Artist Statement

My influences are both drawn from nature and the commonplace elements of rural life, and I enjoy exploring the connection between these. Using bold form, colour, and light, I try to derive a sense of place or moment which I hope is shared by the viewer.

Composition, I feel, is key. What I see and experience must translate structurally and directly to my art without being entirely representational, and so I’m working on honing my drawing skills and use of perspective so that my paintings will have a sound foundation as well as an expressive effect.

Biography

Gavin is a Nova Scotia-based artist who enjoys painting still-lifes, landscapes, and seascapes of the Bay of Fundy which he enjoys from his small home studio.
Largely self-taught, his techniques are continually evolving, and he mainly works with acrylics on canvas using a palette of bold colours punctuated with intense darks to create high contrast pieces. Gavin also experiments with watercolours, gouache and collage as well as digital visual art.

He has attended workshops with Nova Scotia based visual artists Lorna Mulligan and Janice Leonard. He is currently enrolled in an advanced online painting and drawing course with British artist and educator Peter Stanyer for which he received an ARCAC scholarship.

Gavin came to the beautiful Annapolis Valley from Scotland in 2011. For the last six years, he and his wife have enjoyed stunning sea views and sunsets from their home in Port George.