Painting en plein air

Carmela's paintings drying.

You'd have thought we were in Florida.

Four intrepid souls painted for hours at the corner of Bank St. and Laurier Ave. today, giving a heads-up to Ottawans that there will be one helluva pARTy, that is, a party which includes art, music, poetry, dance, food and libation this coming Saturday at the Patrick John Mills Gallery. $15.00 for all of this. Please see the gallery website and click on BLOG for more details or go to the gallery page on Facebook. www.patrickjohnmills.ca

As was commented to one of today's artists, Carmela, one of the great things about painting outside in winter is that paint really sticks, uh, freezes to the canvas, it doesn't drip, because it's frozen in place, and doesn't smear, ditto. Brushes do not have to be cleaned until one gets home because the paint doesn't harden, it just freezes and then thaws once indoors and then they can be easily cleaned. Dust, lint, leaves and whatever other detritus kicked up by passing cars and pedestrians does not ruin one's oeuvre because nothing sticks to frozen paint.

Wet canvases loaded in the back of a station wagon for trip back to the gallery.

It really is the most perfect of conditions!

Some of the materials used by Patrick.

Car roof-top holds plein air studio items.

Clever use of shopping buggy as easel.

No sitting. Wet paint(ings)

Kill an Artist + Constant Harassment = Motivation ====> Freedom

Since I purchased this property four and a half years ago.... it has not been without its difficulties. Never did I anticipate that turning my home into an art gallery would be so difficult. Years of constant harassment from unknown individuals calling Bylaw, calling the City of Ottawa, calling the Police, calling the media, calling everyone to shut me down.

Early this week I finally had a blue sky. Sunshine... Great News.

Let me tell the story....

In the last several years I have applied many times for Special Occasion Permits (SOP) .. no problems.

But last month I went to the LCBO for an SOP. I applied three times.... Declined... all three applications refused. FUCK ME.

I was pretty stressed. How could I have an Art Opening and not be allowed to give out a glass of wine without the fear of breaking the law and getting massive fines. How could I rent out my space for a wedding, party, event with out there being alcohol. This was a nightmare for me.

Late Sunday night I emailed my MPP Yasir Naqvi. First thing I called Andrew Milton at the local Police Department. I called The Licensing & Registration Branch of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario... head office in Toronto, and I called one of the head liquor inspectors over to my home for talk and tea.

Andrew Roundtree (liquor inspector) came to my home. I offered him tea. I also offered him a beer. Just to smile. We talked for an hour. He was very kind. Good guy. He took two pages of notes. I expressed my vision, my wishes, the parties, the kegs, posters... everything. No limits. Everything on the table.

A week later... 8:02 am. Monday morning. I get a phone call from the head supervision in Toronto of the Licensing & Registration Branch of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. I have call display... So I was very nervous. To be honest I was shitting my pants.

Before I picked up the phone... I thought... am I going to have to hire a lawyer... how many months will this bullshit drag out....

So I took a deep breath. I answered the phone. "Hello, Good Morning!"

Well to cut to the bottom line result... Freedom. My HOME is My HOME. = My RULES. I do not even need a permit. I am allowed to invite anyone and everyone. I do not even have to go to the LCBO to even apply for a permit. I can host weddings... open bar. I can have massive art openings, invite the world to celebrate. Total Freedom. As long as I do not sell the beer. No cash bar. Freedom.

You cannot imagine just how much this excites me. I have been in a state if euphoria for days.

As long as I keep the party inside my home or in my backyard. And I respect the local Bylaw. I am good to FUCKING PARTY.

Over the past years I have been contacted by:

- Bylaw (many times)
- Health inspectors
- Electrical Safety authority inspectors
- Building Services
- Municipal Property Assessment Corporation (Property Taxes)
- Canada Revenue Agency. Two officers came to my home to do a field trip. As part of their comprehensive audit.
- Head office of the LCBO in Toronto
- Liquor Inspectors
- Local police officers (two under cover officers).

I do not believe this is simply bad luck. But rather I have a red target on my back. Dealing with all these above bodies has resulted and continues to result in a great deal of time, stress, and expense.

It has taken years to finally get the correct information from the Liquor Inspectors, Bylaw, and the rest of the above list. But finally ... Freedom.

MY HOME = OPEN BAR

My HOME = NO PERMITS

MY HOME = EVERYONE INVITED

MY HOME = FREEDOM

MY HOME = ART

GET READY TO pARTy......

pARTy = ART

Why do you show that SHIT?

Running a gallery certainly has its moments. I am blessed with the bluntness of some of the visitors to the gallery.

Sometimes they shock me. As I am sure I shock them with some of the art on display.

Art.

What makes ART good and what makes it shit?

Recently an individual came to the gallery and had some pretty heavy comments. Why do you show that SHIT! These comments are expressed more than once. And they are directed to every artist at some moment in time. Art does that. For whatever reason.

OK. Deep breath. Inner Peace. Let me talk about Shannon Lee's Key Board Art. Not wishing to single her work out. As I have more negative comments about other works in the gallery more than her work.

How do I show her work. What is it about Shannon's Keyboards that inspire me? So much so that I spend my days showing them in my gallery.

As I type this blog. As I sit in front of my computer, as I write emails to friends and family. I reflect. We surf the internet... trying to find something... most of us watch porn, do work, job, look at images, chat to our friends... the keyboard is something we all touch.

The keyboard is more than a keyboard. It is something we all interact with. We are all connected to this device. It is something that we use. Abuse and eventually dispose of. Millions of keyboards are dumped. Old. Not Fresh. They are in every landfill everywhere. We have a real love/hate relationship with our keyboards.

When I first was presented with Shannon's art work. I held back. I was not really jumping over the moon. I did not know what to make of them.

Over the last many months, I have come to understand and appreciate them more each day. Shannon manages to explore this device from so many angles: Humour, Joy, LOVE, Anger, Frustration, Insight, Fun, Rage... She has so much joy and creativity and it is explored when she interacts with these objects. Her creativity continues to be honest, pure, generous, ugly, beautiful, everything all the time. Her work always tickles my fingers when I type....on my keyboard.

with love

Patrick

Wake Up - Mathieu Laca - Time to Paint

Owning and Running a gallery is a joy.

I live and work at home. The gallery is filled with paintings. Every wall has art. It is great. Currently the gallery is filled with approximately 500 plus paintings.

To live with so many paintings is pretty intense. Mathieu Laca's art is always in the gallery. So I constantly have his paintings around me.

In the last weeks I have reclaimed my home and started to paint in my kitchen. I leave some paints, palette, brushes out... Time to Paint. It is fun. I simply love painting.

Mathieu Laca's art work has been in my home / gallery almost every month for a year. I really feel so blessed to be surrounded by his work. So to see so many paintings with the penis in them... well I feel inspired. As Tom Cruise would say... "Respect the COCK!" So I decided to include a penis in a painting I completed last night. Why not. Life is Joy. Life is Fun. Laca is Art. And his paintings inspire me. Not because they have include the penis. But because they are freedom of expression. They do not ask you for permission. They are what they are. Bold and extremely well painted.

Freedom of Expression.

Thank you Laca for your Art.

Patrick

Photographic Overview of The Art of Giving December 2011

A big show, an eclectic show. A show that needs to be seen.

Please click on any image to enlarge.

Mique Michelle's panels.

Mathieu Laca's portrait of Patrick John Mills.

Patrick S. Greene's art.

Christine Leger's art.

Looking through front door.

Dino by Jack Steklenburg.

James Boyd (1928 - 2002)

Buffet table centre, main floor.

Cody playing guitar and singing.

Adam Davidson's art.

Patrick John Mills' art.

Shannon Lee's art.

Joe Pacheco's art.

Mathieu Laca

Jack Steklenburg

Michele LeCourtois's art.

Graeme Welch's art.

Patrick John Mills' art, second floor.

Naomi Athena's art.

The gallery at closing time.