| Brian
LaSaga
INTRODUCTION
Brian LaSaga was born in St.Teresa's, Newfoundland in 1955. He moved to St.George's, Newfoundland in 1965. Brian's journey as an artist began when he was very young. He has always been a very visual person and with no formal training, art is more instinctual, full of discovery and experimentation which has continued with him today. Being somewhat of a perfectionist, Brian has always remained faithful to realism and his imagery. Although he has experimented with watercolors, gouache, egg tempera, and oils, the artist soon realized that acrylics suited his style and technique. Brian has been painting with acrylics since 1980 and considers them to be a very versatile and durable medium. He also notes and subscribes to the fact that it's not the necessarily the medium, but how one manipulates and uses it that matters in the end.
The artist prefers to paint familiar experiences and subjects indigenous to his area. An area that he feels is raw and sacred. Upon viewing his work, you will notice that he has a very discerning eye for weathered textures and prefers to paint character pieces as opposed to pretty pictures. Over the years, many have labeled Brian a wildlife artist or a photo realist. He doesn't seem to dwell on labels or titles and just simply feels he is just a painter, an instrument and student of nature. At times, he may incorporate some form of wildlife into certain pieces as an extension of Nature.
Brian's studio is located in his hometown of St.George's, Newfoundland . The island of Newfoundland is Canada 's most easterly destination and offers the artist a sanctuary for his work. It has many rugged coastlines,rivers, forests, wildlife, ponds and marshes. It has also been the inspiration for Brian's work for over 30 years. When not in his studio, he is out hiking or making field trips and gathering more material for his paintings. Many of his works hang in corporate, public and private collections in Canada , United States and Europe .
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
"Nature is my muse and inspiration simply because of her endless subject matter and surprises. This collaboration offers me something I never even thought of. Although I prefer to paint nature themes, weathered objects and rural settings, I'm open to other things that may catch my eye because there is always something to learn that nurtures the soul. I like to create a sense of place that is somewhere but nowhere in particular. My goal is not to paint life, but to paint life into my work and create an emotional connection that I hope will inspire my viewers."
EXHIBITION HISTORY
1981 "Small Works" / group / Atlantic Arts Ltd., St.John's, NL 1982 "West Coast Realism" / two man show with Lloyd Pretty / Arts and Culture Centre, Stephenville, NL 1983 "Weathered Relics" / solo / The Ewing Gallery, Corner Brook ,NL 1984 "Coastlines" / group / The Ewing Gallery,Corner Brook,NL 1986 "Images Of A Realist" / solo / The Duke Of Argyle Gallery, Halifax , NS 1988 "Days Of Yore" / group / The Duke Of Argyle Gallery, Halifax , NS 1995 "Eastern Images" / solo / Gallery On The Lake, Buckhorn, ON 1997 "Realism At It's Finest" / solo / The Sheraton Inn, Fredericton , NB 2005 Public Showing / solo / Kennebecasis Valley Public Library, Saint John , NB 2005 "Catching The Eye" / solo / Imperial Theatre, Saint John , NB 2007 Toronto Art Expo / Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto , ON 2009 "Constant Observer" / two man show with Mike Gough / Christina Parker Gallery, St.John's, NL 2009 Toronto International Art Fair / group / represented by Christina Parker Gallery 2009 "From The Studio III " / group / Christina Parker Gallery, St.John's, NL
SELECTED COMMISSIONS 1982 White's Hotel, Stephenville, NL 1983 The Roman Catholic Church, St.George's, NL 1989 The Arts and Culture Centre, Stephenville, NL 1994 Ducks Unlimited, Fredericton , NB 1994 The J.R.Smallwood Federal Building , Corner Brook , NL 1995 Tim Horton's, Oakville , ON 2002 Western Regional School Board, Corner Brook , NL 2003 Stan Dawe's Building Supplies, Corner Brook , NL 2005 Western Regional School Board, Corner Brook , NL 2006 Brinkston Investments, Grand Bay , NB 2007 Aur Resourses Inc., Toronto , ON 2008 Western Regional School Board, Corner Brook , NL Plus many private commissions throughout Canada and the United States.
AWARDS AND PUBLICATIONS
PUBLIC AND CORPORATE COLLECTIONS
Central Trust Tower , Halifax , NS Fur Dressers and Dyers, Toronto , ON Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada , Ottawa , ON United Nations , New York , U.S.A. Government of Newfoundland and Labrador ,St.John's Confederation Art Centre and Museum, Charlottetown ,P.E.I. J.R.Smallwood Federal Building , Corner Brook ,NL Fox Harb'r Resort, Tatamagouche , NS / Mr.Ron Joyce Jetport Investments, Burlington , ON / Mr.Ron Joyce Brinkston Investments, Grand Bay , NB Northgrave Architect, Toronto , ON Home Depot, Toronto ,On / Annette Verschuren Coachford Mfg.Inc., Toronto , ON Bird Packaging Ltd., Guelph , ON Plus many private collections in Canada , United States and Europe.
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