Studio Tour | Contacting the Artist
The
Breakout Pass |
"In
a world preoccupied with the bizarre, the sensational and horrific,
I
find great enjoyment in watching children at play. Their
joyous laughter, enthusiasm and naivete are a source of endless fascination
-- especially when the setting is a hauntingly beautiful prairie or foothills
landscape." |
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The
Goal Mouth Scramble
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Raised under the endless sky of a prairie landscape, I have always been fascinated by the effects of light -- its luminosity, its mood, its relationship, and, of course, its colours. Bright colour is an important element in my painting and working with the full chromatic scale is a real passion. I also relish "fat" paint and, now more than ever, I love to use its texture and encrustment. I am likely more attune to the effects of light and colour because as a child I had so much time to observe. I was born crippled and could never run and play like other children. This would also explain why my work is often filled with action. I have studied movement all my life and you will usually find the power of diagonals in every composition, most often to illustrate the vitality and enchantment of children at play. Here lies an important element of my paintings -- children at play. Few activities, few scenes in the world today can embody so much. For example, in a simple game of "shinny", in a thrown-together game of hockey on a homemade rink, you will witness the bare reality of life -- the struggle and the conflict, right vs. wrong, selfless vs. selfish, triumph vs. failure. Children learn of the ability to cope, to adjust, to move forward in the face of adversity. But, over and above all this, there is simply the love of the game. |
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On
the Jumping Pound
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Biography W. R. Brownridge graduated from the Alberta College of Art (Calgary, Ab., Canada) in 1957. Following that he was a professional graphic designer for some 30 years, finishing his career as Art Director in one the city's top advertising firms. During that time he received a Canada Council Grant in 1975 to paint the vanishing railroad architecture of the Prairies and that series of original paintings was widely exhibited. As well, in 1981 he received a commission from the Calgary Winter Olympic Development Association to render a series of serigraphs depicting the games' events. There were later used as part of Calgary's winning bid for the 1988 Winter Olympics. In 1995 he left advertising so he could dedicate himself exclusively to painting. Since then his art has been exhibited in galleries across the country. He has had exhibitions in Calgary's Glenbow Museum, the National Musuem of Science and Technology in Ottawa, with the Alberta Society of Artists, the Ontario Society of Artists, the Burnaby Print Show, Young Contempories of Canada, the Red River Exhibition, Calgary Stampede and Exhibition, and has been exhibited extensively in galleries across Western Canada. Since 1987 he has had 10 individual shows, most of which sold out, and his paintings are presently available in three different Canadian galleries. His work appears in the collections of many corporations, NHL hockey teams, NHL players, and hundreds of individuals.
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Skating
Rink by Moonlight |
Outreach The ideology behind Heart of Hockey Outreach is really very simple. It is Bill's attempt, as a grateful artist, to return to children the wonder and excitement created by art and literature. As a devoted father of five children, Bill spent many joyful hours with his own children and learned to appreciate the innocence of their world. His children were stimulated and inspired by art and literature and he observed what activated their imagination and awakened their ability to dream. Further, his love of team sports is boundless, and he saw hockey as a metaphor to alert children to the critical social aspects of life: loyalty, teamwork, and that most elusive of all life skills, selflessness. His outreach to children is through his children's books, his readings and speaking engagements, and demonstrations on drawing. A list of schools where he has recently spoken is provided at his website. If your school or group is interested in such activities, please contact a Heart of Hockey representative through his website www.heartofhockey.com. Also of note, if your school or other non-profit group is interested in using Bill's work for fundraising purposes, discounts are offered for such use.
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Galleries Canada House Art Gallery Mayberry Fine Art West End Gallery
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Bill Brownridge |
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All art copyright by the artist. |
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