I was thrilled to have my painting “Lucky” accepted into theOntario Society of Artists 141st Open Juried Show at the John B Aird Gallery, Toronto, April 2014; the theme of which was “Game”.
“Lucky”, one of only 38 works accepted out of 235 entries, addresses the theme on a couple levels: I tried to suggest the feel of an old style shooting gallery – faded and a bit tawdry; the animals themselves are what a hunter would perceive as “game” – however, the illustrations are from my old children’s books, and in mind also is the strange concept that, as children, we read books about animals who talk and think and manage families, yet some people grow into adults who shoot for sport these same creatures. The target in the painting is obviously in reference to the shooting gallery concept, and less-obviously, a nod to the great abstract expressionist and encaustic painter Jasper Johns. Lucky would be the person who won at the shooting gallery, and lucky indeed the animals who escape the hunter’s gun.
