PHILIP CRAIG

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"California Vineyard with Red Barn"

Philip Craig, "California Vineyard with Red Barn," 2002, oil on canvas, 30" x 60".

PHILLIP CRAIG

By Rod Chapman

Philip Craig often sells out his shows on the first day, so expect a crowd at Diana Paul Galleries June 14 at the opening of a new exhibition of his work. A frequent traveller to Europe, many of his paintings depict scenes in England, Italy and France; last year he was in India, and he recently returned from California where much of his newest work is set. Known for layering his paint, Craig says he developed the technique working in acrylics in Newfoundland. "Distance is created by the fog," he says. "I was always trying to get more lustre - I'd use hundreds of layers, trying to achieve that feeling of depth and distance." Turning to oils, be began mixing in an alkyd stabilizing medium. He also began redefining his brushwork, adding complexity to each stroke. Because each layer of paint takes a day to dry, he works on many paintings, and often many different colours, at the same time. Philip Craig is represented by Loch Gallery in Winnipeg and Toronto and in Calgary by Diana Paul Galleries.