Art Critique

Ross Penhall's Paintings

Ross Penhall Information

Ross was born on June 16, 1959 in West Vancouver, British Columbia. His parents provided incredible support to their young artist who discovered an early talent for drawing and designing. Ross attended West Bay elementary school and graduated from Hillside secondary school in 1978. He used to be a local firefighter in West Vancouver.

The Secret Road Just Off

Ross Penhall's painting, The Secret Road Just Off, is a very beautiful painting in my opinion, because I love how everything is set up in the painting, like how the path goes to an unknown secret place. I like how Ross made the trees look soft so that you can feel as if you can reach through the painting and feel its softness. By looking at the painting, it makes me feel a sense of freedom, peace and quiet. Ross Penhall has a very unique style of painting that tells him apart from any other artist. I enjoy looking at his artwork. He uses light shades of greens in the sunlight, while he uses brushstrokes of darker green under the shadow.

Lead The Way

This Painting, called Lead the Way, is another painting by Ross Penhall. I love this painting because Ross used nice light transitions, and made the trees look so fluffy, like cotton candy. I really enjoy looking at Ross's paintings, and I like to imagine what it would be like to be in that picture. Would I feel free? Happy? Maybe even lonely. Ross again uses darker and lighter greens which help the light transitions look natural and calming.

Helen McNicoll's Paintings

Helen McNicoll Info

Helen Galloway McNicoll (18791915) was a Canadian impressionist painter.She was born in Toronto. Helen became deaf in childhood as the result of scarlet fever, so she learned to develop other skills like lip-reading, playing the piano and developing her talents as an artist. Most describe her as "one of the most profoundly original and technically accomplished of Canadian artists".

Midsummer

Helen's Painting, 'Midsummer' was painted in 1925. When I look at this painting, it makes me feel carefree and wild. I also feel that the people working in the field under the scorching sun, are very tired, and would enjoy a break. I like how Helen creates a shadow over the house, made by the tree. Helen uses colors that make the scene look dry. She uses multiple brushstrokes.

Picking Flowers

This painting is called 'Picking Flowers.' It was finished in 1912. Helen used a lot of shading and different colored brush strokes which makes the painting look realistic, yet, colorful. The two little girls look like they're having fun. She put shading into the girls' dresses, from the shadows. I like this painting, and I think she put a lot of time and effort into this painting. The colors she used also make the scene look like a nice dry day.

Bill Reid's Paintings

Bill Reid Info

Bill Reid (1920-1998), acclaimed Haida master goldsmith, carver, sculptor, writer and spokesman, was one of Canada's greatest artists.Bill Reid was born to a Haida mother and a European father. He studied jewelry-making and later studied classic European jewelry-making. He combined European jewelry techniques with the Haida art tradition. For the next fifty years Reid embraced many art forms. He continued to explore his rich Haida cultural heritage,

Haida Raven

In Haida culture, the Raven is the most powerful of mythical creatures. Although this piece of art only has two colors, red and black, it still shows a lot of beautiful first nation details. First nations' art usually tell or represent a story. I love how he puts all those tiny details into the frame of the outer part.This piece of artwork is something I enjoy.

Children of The Raven

The piece of artwork celebrates the creation of humankind by Ravens. I think that the raven is an important animal in Haida culture, and that's why Bill Reid likes to paint about them. I like how this painting has more thicker lines and colors in the previous painting. Bill Reid is an important artist in First Nations art.

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