues to beat the odds against the terminal disease. "Yes, I have ALS. Yes, I reside in a hospital. SO WHAT! Life is what you make it, so If surrounding myself with art brings me pleasure, why wouldn't I do it,” … [Read more...]
Photographing Your Art Collection
September 11, 2016 by
By Mark Skeffington Everyone should photograph their art collection. Taking digital photographs of every valuable art piece you own provides a record of your art collection that can be useful if: 1. Your art is stolen 2. Your art is damaged 3. Your art needs to be valued or appraised 4. You pass away If, for example, your art was stolen or lost in a fire, what record would you have of what you owned? How would you prove to an insurance agent that you … [Read more...]
CBC Digital Archives Chronicle Canadian Art
March 26, 2016 by
By Mark Skeffington The CBC Digital Archives is a treasure trove for anyone interested in Canadian art history. Over the decades, Canada’s national broadcaster has interviewed a Who’s Who of Canadian artists and documented, in radio and TV clips, dozens of fascinating visual arts stories. CBC’s archives are extensive, covering all aspects of Canadian life over the decades. But it is the coverage of Canadian art that is of interest here. As one might expect, the Group of Seven has … [Read more...]
E-books Bring Canadian Art History to Life
June 28, 2015 by
By Mark Skeffington An ambitious project is breathing new life into Canadian art history. The project involves publishing a series of e-books on notable Canadian artists, with an emphasis on ground-breaking artists, both historical and contemporary. The Art Canada Institute has already published a dozen titles, with six more scheduled to come out between now and next spring. “The Art Canada Institute's goal is to get Canadians talking about historic art today. We believe that the … [Read more...]
Forbes Family Painted Prime Ministers
August 26, 2014 by
Canada has a rich history of artists following in the footsteps of their artist parents. This is one of a series of blog posts telling their stories. Father-and-son artists John Forbes and Kenneth Forbes painted Canadian prime ministers, spanning decades of our country’s history. John Colin Forbes (1846-1925) is considered one of Canada’s leading portrait painters. Among his subjects were prime ministers Sir John A. MacDonald and Alexander Mackenzie, but he also painted leading … [Read more...]
