Philip Mix presents Handwritten October 3-29, 2023
at Fortune Gallery, 537 Fisgard Street
at Fortune Gallery, 537 Fisgard Street
Philip's artist talk on Sat Oct 21 was well-attended and informative.
Visit the artist at Fortune Gallery Sat Oct 28, from 1:00 to 4:00.
Contact the artist: [email protected]
If life is a journey, Philip Mix has a wealth of stories about his artistic travels. At age six, he recalls being captivated by the artwork in Winnie the Pooh. He marvelled at the drawings by EH Shepard, impressed by the illustrator’s ability to capture small creatures in a wind storm - with only a minimum of markmaking. In Bunny’s Okay, childhood returns in an altered form, as strong arms clutch a treasured stuffed animal. Can one ever be safe in an unpredictable world?
In an era before screen time, Mix’s childhood activities where fuelled by curiosity. He sketched the world around him using charcoal and conté. When gifted a paint-by-number oil set, he flipped over the board and produced an original. Art education arrived through books and a travelling aunt who brought home museum treasures from Europe. He imagined and drew theatre scenes, and developed skills in puppetry.
Today, as Mix approaches age 70, these activities still nurture and inform his creative nature. Handwritten, he notes, counteracts our instantaneous digital age by using traditional methods and media. “My own hand stretched and primed the linen and applied the oil paint,” he says. Mix worked as an art conservator for many years and appreciates the value of museum-quality materials. Digital does play a part in creating his imagery however, as Mix browses the internet for interesting stories and photos. He often crops and splices compelling images into a single frame which, to the artist, implies myriad experiences from one viewpoint. “I am attempting to evoke more than a singular moment within the bounds of time,” he says.
Mix describes his artworks as metaphors that begin with an idea or concept. Research includes activities with family and friends, plus daily walks around Chemainus. For example, the idea behind From Trepidation to Transcendence came from overhearing a conversation between two women while out walking. One said to the other: “If only there was an end in sight.” Mix was touched by the degree of apprehension in the statement and pondered a source of consolation. He created an inspirational painting by reworking a digital photo of a woman with hands clasped loosely in front of her body. The energy of transcendence is shown by strong diagonals of light moving through her cupped hands. The body appears to float effortlessly, as figure and ground merge within an aura of muted colours and expressive linework. Into the Late recalls his midnight sojourns into imaginative worlds as a child. “I believe reading Homer’s Odyssey set me on a path of inquiry I have never regretted,” he says.
Philip Mix graduated from the Alberta College of Art, Calgary in 1980. Since that time he has exhibited in many solo and group shows within Canada and in Israel, California and the United Kingdom. His corporate collectors include art foundations, trust companies and financial institutions. After graduation, his first solo show was in Calgary and titled Portrait/Gestus. Gestus refers to an acting technique that combines physical gestures with “gist” - attitude and inner emotions. Mix arranged his portraits in a circle around the gallery walls, so they surrounded the viewer. “The show got a lot of interesting comments,” he recalls, “and started my journey with portraiture.“
Red Shoes is a portrait of a friend, seated casually, wearing loose flowing clothing and gazing directly at the viewer. Almost four feet in height, this vertical painting impacts the viewer with a sense of visual drama and uncertain narrative. Over the years, Mix found commercial success with landscapes, but remains fascinated with his first love - figurative and expressive artworks. At age 23, he completed a series of portraits of seniors in care homes. Nettie shows the artist’s ability to render sensitive and expressive likenesses using charcoal on paper. We clearly see the essence of this aged person, shown by the stooped posture, muscular neck and tufted hair. Nettie’s eyes look away, but in them we catch a glimpse of vibrant awareness, locked as she is within the confines of cognitive loss.
Completing a painting, is a multi-step process for Philip Mix. He first makes a detailed drawing on paper, building in shapes, forms, tonality and proportions. For Receiving (Drawing), the paper surface was completely covered with charcoal. To create tonal planes, some areas were erased, while others darkened. In Receiving (Painting) five or six oil pigments were speckled and splashed on to the linen ground. While painting, Mix refers to the drawing to guide the composition’s tonal values and scale. Other reference points include conté and charcoal marks placed on the linen ground.
The artist’s ability to mix and match colours comes from years of experience. He began painting with oils around age 12.
“I love what oils do for you,” he says, “they can be brash or loud, or create subtleties. They can be manipulated, overlapped and layered to create harmonies much like a musical jazz piece.” To move around pigment, his favourite tools include a palette knife, brush and crumpled cloth.
“I love what oils do for you,” he says, “they can be brash or loud, or create subtleties. They can be manipulated, overlapped and layered to create harmonies much like a musical jazz piece.” To move around pigment, his favourite tools include a palette knife, brush and crumpled cloth.
Mix lives in Chemainus with his family and is active in community. In works like Strings Attached, he references the complexity of social, personal and political relationships. Handwritten includes paintings from his Tapestry series which profiles female immigrants in a variety of circumstances. Elaine Decides and Reconciled are part of a 2022 series called Epiphanies. The epiphany paintings talk about moments of sudden realization that alter our perspective. Paintings from both these series were included in two juried competitions (AIRE) by the Federation of Canadian Artists. Chemainus Theatre hosted an exhibition of Mix’s artwork in 2021-2022. He is a member of the Arts Council of Ladysmith & District. His artworks have shown twice in their High Street Gallery and are available on-line.
Fortune Gallery, 537 Fisgard Street, Victoria, BC V8W 1R3
Hours are Tuesday to Sunday 12:00-5:00. 250 383-1552
Philip's artist talk on Sat Oct 21 was well-attended and informative.
Visit the artist at Fortune Gallery Sat Oct 28, from 1:00 to 4:00.
Contact the artist: [email protected]
Hours are Tuesday to Sunday 12:00-5:00. 250 383-1552
Philip's artist talk on Sat Oct 21 was well-attended and informative.
Visit the artist at Fortune Gallery Sat Oct 28, from 1:00 to 4:00.
Contact the artist: [email protected]
The Opening Reception on Thursday October 5, with jazz pianist Attila Fias and artist in attendance was a grand success! Philip and his family extend a warm thank you to all the friends, colleagues and fans who gathered for the celebration.
Web Design and Content by Kate Cino Arts writer published in Focus on Victoria, Yam and Boulevard. History in Art degree and Public Relations certificate from the University of Victoria This website and its content is copyright of Art Openings, 2009. All rights reserved. Written permission is required for reproduction of photos or text. [email protected] 250 598-4009 |