It certainly is a 'Merry Christmas!' on the world wide web ...

The internet is changing us. It permeates nearly every aspect of our conscious lives. It is altering not only the way we think, but the way we perceive the world: past, present, future and dream-time too.  Cumulatively, this is both a good AND a bad thing. But now is not the time to digress on a strident polemic ‘pro’ or ‘con’. Rather, in the short term, (and since you’re here anyway), consider these viral internet Christmas ‘treats’. To be sure, none would have the success they have had without our perpetual ‘clicks’ or ‘hits’.
Ho Ho. -- Surf’s up. (Adjust your audio to skip the YouTube adverts … ) 

 

Christmas Lights: GANGNAM style. 2 million hits, and counting. (Don’t shoot the messenger!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=9jWN5Myxtwg

Amazing Grace: Christmas Lights. Another festive folly at 23 million hits.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnk0KjWxgMA

Trans-Siberian Orchestra: an adapted Pachabel’s Canon. Visuals include a few cheesy velvet paintings, but hey, who cares, it has near 4 million hits.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45wmyMgyZuY

Again, Trans-Siberian Orchestra: The Nutcracker Suite (like you’ve NEVER seen or heard it.)  Not as well known, but still pretty impressive at 250,000+ hits and climbing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b20WvdNpomg

‘Santa Baby’ by The Good Lovelies (audio only) from Kingston Ontario. Obscure, with 4,000 hits, but delightful just to listen to their lovely harmonies.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-o637BDGm4

Chipmunks Christmas: Jingle Bell Rock (audio only.) Ok, ok, it’s a stationary cartoon, but it’s still had 3 million hits. (Clearly many miss these delightful little animated high-pitched rascals…. )

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eU6yn1pUHY

Christmas Carols by the Westminster Abbey Choir. Lovely choral arrangement with 118,000 hits. Not much of a visual, but again, this majestic music does impress, even on the web.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikJF89dtDR0

 

‘O Holy Night’ by Carrie Underwood. Guaranteed to send shivers down your spine, with the added bonus of sing-a-long script (… pity about the ‘devine/divine’ typos though.) The poor script and visual design may explain the surprisingly meager 124,000 hits.   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIRAlJSd0nM

A ten minute cosy wood-crackling fire with 2.5 million hits. (Time now for you to supply the Hot Rum Toddies or spiked egg nog.)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsD1zoI7NYo

Why all this ‘feel-good’ webby Christmas fuss? Well, seriously, there was this child born approximately 2012 years ago. The Story of Jesus Christ: Full Length Movie (2 hours). With a paltry 214 hits.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ox8XWYiKdNk&playnext=1&list=PLB36BACBD6EF64DEA&feature=results_main

Draw your own conclusions … 

Merry Christmas One & All.

Margaret Lindsay Holton  

Conor Harrington, Street Artist from Cork, Ireland

Detail from a Rodney Smith image ...

I was looking at some gimmicky Rodney Smith photographs recently - (in particular the background detail of an interior shot that evoked a somewhat predictable interpretation of another time & another era - look left) - and was also looking at an assortment of abandoned euro-castles shot by urban explorers ... when, by chance & consequence, I stumbled on the wonderful contemporary 'street art' by Conor Harrington.  WOW! To my eye, these images are a lovely fusion of traditional and contemporary that document the omni - 'colonial' decay of Western civilization as well as evoke a surprisingly uplifting 'future in-the-making'.  

On the other hand, it could just be the weather ...    
Samples of Harrington's work follows:

Marvelous, no? 

 p.s. I am trying a larger type size on my posts. 

You like? or not? Let me know. Thanks.

Exhibit 10: Art in the Workplace @ MIP, Hamilton

 

I'm 'in' with a pinhole photograph - 'Hawthorn Tree & The Fence Post' .

Dates: November 19th, with OPENING on November 29th.

Closing March 7th, 2013. All welcome.

 A few of my pinhole images were recently published in the 

wonderful HAL: Hamilton Arts & Letters Magazine  

Also, my brother, Luther Holton, is offering his first public art installation: 

CARRY 

This shows his provocative stone work about 1/4 of the way through.

(... photo portrait par moi tweeked in my 'White Out' way ... )

Opening Night: 

(A full & festive occasion, but not everyone was interested in the art .... )

Tara Krebs: Visual Enchantress ...

As I've mentioned before, periodically I stumble on a 'new' talent who is so evidently REALLY talented that I've got to toot their horn for a bit. Last week I popped in on the STELLAR solo show of Tara Krebs.
I didn't know much about her (and still don't really), except that I REALLY like what she's doing at the moment. Her works are so poignantly whimsical ... And if that seems a contradiction in terms, well, yes it is. But that's the FUN of her efforts. The earnest playfulness that immediately engages the 'viewer' is intoxicating. You just can't help yourself as you delve deeper and deeper into her striking 'small format' pieces.

Called, 'Narratives', these 'stories' seem like torn illustrations from some hybrid children's book, but on closer examination, there ain't anything 'childish' about this work. Masterfully executed, with a precision seldom seen these days, the 'stories' are intellectually and emotionally evocative, and oddly, very timely.
I guarantee that you will not come away from this exhibit 'bored'.

After a brief email chat, Tara has given me permission to mine a few shots from her website and post them here for you to consider. The following particular image worked its magic on me, especially after seeing a few 'preliminary' un-finished steps on Tara's blog, sample follows -  (Look closely in the 'unfinished' smoke-scape ... enchanting, isn't it? )

And another ...  (not my best 'copy/paste' repro ... )

 And another ...(better yet, go to HER SITE to be further tantalized ...)

 It is possible to procure these, and other of her engaging works, at very reasonable prices as 'photo prints' via Red Bubble. You just might want to do that. This is one to WATCH.

When compared to some of the Top 300 on Artnet, or the top 100 iconic artworks of the past 5 years one often does wonders ...To my mind, Tara certainly gets it.

Tree Wolf and Other Stories, 

Now showing at Hamilton Ontario's  

Manta Contemporary Art Gallery. 

Show runs from Nov 4-30 - See it.

Update: In March 2014, I wrote this article about Tara's work, for Raise the Hammer.

New Oil Paintings: Fall 2012

 Fall Foilage, Hamilton Beach - oil on board

 Tree Tops - oil on board

'Salmon Running, Bronte Creek, Burlington' - oil on board

Sunrise over North Burlington - oil on board

And, my second 'political pic' ... 
'Birds of a Feather'

Photo transfer, highlighted by gold ink & oil

If interested in purchase, (including size & price),

please contact the artist.

Capture Oakville 12: Oakville Camera Club

OPENING RECEPTION:  

Friday, November 23rd

7-9pm - FREE

Oakville TOWN HALL

Showing until January 2013. 

   In the Fine Art category -  

...  'Paint by Pixels' ... 

by yours truly 

The Oakville Camera Club hosts the 6th Annual Photography Exhibition, Capture Oakville 2012 * bringing together artists and art lovers from all over the GTA. 90 images will hang in the North Atrium of Oakville's Town Hall. Entrance is free and Open to the public. Oakville's Melissa Bel is playing live! Drinks are $4. Catering is complimentary.  Join us to celebrate local photographers and the town of Oakville *

Date: Friday, November 23rd, 2012

Address: 1225 Trafalgar Road

Time: 7:00pm

Update, Nov.24th: Great OPENING!! Lots of variety!

 Update Dec 3rd, 2012: 
Thrilled to have my image selected  
by the Town of Oakville  
for the Spring/Summer 2013 edition of 
their Parks &aRecreation Guide. 
25,000 copies will be distributed ...  woohoo ... :)
 Coming soon!

MLH Fall FUN Raiser! on-line Auction - Join in the FUN!

Prince William Visits Alberta, 2011: Blind to the Tarsands

( Oct 26th Update: GREAT NEWS!! My pinhole photographs have been featured in Fall/Winter issue of Hamilton Arts&Letters Magazine. woohoo! )

It's been a great, hot and BUSY summer. .... As I mentioned in my spring newsletter, I am now planning a 'private' MLH Fall FUN Raiser on-line Auction. To that end, I am offering you TEN unique MLH artworks:

3 memorable oil paintings by yours truly
3 riveting pinhole photographs
3 of my ever-popular photo-collage images

and, to start, ONE large black & white framed giclee print
of a fantastic view of the western end of Lake Ontario

Hosted by the reputable 32 Auctions Inc, this secure custom-tailored PRIVATE AUCTION will give you the chance to 'bid' on these TEN items for the NEXT FIVE(5!) days. Fun, eh? Take note: the on-line auction STARTS at 9AM, Thursday, Oct 25th and CLOSES at 10PM on Tuesday, October 30th.

You can VIEW all items anonymously. When ready to bid, you MUST register on the site to place your bid. Your name & email will remain private throughout the process. Payments can be made by credit card (via Paypal), OR, if you prefer - you can pay me directly, but you MUST BID on the auction site. I have chosen this route to save YOU money. Just think, it is possible that you could own an original MLH item at 50% off retail.

Join the MLH Fall FUN RAISER! on-line Auction - HERE 

 Once the auction closes, the pick-up or delivery of my TEN art works will be organized directly with the final winning bidders. I can deliver items within a 50 km radius of Waterdown, Ontario, Canada. Otherwise, a Shipping & Handling fee will apply.

In closing, the advent of the internet in our lifetime has resulted in a tumultuous social transformation. The challenge, for me, as a mid-career artist from Southern Ontario, Canada, is to not only remain 'current' but 'critical' of the global issues that are increasingly impacting all of us at the local level. As one of millions of species, we are in the beginning of a necessary & bumpy 'transition' to a more sustainable relationship to our Planet Earth. It is a transition that not only requires global Good Will but impassioned Positive Thinking at the local level. We're ALL twirling on this globe together!

And Fall is now upon us in the northern hemisphere of this continent. It is a wonderful time of year to look at new colours, new shapes & new ideas - sooooo -

Join the MLH Fall FUN RAISER! on-line Auction - HERE

Have Fun! - And THANK YOU!
Very best - Lindsay
Margaret Lindsay Holton
Golden Horsehoe Artist & Author
On Twitter, LinkedIn and Wikipedia.

 p.s. If you're not interested in the admittedly 'better investment' of the on-line Auction, I have also put up some items from my NEW 'WhiteOut' series on my FineArtAmerica PRIVATE GALLERY. Samples shown below. --- And many thanks to all! xo mlh

'White Out Series', 2012 by m.l.holton

Country Roaming: Fall Shots 2012

 Misty Morn ...

 Burlington Skyway Bridge from Kerncliff Park

 Harvest Time 

 Back Steps

 

 Miller's Wheel 

 

 Autumn Reflections on Rocks in Stream 

 

 Bronte Creek - South End

 

 Salmon Fishing, Bronte Creek

 Bird Habitat

 Milkweed Landscape

... hey, contented pigs napping in the autumn sun ... 

ENJOY  the Fall... :)

Note to Self: Paint This

Douglas Coupland: Gets it Right Again ...

As I mentioned earlier this year, I intend to post links to other items and artists of current interest. When I saw this 'poster' from Douglas Coupland's latest exhibition, 'Slogans from the 21st Century' at the Daniel Faria Gallery, I just went 'yup' ....

Exhibited at Daniel Faria Gallery, Toronto.

Coupland will next 'appear' at the Serpentine Gallery in England for their inaugural 'Memory Marathon'.
Running next weekend, oh, I'd LOVE to be there for that one!