South Lancaster ON – Hidden away in beautiful South Lancaster, behind trees, shrubs, flowers and a vegetable garden, Michael Cartwright paints and makes things. His latest work is for the South Lancaster Fish & Game Club. He produced a painting of the local landmark, the Cairn, which proudly marks the start (end) of the Raisin River. The history of the Cairn goes back to the 1800s and was built during the winter (so supplies could be transported over the ice) for a lookout point. It is definitely a local landmark.
I have always believed that “Home is Where the Art Is” yet the mention of ‘art’ seems to strike fear into the heart of many. It shouldn’t because we are surrounded by the products of Artists whether it is a fine painting, a car and even a beer bottle label.
Michael tries to de-elitisize and degalleryize (now there’s new words) art. His work takes a closer look at what is around us whether it is a row of boat houses, the Cairn, boats on the water and other daily sights that most of us take for granted and forget to really look at.
Not only is Art all around us, it has an intrinsic value as well as good investment potential. One hears of record breaking prices for Art work at auction such as Alex Colville.He is a Canadian Realist painter who Cartwright is often compared to.His painting, Coastal Figure 1951 (25.25 x 55 inches) appraised for between $250,00 -$300,000 sold at auction for $526,5000 . I knew a doctor who told me that his retirement plan was his art work; paintings and sculptures could be sold when he needed the money. The trouble with that is I would hate to have to sell something I truly loved to look at.
Art or creativity should be a part of everyone’s life – if not a painting, then create masterpieces to eat, or wear or wherever one’s talents lie. Michael’s forte are his clouds , his water and the imagination to make something out of noting. True you may never seen clouds or water like it in real life or understood the blue nose yet they are mesmerizing and certainly make me look more carefully when I check the sky or the inside of my fridge.
The Cairn painting will be raffled off September the fifth and the painting itself will be on display at the Williamstown Fair, August 6th, 7th and 8th – raffle tickets will be available.
If you’d like to see more paintings check out Michael’s blog site at cairnview.blogspot.com
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