GALLERY DOUGLAS PIKE
Newfoundland artist . Paintings of the sea, boats ,sails and icebergs. A modern approach to landscapes.
Painter, cinematographer and photographer
Background
I was born in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada in 1946. At age eleven, I started to study painting with well-known Newfoundland artist, Helen Parsons Shepherd. I later studied with other recognized artists such as Reg Shepherd, Christopher Pratt and Dutch sculptor, Hans Melis.
At age 20, I went to New York City to study photography at The New York Institute for Photography. Upon returning from New York, I began working as a photographer and cinematographer in St. John's. I continued painting and soon took an interest in print-making. I became a member of the St. Michael's Print Shop and studied under master print-maker, Bill Ritchie.
In 1986, I moved to Toronto, Canada, where I began working as a freelance cinematographer. I continued to paint and print out of Open Studio.
In 1992, I was commissioned by Canada's National Railway, Via Rail, to create a work for their " Train Car Series ".
In 2000, I had a solo exhibition at the Fifth Street Gallery in Toronto entitled "Whales, Sails and Icebergs".
Inspiration
My travels as a photographer and cinematographer have undoubtedly shaped who I am. I have been fortunate to have travelled to some of the most unique places on earth - from the tiniest hamlet at the North Pole to Asia's bustling cities to the remote uninhabited Galápagos Islands in South America. I have met some incredible people... and creatures... and have enjoyed briefly living alongside them. Their experiences have become my own and unbeknownst to them, they have had an everlasting effect on my life. These individuals and their daily routines have been the main inspiration for my work in pictures.
However, as one can see from my paintings, I almost inevitably "return" to my homeland to seek inspiration as a painter. More precisely, it is what surrounds this land that captivates me most - the sea. Having grown up on an island in the North Atlantic, one cannot help but bear witness to the many moods of the ever- present water. From all angles - from the safety of land, from the air and from the sea itself; be it on oil rigs, ships, or precarious dinghies - I have felt both its fury and tranquility. Whether the images are realistic, abstract or a combination of both, it is this element of nature that is a constant theme in my art work.
Recognition
Throughout my career as a cinematographer, many of the shows I have worked on have won national and international awards. I am proud to have won a Canadian Gemini Award, a Kodak Spectrum Award, a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Wilderness Award, as well as to have received several other nominations for my work. At present, my art work is represented in numerous private collections around the world. This recognition from individuals is perhaps the greatest and most fulfilling.
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