Art Blog
Private Studio Sale
November 13th, 2011
This fall, I am once again having a private studio sale for my friends and students. You will have a chance to see and purchase original art and giclees from my last three shows at 30-70% off. I am also putting up for sale many pieces from my older collections (1990s and early 2000s). I will be accepting bids on all my work.
The dates are as follows:
Saturday December 3, 12-7pm
Sunday December 4, 12-6pm
Please contact me for the address and directions at deirdre@deirdremccay.com. Hope to see you there!
Workshop
August 12th, 2011
STUDIES FROM NATURE: Drawing and Painting
One-day Workshops with Deirdre McCay
Description:
These workshops are intended to help painters who usually work from photography to observe, draw, and paint nature outside so they can acquire visual experience from looking at the ‘real thing.’ This will enable them to better interpret photographs as reference for their work.
The workshops will also teach skills necessary to working outdoors. Painting outdoors is very appealing to most artists, but has a certain range of challenges to overcome so the experience becomes pleasurable.
Each workshop will focus one of the following themes:Â Rock studies, tree studies, water studies, exploration of picture planes in landscapes.
Tour: Caravaggio Exhibit
August 10th, 2011
Tour with Deirdre McCay at the Caravaggio Exhibition (National Gallery, Ottawa)
with an overnight stay at the elegant Lord Elgin Hotel
TWO DATES: Saturday August 27th (until the 28th)
or Saturday September 10th (until the 11th)
INCLUDED:
- Overnight stay at the Lord Elgin Hotel (private room with luxurious queen size bed)
- Full buffet breakfast
- A ticket to the Caravaggio Exhibit
- A 2 1/2 – 3 hour tour led by Deirdre McCay who will give background information about the artist and lead discussions on the work from the eyes of the painter
- Gifts: truffles, starbucks certificate
PRICE: $285 CAN
(significant discount if you are willing to share a room)
Not included:
- Transportation to Ottawa
- Group dinner at the hotel’s restaurant Grill 41 where we can discuss the exhibition and share ideas regarding painting
Why Travel with Deirdre?
Deirdre has been offering courses in Italian Renaissance method of ‘underpainting’ to her oil painting students for many years.  Caravaggio is one of the greatest Italian artists who worked with this kind of approach to painting.  This is an opportunity to share the experience of viewing paintings from a master from this tradition.
*This trip is open to everyone.
1978 Sketchbook
June 7th, 2011
One of the great loves of my life has been travel. Throughout my late teens and twenties I was constantly making a trip to one place or another, whether it be across the US, Europe or the Middle East. Most of these voyages were done on my bike; with little more than one backpack filled with three dresses and my sketchbook I took off, thrilled to conquer the unknown…I became very much a “flaneuse” in the words of French poet Charles Beaudelaire; a person who roams and strolls the streets in order to experience it. My method of documenting my experiences was with my watercolors. If I came across a place that caught my eye- a lake, a grand chateau, a small alcove in a coffee shop, I would take out of my watercolors and paint, sometimes for hours. As such, some of my most prized possessions are my sketchbooks. I recently started going through them again and thought I would share some of the images. The two images below are from my 1978 trip to France (Loire Valley and Bretagne).
“LOIRE VALLEY” 8 1/2″ x 11″ Read the rest of this page »
Vancouver Vernissage
June 1st, 2011
Thank you to everyone, especially to Peter Eastwood and Yukiko Onley from the Eastwood Onley Gallery for making my Spirit Horse show a success. This body of work was two years in the making, and it was so rewarding to see it all come together. Here are a few photos from the vernissage, taken by the very talented, Yukiko.
Why I Chose Horses
April 19th, 2011
One question people often ask me is why I decided to use the horse as a muse in my new show. One important reason is because the horse is an animal I have felt connected to all my life. I started riding them at the age of ten. It was at the time that I also started drawing them- there I was, a 10 year old young girl, picking up a pencil and paper with no prior training in art, and yet I felt compelled to capture the image of this animal in a permanent way…and so I began to draw. Learning to draw horses became a serious endeavour that launched my interest in becoming a visual artist. In this way, the Spirit Horse exhibition celebrates my artistic career. The drawing included here is that first one I ever did as a young girl. I had called it Man-O-War (1958).
This image, which means so much to me, will be on display at my show this month.
Montreal Exhibit
April 6th, 2011
Spirit Horse 
April 27th – May 29th
Collection of oils, pastels and drawings
Gallery de la Ville
12001 boul de Salaberry (lower floor)
Dollard Des Ormeaux, Quebec
http://www.centreartdollard.com/English/gdv.htm
Opening reception: Wednesday, April 27, 2011 from 8 to 10 p.m.
Opening Hours:
Tuesdays and Wednesday 12 – 4 p.m,
Thursday and Friday 2 to 5 p.m.
Saturdays and Sundays 1 – 4 p.m.
Article in Today’s Vancouver Sun
March 12th, 2011
My Spirit Horse exhibit is featured in today’s Vancouver Sun ‘Arts and Life’ Section!
Underpainting Workshop in Vancouver (Mar 12, 2011)
March 10th, 2011
Deirdre will be holding a workshop on underpainting at the Eastwood Onley Gallery on Saturday March 12th from 10-12pm. Cost is $25.00
Address: 2075 Alberta, Vancouver BC.
This workshop has been featured on www.straight.com, a Vancouver blog.
Read more about the workshop here: http://www.straight.com/timeout/listing/vancouver/new-7356
