Vera Dernovsek

A recent graduate of Rice University, Vera obtained a PH.D. in French Studies. Her thesis investigates the psychological and philosophical content of painting from a feminist perspective. After years of study, courses at Mohawk College and a program at Dundas Valley School of Art, she bagan painting independently.

“I Paint What I See”, says Vera, “My paintings have brilliant, decisive colors and shapes. I paint what I see, but give reality a personal twist. People find my work joyful and energizing, and with depth”.

John Visser

John’s love of painting began in his teens with both school and private art classes that were taught by local artists. He entered the Illustration program at Sheridan College and after graduating, he worked as a freelance Illustrator and in the graphic design and printing industry.

John’s passion for painting landscapes stems from a simple desire to evoke the sense of serenity and beauty that nature instills. What catches his interest is the unfolding drama of light and shadow in combination with the graphic, abstract qualities the landscape can possess.

The Gallery is excited to be hosting an Open House Reception on Saturday, March 31st from 2:00pm – 5:00pm. Ten of the 26 participating artists will be on hand to mingle and answer questions about their work. This is a unique opportunity to meet these talented artists in an informal setting.

The renowned Owen Sound artist Horace Vick’s works have been bought and sold by Gallery de Boer for years, and now we are collaborating with the Vick estate and are offering a wide range of his paintings, with highlights on exhibit in “Uncommon Ground – Revisited”.

Siggy Blum’s rich landscape drawings using pastels, Valerie Nichol’s bold bright acrylic abstracts, John Visser’s sense of serenity and beauty of his ruralscapes and Richard MacNaughton’s strong landscapes, both watercolours and acrylics all add new delights and a feast of visual food for thought!

Marlene Markle will be present to comment on 39 incredible paintings on display and Mathias Muleme’s etchings, unlike photomechanical reproductions, the intaglio image is conceived and executed entirely by the artist; each and every print from that plate becomes an original work of art.

Strong showings of leading Canadian artists Norval Morriseau, Carl Beam, Robert Markle, Roman Zuzuk, John Joy, Merv Stoble and Lorne Wagman add to this stellar line-up of artworks for your pleasure and investment. Gallery artist Wagman’s powerful mystical energetics in his paintings has inspired other Gallery de Boer artists and we have a feature wall celebrating and exploring this emerging group.

In all, 26 artists are show-cased and “Uncommon Ground – Revisited” is a vibrant banquet of visual aesthetics and many pathways of meaning that can enrich our minds, our homes, our businesses, our whole environment… our lives.

While new artists introduced then such as Sarah Slater and Tiffany Horrocks have joined the ranks of our gallery artists with continuing exhibits of new works, we are once again adding new artists as part of “Uncommon Ground – Revisited”.

The renowned Owen Sound artist Horace Vick’s works have been bought and sold by Gallery de Boer for years, and now we are collaborating with the Vick estate and are offering a wide range of his paintings, with highlights on exhibit in “Uncommon Ground – Continues”.

John Geeza’s rich landscape drawings using pastels and acrylics, Merv Scoble’s bold bright portraits of rock musicians, John Visser’s sense of serenity and beauty of his rural scapes and Richard MacNaughton’s strong landscapes, both watercolours and acrylics all add new delights and a feast of visual food for thought!

Mathias Muleme’s etchings, unlike photomechanical reproductions, the intaglio image is conceived and executed entirely by the artist; each and every print from that plate becomes an original work of art.

Strong showings of leading Canadian artists Norval Morriseau, Carl Beam, Robert Markle, Roman Zuzuk and Lorne Wagman add to this stellar line-up of artworks for your pleasure and investment. Gallery artist Wagman’s powerful mystical energetics in his paintings has inspired other Gallery de Boer artists and we have a feature wall celebrating and exploring this emerging group.

In all, 26 artists are show-cased and “Uncommon Ground – Continues” is a vibrant banquet of visual aesthetics and many pathways of meaning that can enrich our minds, our homes, our businesses, our whole environment… our lives.

As a result, the rear wing of the main gallery will be transformed to house Robert Markle’s work indefinitely.

This means those who were not able to see the exhibition will now be able to witness a glimpse of his artistic career.

At any given time there will be 35 to 40 of Markle’s works on display. We are also creating an online database of Robert’s works, so everyone is able to see what is available to add to their personal collection!

We are mid-way through hanging our latest exhibition and the Gallery already looks amazing. UNcOMMON GROuND Revisited is something of a continuing departure for us. When we complete our installation, we will have more than 25 regional, national and international artists on display.

Artwork is hung with more air space than some of our past exhibitions and each artist will have their own selected area of the Gallery. When several pieces of a single artist are hung and viewed together you get a strong sense of what the artist is about. I think you’ll agree that UNcOMMON GROuND Revisited is visually stunning and exciting.

A formal opening reception will be held towards the end of January – when everyone has had an opportunity to recover from the holiday festivities and obligations.

We felt it was necessary to display the Markle pieces longer so everyone is able to fully appreciate the entirety of his artistic career.

If you haven’t seen the Markle exhibition, please take the time to visit Gallery de Boer and don’t miss this rare opportunity to witness this exciting exhibition!

Where to begin to talk about an artist who was so prolific and inspiring to Canadian art? Throughout his entire art career he was able to dedicate himself to his subject and muse, explore the range of contrast upon line, and investigate the true nature of his deepest fascinations.

I was fortunate to be able to experience a glimpse of Markle’s art career through cataloging his entire collection for the past two years. Looking deep into each piece, decoding the abstract torsos, or even recognizing Markle himself as an observer was rewarding.

Going through over a thousand images made me realize how in each piece he deeply expressed his perspective on the female figure, staying true to his vision. This is where my appreciation for his art and career began.

Robert’s name came up while I was in art school and came across works of his in permanent collections, but not until I witnessed and researched Robert’s career would I begin to learn of his impact to the art world. As preparation for the exhibition continued over the months, I made a trip to the Markle farm house where I met his wife Marlene and saw his work in person.

Stepping into his studio was immediately awe-inspiring. There was an abundance of drawings, large oil and acrylic paintings, whirly-gigs and portfolios. Finally all the images I studied were there before my eyes. As Marlene spoke about each piece, the stories and his inspirations suddenly made the artwork more personable.

I was never shocked by what I saw in Markle’s art. His work can easily be juxtaposed in today’s society. Coming from a different generation where the media has shifted the idea of a female form, making it almost degrading at times, I was able to see the celebration of beauty within his pieces. I saw Markle’s figures as depictions of genuine women. You see the shapes, the exaggerated breasts and muscular legs through a male gaze.

Eventually I started to research more of Robert Markle’s life. With the various writings about him, I never paid attention to his “wrong turns” in life, but rather how he was as an artist. I was able to create my own opinion on his art without directly knowing him or witnessing it first hand.

Despite what everyone may have known about Robert and his fascination with his models, I didn’t want to focus on that aspect or what it had to with my opinion of his artwork. However, I did focus on the writings that involved reviews of his shows, interviews when he talked about his work, especially about the Eros 65 exhibition, and Robert’s personal writings that allowed me to see how passionate he was about so many things in life.

Throughout the continuous research there were times where I laughed at his witty humour, cried over his genuine heartfelt emotions (especially his words on childhood memories) and was surprised by his honesty when reading interviews. That gave me a better understanding to his bold personality.

As we inch closer to the exhibition and my final days at Gallery de Boer, I hope in some way I was able to give this artist the recognition he deserves. I may have never met Robert, but with each article, images of his art or photographs I come across, I feel that much closer to knowing who he really was.

I am extremely grateful to have been given the opportunity to explore Robert Markle’s art and share information with everyone to help showcase his life. It has given me inspiration as an artist to pursue every possibility within my own practice and be true to what I want to express. I sincerely want to thank Marlene Markle for all the wonderful insights into Robert’s work. I was able to see a new perspective after learning more about where his inspirations came from.

The exhibition “Blazing Figures” at Gallery de Boer will do homage to the artist; a journey through Markle’s life. Take the time to visit the exhibition and witness the retrospective of Robert Markle; it will shed new light into how the female nude is perceived.

This is a quote which I feel will continue to lend guidance in my art practice. These words by Robert will always resonate as I journey forward as an artist.

“You see, an artist should not have to explain the way of his work. It’s not the artist’s responsibility to justify what he does. His work is part of an on going process. It’s like an investigation into something he cares about”. – Robert Markle

The opening receptions for the exhibition ‘Blazing Figures: A Retrospective of Robert Markle’ are fast approaching!

We are having two receptions with an exciting book signing by J.A. Wainwright who wrote the biography “Blazing Figures: A Life of Robert Markle”

Please join us on Friday August 26th 7-10 pm and Saturday August 27th 1-4 pm to see the fascinating exhibition ‘Blazing Figures: A Retrospective of Robert Markle’

Hope to see you there!

For more information about the Robert Markle exhibition.