Ray McNeice

Ray shares:

On My Easel

... latest acrylic still at the basing-in stage. 

Inspiration: Aguasabon Falls and canyon from our trip to Western Canada in June.

Ray is at studio #16  on the Tour 

Also at this location is Margaret Grandison 

Stop - Gap

Many years ago, Stouffville resident Luke Anderson was involved in a tragic mountain bike accident that left him a paraplegic. Based on his experiences after his accident, Luke created an initiative called 'Stop-Gap;' ramps designed to create awareness as well as access for individuals with handicaps.

Luke's initiative began in Stouffville, where he grew up and now he wants to push forward in Toronto. Check out this great video featuring Luke himself explaining his vision.


Now, Luke and his mother have organized a fundraiser for Stop Gap and asked the arts community for help. Twelve artists will be creating unique art on a Stop Gap ramp and they will be auctioned off to raise money for the cause. Studio Tour artists Valeria Ashton, Diana Bullock, Sandra Burke, Margaret Grandison, Dianne Green and Ray McNeice will be lending their artistic talents to this cause!

Below are photos of the ramp/paintings

Valerie Ashton (C)

Margaret Grandison (C)

Diana Bullock (C)

  

 Sandra Cole Burke (C)

Ray McNeice (C)

Dianne Green (C)

Ray McNeice new painting

Anyone who lives in Stouffville will tell you there is an "interesting" store downtown. This wonderful new painting says is all.

Blight 

Ray, Margaret, Marie and James are at Studio #17 on this years tour. Make sure to stop by and see this painting.

Plein Air

Husband and wife team Ray McNeice and Margaret Grandison enjoy painting outside or plein air.

As part of Cultural Days in Stouffville there was a call for artists to take to the streets of town and paint.

Here is Ray's painting ..... The corner of Main Street and Edward

And Margaret's ..... The corner of Main and Edward

It is alway interesting to see how different artists treat a similar subject. 

Make sure to stop by their Studio #17 on this years tour and see these paintings. Also at this location is James Wilkes and Marie Messina

Ray McNeice

"Ah, the glorious colour of Autumn in Canada! Ray McNeice had sketched this
scene in the summer a couple of years ago. He decided, before the leaves had
all fallen, that he would paint a watercolour and turn it into an exercise
in expressing the beauty of the Autumn season."

Make sure to visit Ray at Studio 18.
Bonus to this Studio is 3 other artists, Margaret Grandison, James Wilkes and Marie Messina

Artists Participating in Art

As much as artists love to create their own work, they also appreciate the work of others; artists visit galleries, learn in workshops led by other artists and can also participate in art created by others.

The latter is just what happened over the summer in the town of Stouffville.

Artists Linda Duvall and Timeanddesire (Denise St. Marie and Timothy Walker) asked members of the Stouffville community to share their feelings about the town in which they lived. Linda Duvall met with 12 local artists, including 8 Studio Tour artists whom she asked to take her to a location of interest or importance to them within Stouffville.  Videotaping their locations, Linda interviewed each, asking about the location itself as well as what each artist worried about living in Stouffville.

The result was a  lot of video tape that Linda edited into a 35 minute segment, and commemorative pillows with an image of each location that she visited. Why pillows? Linda had taken a trip to the local Care and Share Shoppe and been inspired by the commemorative objects for sale in that store.

On Thursday, Studio Tour artists were on hand for the opening of 'Artists and Agents' at The Latcham Gallery. Here, they stand next to their pillows:

(L to R) Allison Bullock, Ray McNeice, Joan Chalmers and Valerie Ashton

(L to R) Valerie Ashton, John Walmsley, and Margaret Grandison
Sandra Cole Burke and Diana Bullock not pictured

On September 28th The Latcham Gallery will host a panel discussion about this show as part of Culture Days in Ontario. Many of the participating artists will be in attendance as well as Linda Duvall and Timeanddesire.

Round Robin Paint Off May 9th 2013

On Thursday May 9th, 2013 the Whitchurch-Stouffville Studio Tour participated in a "Round Robin Paint Off" of York Region Studio Tours hosted by the York Region Arts Council.

The "Arts after Hours" event was a way for artists to meet and network with their peers. Creating art can be isolating so these events are excellent ways to "talk shop" with fellow artists. 

The entertainment of this evening was the round robin painting tournament.

For the "paint off" each team of 3 artists had 30 minutes to complete a collaborative painting. Four tours were represented, King Studio Tour, Newmarket Studio Tour, Richmond Hill Studio Tour and Whitchurch-Stouffville Studio Tour. 

Our team consisted of artists Ray McNeice, Colin Whitebread and Diana Bullock. 

They chose to depict a kettle lake at the bottom of the painting surrounded by houses and with hills and farmland in the background. Collaged into the houses was an area map of the farms from the late 19th century. 

As well as painting, our team took a video of their work. Looks like they had fun!

 

Here is a picture of all of the paintings created by the artists that evening.

Richmond Hill, Whitchurch-Stouffville, King, and Newmarket Studio Tours

Sanrdra Cole Burke

Sandra Cole Burke has joined Studio Tour artists Joan Chalmers, Margaret Grandison, Ray McNeice and John Walmsley  at new the Gallery at Imperial Centre in Stouffville.   

Your invited

Please join us at one of two opportunities to preview the exhibition and meet with the artists.

 Saturday, March 23^rd from 11 – 2

 Wednesday, March 27^th from 5 – 7

Sandra Cole Burke

Sandra Cole Burke

Or drop in weekdays from 10 – 5, weekends by chance or appointment.

Three Tour members - one location

There is a new venue for artists in Stouffville! 

Four of Ray McNeice's watercolours, five of Margaret Grandison's watercolours and two of James Wilkes’s photographs are included in an upcoming Original Art Exhibition and Sale at "The Gallery at Imperial Centre". The Gallery is located at 37 Sandiford Drive on the second floor of the Imperial Centre. 

The title of the exhibition is “Landscapes” and  runs from Thursday, Feb 14 through March 17, 2013.  

Margaret Grandison

Ray McNeice

Opening Night and Artist Reception is Thursday, Feb 21st from 5:00 t0 7:00. Visit with Ray and Margaret. (James is in Labrador and will be unable to attend) 

Please drop by to see this exciting new show and check out this wonderful venue!

Hope to see you there,

Ray McNeice

Ray McNeice has just finished hanging 23 of his paintings on the walls of our "funky" downtown coffee house. 

 

Here is a watercolour that he did one Sunday morning from across Main Street.  

For The Love of Jo has been a supporter of the local art community for several years. It hosts a monthly rotation of the painters of the Stouffville Studio Tour and February is Ray’s month. 

Please drop by if you're in our neighbourhood, say hello to Raphael or Michael and enjoy the best coffee in town. They also have wonderful homemade soups, sandwiches and desserts.

Ray, Margaret and Colin's painting trip

Studio Tour artists Ray McNeice, Margaret Grandison, Colin Whitebread and Colin's wife Susan just returned from a sketching and painting holiday in Newfoundland. 

While Ray and Margaret painted and Colin sketched, Susan supported their efforts while devouring a sack full of novels.

From outposts on Change Island and Durell to the historic town of Trinity,and on to St. John's, very little escaped their brushes and pens.  

Margaret

Ray

Colin

Look for a lot of scenes from "The Rock" at Studios #7 and #20 this year! And make sure you check Ray and Colin's Blogs for updates 

Ray McNeice at For the Love of Jo

Studio Tour artist Ray McNeice has just hung some 20 of his pen & inks drawings, watercolour and acrylic paintings at "For the Love Jo", a very arts-supportive coffee house on the Main Street in Stouffville. He hopes that those in the area will drop by for a look during the month of July and to support these generous folks. Great coffee, food and atmosphere!

They're here

Yes, just in time for Strawberry Festival the brochures are ready and they look great. Tour artist Ray McNeice does a fantastic job designing these brochures every year.

Be one of the first to pick yours up at the Stouffville Strawberry Festival tomorrow.... our booth will be just outside 19 on the Park. Stop by and say hello to some of the artists on the Tour.

Marie and Margaret

 A picture from last year's Tour at a very popular spot, four artists at one studio. On our Tour every location is a studio of at least one of the artists, therefore some of the stops have more than one artist! 

The Studio Tour artists have started gearing up for the 2012 Tour Weekend.  

Ray McNeice and Margaret Grandison are happy to be again hosting their good friend, potter Marie Messina and their talented photographer son, James Wilkes. This made for a very busy household last year as witnessed by Marie and Margaret taking a much-needed break behind the kitchen counter.

 Thanks to Ray for the write up and James for the picture.

Ray McNeice

At the Cornerhouse on Main in Stouffville are 11 of Ray McNeice's recent watercolours.

Ray is, first and foremost, a painter in the “plein air” tradition. His style is a product of a long career in graphic design… a concern for shape and form, eye movement and spatial relationships. His medium of choice is transparent watercolour. He likes its brilliance, its immediacy and its transportability for field sketches. Ray paints with controlled washes, working smoothly with an eye toward the balance of forms and shapes that give his work its distinctive character. His strong design and composition sense leans toward an objective abstract approach.

Visit Ray's new blog to see his work.

Ray McNeice

 

 

Visit beautiful Port Perry, Ontario and see 39 of Ray's latest paintings. A fantastic display of his work. It is a must see for the month of August. Link to article

Ray McNeice

Ray McNeice invites you to an exhibition of "Field Sketches" at the Kent Farndale Gallery in Port Perry for the month of August.
Ray is a plein air painter following the traditions established by members of the Group of Seven and Doris McCarthy.
Opening reception is Saturday July 30th 1pm to 3 pm
The Gallery is located at 231 Water Street Port Perry part of the newly renovated and extended Scugog Library complex.
The exhibition is open during library hours until August 25th.
Don't miss this! More of Ray's work can be seen here
Monday 10:00am to 6:00pm
Tuesday 10:00am to 9:00pm
Wednesday 10:00am to 6:00pm
Thursday 10:00am to 9:00pm
Friday 10:00am to 6:00pm
Saturday 10:00am to 5:00pm
Sunday 1:00pm to 5:00pm

Art exhibit - Ray McNeice

Watercolours by Ray McNeice on exhibit at the Beacher Cafe, Queen Street, Toronto