Can you say sesquicentenial?

Stephen B. MacInnis The back of a panel.

I was recently rewarded a commission from the Prince Edward Island Council of the Arts to create a series of paintings for the  2014 Sesquicentennial Public Art Program. 

A project administered by the PEI Council of the Arts with financial support from PEI 2014 Inc. received under their PEI 2014 fund.

23 Island artists, one for each Father of Canadian Confederation, have been commissioned to create unique public art works, ranging from dance, to theatre, to visual arts and writing, all in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Charlottetown Conference.

Explore the site, learn about each project and artist, and follow along as each project comes to life.

Stephen B. MacInnis What is he building in there.

For my sesquicentennial art project, I proposed to create a series of twenty-five 12×12 inch  paintings called the Canada Suite. The works will be largely abstract or non-objective in nature, and will incorporate various forms of and images from Canadiana such as maps, emblems, stamps, post cards, and colours relating to Canada. This Suite of paintings will be part of my Long Series of paintings.

Stephen B. MacInnis Things to do while working.

Long Series #1422. With text by Phillip J.Mellen.

#1421

Long Series Collaboration with Phillip J. Mellen. Phillip has provided me with a number poems, lines of text, and some drawn material.  I find it interesting that I’m working with a figurative motif for the paintings I’m working on at the moment.

Long Series #1385 with text by Phillip J. Mellen.

#1385

This piece has a line that was provided by my friend Phillip J. Mellen. We have entered into a collaboration and at the moment he is working on some pieces that he will send to me to add my bits to. This is the second one I’ve completed though I do have a couple others started. At the moment I have two collaborative projects on the go, and I find it to be a rewarding experience to work with others.

Long Series #1356. The UK Box.

#1356 UK Box.

This is another painting from a collaborative project I’ve been working on with several artists from England, and one from Canada.

They Are: Donnalee Downe. Rachael Pinks. Andrew Parkinson. Clay Smith. David Manley.

Long Series #1293. The UK box.

#1293

This is another Long Series painting from the UK box. It was very strange to send work away to another country as part of a collaboration, and have it come back with an image in the middle of a friend from home. I believe the artists who worked on this painting were Donnalee Downe, Andrew Parkinson, and possibly David Manley.