Near and Far - An exhibition by David Blackwood
November 4 - 19, 2006.

Chinese Ceramic Horse and Rider, 2006
22.75 X 28 inches, 57.8 X 71.4 cm
Watercolour and Mixed Media
Price: $5,900 framed

Orange Chrysanthemums, 2005
26 X 20.5 Inches, 66 X 52.1 cm
Watercolour and Mixed Media
Price: $5,400 framed

The Bronze Chinese Deer, 2006
22.75 X 29 Inches, 57.8 X 73.7 cm
Watercolour and Mixed Media
Price: $6,400 framed

Flowers from 'Dunain' 2006
29 x 20.5 inches (sheet) 73.7 x 52 cm.
Watercolour & mixed media on paper
Price: $5,900 framed

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Those familiar with David Blackwood’s work as a printmaker, which for over forty years has been rooted in his experience of his native Newfoundland, will find some unexpected surprises in this exhibition. The shift in subject, tone, medium and treatment could not, on the face of it, be more dramatic. His intense engagement with the past, and with the rugged landscape and people of his birthplace, are replaced in these works with a new focus. The scene has shifted to the present, and the artist’s home and studio in Port Hope. The subject is domestic: the living-room, the fireplace, recently read books, the weekend newspaper, family photos – casual still life compositions in which flowers are the main actors, engaged in a silent conversation with their surroundings.

At first glance, these charming interiors seem to record the ordinary details and small joys of everyday life. Yet, when we look longer, we are struck by the ethereal quality of these rooms, and how the objects in them appear to dissolve into transparent reflections of themselves. Watercolour bleeds beyond contours; a fluid light renders everything insubstantial; even the walls can melt away to reveal an alternate landscape. What to make of these strange glimpses of moonlit seas and distant shores? These works seem to speak directly about beauty on one level, but also hint at the fragility of our material world, and the existence of a greater reality which lies behind its surfaces. David Blackwood has found a new way to lift the veil and bring us face-to-face with the spiritual dimension that has always informed his art. These new paintings represent an exquisite meditation on beauty, and an exciting convergence of medium and message.

Abbozzo Gallery will be donating a portion of the sales from this exhibition to help further the work of the Partners In The Horn of Africa.

Partners In The Horn Of Africa is a charity close to the hearts of David and Anita Blackwood. In memory of their son, David Bonar Blackwood, a new library complete with books has been built at the Ambentu school in Ethiopia, and a four classroom block is under construction.

For more information please visit their website www.partnersinthehorn.com or contact the gallery.

Portrait of Ellen Wyman 2006
 28.5 x 22.5 inches (sheet) 72.4 x 57.1 cm.
Watercolour & mixed media on paper
Price: $5,900 framed