Do you want a personal invite to my solo exhibition entitled The Quiet Rebuild at Harcourt House Gallery and Artist Run Centre? I’d love to have you there! Please email me your address and wait by the mailbox! The countdown is on. Only two months till The Quiet Rebuild opens.
Summer? What summer? Oh, do you mean the heat wave that is passing through my art studio in the Harcourt House Annex? Ah, that summer. Yes, it’s true. I’ve been spending countless hours at work, despite the nice weather, as my solo exhibition in Harcourt’s main space is quickly approaching. It’s just over two months away. TWO months! I can hardly believe it.
It seems like only yesterday that I walked into the white walled space and set down roots in the gallery community. Now, I am completely out of wall space. I feel like my work has taken on a life of its own and has grown in depth and breadth. It’s a good time.
I am finishing sculptures, paintings, mixed media 2D work, no wait 3D work… it can’t decide what it is! I am presently embarking on a photographic component to my work as well, incorporating images of our local Edmonton construction that we all love so much. Plus photographs of people will also begin in just two days! (A huge thank you to all my lovely volunteers who have opened up about their struggles and what it has taken for them to rebuild their life.)
All the artwork speaks to this one large message: the human heart can endure much and rebuild itself after hardship. Side note, the rebuild process is never easy and always creates something altogether new. I call my work, “The Quiet Rebuild.”
I am looking for people to volunteer to model for a fine art photo shoot. These images will be a part of my art exhibition at Harcourt House in October of this year. My body of work is called “The Quiet Rebuild.” I would like to connect with people who have experienced some kind of personal hardship from which they have had to rebuild their lives. The photos are going to be super interesting so get in touch if you are willing and able (or know someone who is!).
The photo shoot will be in August in Edmonton. Please contact me if you are interested and I will give you more information.
780-499-4311
info@alexismariechute.com
The Harcourt House Art Market was a huge success! Plus, my wonderful assistant Kaila sold her first painting for me. I will miss “New Land 3” but it has found a good home with John & Anne. They emailed to tell me that they hung the painting on the west wall of their sitting/family room which opens to their kitchen so they are able to look at it and enjoy it often.
“New Land 3” comes from a series of three mixed media paintings which I created while living and working as a fashion and wedding photographer in New Zealand. The artwork contains acrylic paint, plastic, photographic imagery, sand and sea shells. The collection is vivid and bold.
John Elliot & Anne Macdonald, proud owners of “New Land 3” Artwork by Alexis Marie Chute
If you are looking for art, “New Land 1” and “New Land 2” are still available. Contact me if you are interested. They too are looking for happy homes. (They work splendidly as a diptych…)
Artwork and photograph copyright Alexis Marie Chute
Being the Artist in Residence at Harcourt House has allowed me to find my footing within my current body of art and take off running. The time and space they have provided me to develop my creative work is one of the greatest gifts an artist can receive. The people who work at Harcourt House are pretty amazing too!
Truly the time has flown by and with the close of March I tick off my fifth month at the gallery. Five months! On one hand I feel like, ‘Where has the time gone?’ but on the other I am amazed at the gift of time itself.
Art and photography copyright Alexis Marie Chute
What exactly do I spend my time on you ask? Answer: lots of hard work and creative play.
I approach my artwork through experimentation with my chosen materials (wood, glue, yarn, acrylic paint…) while holding my concept loosely in my head (and my heart) to see where it all takes me.
For those of you new to my blog, the greater meaning behind my work is the idea of rebuilding ones life after hardship. My method is very akin to my materials and process themselves; I am experimenting using art to heal.
Art and photograph copyright Alexis Marie Chute
The images in this post are some of my very recent work. I began using Jenga pieces in some of my compositions and found this consumerist approach a fun twist while drawing on the concept of the game itself; build as high as you can until your structure falls over. When it does, which is always the case, you laugh and build again learning from your mistakes and constructing your tower even higher the next time.
I love a comment from Brand on my last Harcourt House Residency update. He said my work reminded him of photographic pixels. That notion blows me a way – I LOVE IT! It totally jives with the photographer in me. I am percolating ideas of how to incorporate that concept into my work and am excited about it.
As always, I LOVE company at my studio so please come for a visit! I purposefully have lots of seating so come talk art, life or whatever is on your mind. Contact me to find a time that works.
Exposure is a photography festival in Calgary, Banff and Canmore Alberta running from the 1st to the 28th of February, 2013. Their catch phrase, “Photography is the Medium of Our Times,” is entirely true from my perspective. You just have to drive a main drag in the city to see billboard after billboard of images lining the street.
I was recently in Calgary to attend the opening of the group exhibition “The Artists Lens” put on by the Alberta Society of Artist’s. Three of my photographs stood on easels at the center of the room, bathed in the beautiful spot lights of Artpoint Gallery. It was a pleasure to rub shoulders with the local art crowd of Calgary and even if you missed the opening, you can still visit Artpoint Gallery until the end of the Festival to see “The Artists Lens.”
While in Calgary, I received word that one of my photographs was being displayed on a digital billboard, a perk of being a finalist in the 2013 VISTEK Emerging Photographer competition. Near the airport, my husband, kids and I found the billboard! My photograph of marbles shone brightly on the overcast winter day – it was surreal.
There is a People’s Choice Award to be had by one of the competition finalists – and it involves a quick online vote.
The Alberta Society of Artists is mounting their first photographic exhibition and I am proud to be a part of it! I will be showing three fine art photographs at the show in Calgary, Alberta.
Here are the details:
The Artist Lens
February 1 – March 2, 2013
Artpoint Galleries and Studios
1139-11 Street SE, Calgary
Opening Reception: February 8, 2013 at 5-9pm
Artists in the show include: Barbara Amos, Carole Bondaroff, Ross Bradley, Alexis Marie Chute, Linda Craddock, Sean Esopenko, David Harrison, Royce Howland, Carol Huggler, Marianne Hunt, Kevin Jordan, Michele King, Malissa Lea, Dawn LeBlanc, Deborah Lougheed Sinclair, Roberta Murray, E. Boyd Nave, Karin Richter, and Aynsley Stelfox.
I hope to see you at the opening!
Want to crack open the creative possibilities of Photoshop? Have you ever wondered how Photoshop can make your photographs and artwork even better but don’t know where to begin?
Look no further! I will be teaching a Beginners Photoshop Workshop at Harcourt House!
Saturday, February 16 & Sunday, February 17, 2013
10am – 3pm (Bring your own lunch and snacks)
Cost: $110 ($80 Harcourt House members – if you are not a member, please consider joining!)
Individual students must bring their own laptop with the newest version of Photoshop installed. Please also have at least 5 images of people and 5 non-people images to edit.
Learn how to make your good photos great through many awesome Photoshop techniques. Want to remove a zit? Brighten a dark photo? Make your image look vintage? We will be covering spot removal, how to adjust exposure, create interesting black & white images, and how to harness the power of Photoshop filters.
Saturday: Editing images of people
Sunday: Editing images without people
There is limited space in the class so register early by calling (780) 426-4180! It is going to be a great weekend of creative play and guided experimentation with results you will be excited about.
The class will be taking place in the Annex, the one story metal building beside the Harcourt House gallery.
Photograph copyright Alexis Marie Chute
Harcourt House
10215 112 Street Northwest
Edmonton, AB T5K 1M7
Find a map here.
(780) 426-4180
Group Exhibition
Photohaus Gallery
14 West 7th
Vancouver, British Columbia
Opening Reception: December 14, 2012
Exhibtion runs the month of December, 2012
View the online gallery for the exhibition to see the works exhibited.
Group Exhibition
By The Alberta Society of Artists
Artpoint Gallery
1139-11th St SE (Adelaide St.)
Calgary, Alberta
Opening Reception: Friday, February 8, 2012 from 5-9pm
Exhibition runs the month of February
Solo Exhibition
Kiwanis Gallery
In the Red Deer Public Library
4818-49 Street
Red Deer, Alberta
Opening Reception: Friday, November 7, 2014
Exhibition runs: October 21 to November 23, 2014
This past Saturday evening I exhibited and sold my art at Giving with Style. The event raises money for the Youth Emergency Shelter and Hand Up Leadership Development Program. It was a great success and I was met with a lot of positive feedback about my art and photography. I sold some of my favorite pieces but I know they will go to good homes.
To learn more about Giving With Style, please visit: www.GivingWithStyle.ca
My handsome husband and business partner, Aaron, drilling the lights into our easels before the doors open.
We finished preparing the art and displays just in time for a photo op!
Our display area all ready for happy shoppers and art lovers.
One of my favorite photographs I took in Santorini, Greece. This image was also exhibited at the Jubilee Auditorium.
By the end of the evening we had made quite a few art and photography sales. These ones are packaged and ready to go.
Giving With Style took place Saturday, November 17, 2012 at McElheran’s Fine Furniture Showroom (10115-124 Street) in Edmonton, Alberta. Come give next year; check the website for future events.
