By Emilie Tobinz
Centretown’s Artguise gallery just unveiled a new collection of paintings by Ken Vincent.
The canvasses — which are often called “big sky” and “severe weather paintings” because most of them depict vast prairie skies hovering over flat, golden fields — are a collection inspired by weather, the Canadian prairies and an unplanned pit stop in Moose Jaw, Sask.
During the three-day stop Vincent made many years ago while hitch-hiking from North Carolina to Vancouver, Vincent sat on the side of the Trans-Canada Highway waiting for a ride. The weather changed frequently and at times Vincent found himself hiding in a ditch seeking refuge from thunder and lightning storms.
“It is a big event to be stuck in a thunderstorm,” says Vincent of the event that ended up influencing much of his art. “It’s about the experience, not just the picture.”
Artguise gallery co-owner Brandon McVittie says Vincent has altered his formula over the last few years and his new paintings are even more explosive than previous ones.
“This technique conveys so much more,” says McVittie. “It evokes mood and is dramatic for the viewer. He’s truly in his element and he’s hit his mark as a painter.”
Vincent has had a professional relationship with the gallery since it first opened 10 years ago and put out a call for artists. Over the years, Vincent has become one of the gallery’s top sellers, says McVittie, contributing to its rise in popularity.
McVittie credits Vincent’s success to many things, one being that landscape imagery appeals to a broad range of people these days. “His client base is everywhere and is of all ages,” says McVittie. And his followers are increasing. “Ken is going up in terms of notoriety and commercial success.”
Vincent’s sales reflect this trend. Before the showing, he was selling so rapidly that he had to hold back some paintings in order to have enough for a showing, says McVittie.
“The public uptake has been unbelievable,” says Vincent. “I have sold so many paintings in such a short time.”
While Vincent’s work may appeal to the masses, McVittie says there is an edge to it that separates him from other landscape artists. “It’s not your run of the mill commercial landscape art,” he says. “It’s more abstract and impressionistic.”
Vincent’s new collection was unveiled Feb. 10. A cold February night isn’t the ideal setting for an art opening, says co-owner Jason Vaughan, but Vincent is capable of bringing in a crowd even on the coldest of nights.
This is also Vincent’s first solo showing at Artguise in about three years, adds McVittie, which may explain why people are so willing to come out and take a look.
One person who braved the cold was Mirana Zuger, a 23-year-old fine arts graduate from Concordia University and an artist herself. She heard about the show through McVittie and decided to check it out.
“I think it’s real interesting,” she says. “The way he paints, he’s really nailed the sky.” Zuger says she is a fan of Artguise as well. “It’s a nice location and they are really friendly,” she says. “The wall space is really nice here,” she adds.
Another visitor, Eliza von Baeyer, bought one of the paintings because she was struck by the sky the in paintings.
“I lived in the prairies for a couple of years and the skies (in the paintings) are definitely reminiscent of the skies out there,” she says. “They are magnificent.”
“It’s amazing how he’s been able to capture that feeling that you see in the sky,” she says.
If one of the goals of the opening is to sell paintings, Artguise — with six paintings sold two hours into the event — seems to have achieved its goal early in the evening.
“We are going to sell a bunch more,” says Vaughan. “There’s no way we wouldn’t.” Vincent’s new collection is on display at Artguise until March 15.