The Painting Portfolio of Canadian Artist Joe Green
Greens Mother was an artistMy Maternal Grandparents. Olga and Eugene Letawsky.Anne & Mike Hwozdeki (Baba & Gido)
Here is a small cross section of the painting portfolio of Joe Green. He has routinely said he’s lost count of all the paintings he’s produced over his career and in his quest to further his understanding of paint, he’s actually been able to invent his own unique style which is immediately recognisable and some critics have said his work resembles what amounts to as a 3D version of Van Gogh and Pollock.
Green first came to prominence in Vancouver prior to the 2010 Olympic Games when he produced a 6 part series of oil on canvas paintings which celebrated the Cambie Village community and documented the destruction to the community as the city broke the promises they made to use a tunnelling machine and elected to rip a massive trench in the middle of the road and by extension, imposed a hard condition on merchants of the Cambie Village and subsequently resulted in many small businesses going out of business. At his first artshow at the Cambie Starbucks, the show attracted so much media attention that he was interviewed by approximately a dozen media outlets and was invited to subsequently participate in a variety of media spot commentaries. As a deeply private person, having literally millions of people become instantly aware of him was a very intense experience for him.
As a deeply private artist with a near and exclusive focus on the quality of the work, Green has shown works at the Art Gallery of Alberta, Edmonton’s Shaw Conference Centre, shows in Edmonton and Vancouver and elsewhere, has routinely said “If I have no more than perhaps 6 major shows in my life, I’ll be more than happy with that.” Green went on to say “In my experience, there are those within the arts community who tinker, play around, they slap on some paint or resin, have a show or two and think they are an artist. In the music world, there are some that buy a guitar, practice a couple times, have a small gig and think they are an international rock star and musical artist. Art and the production of it is the result of the soul needing to push work out because its in the process of confronting something, whatever it is, regardless of medium or discipline. Its the prevailing and overriding operational philosophy. Art vs. technical depiction is a massive struggle to identify within. If you don’t use what the power of art is or can be, a divine-like means of catharsis, you short change yourself. By how much? You end up missing nearly all of what it is supposed to be. You can hear the difference when a pianist technically plays a piece versus when they transcend the technical and lift the piece into the artistic stratosphere when it comes from deep within the soul. Art is supposed to be meaning carried by what is being depicted and there are too many who confuse and conflate the two or they simply can’t distinguish the differences. Being an artist often leads real artists to making the choice of starving or producing and more often than not, they choose the latter because its just that important. It is the soul whispering to the being…’YOU MUST DO THIS! THIS IS YOUR REASON FOR EVERYTHING!'”.
The biggest lesson one can learn is the difference between the two and once you do, a new world opens up.”
“Every artist must pay their dues to the universe. That is just how it is. You can’t avoid it if you ever expect to become an artist. Its a question of “How bad do you really want “this“?
Is this something that if you don’t do, you will implode? Or is this something well….you like to consider yourself a tinkerer?” There are core fundamentals people must understand about art. Real artists will recognise other artists, understand their struggles and appreciate where they are at and always offer support. I’ve been subjected to some of the worst, most unprofessional treatment one could ever possibly understand, conversely, I’ve also been blessed with experiencing some of the finest human beings living today and their professionalism. I would have to say, at the core of anyone’s success, there must be a respect shown for others, regardless of wealth, stature, standing, heritage, sexual orientation or anything which could bias your perception. It need not matter what the work is, its that you respect the genuine effort and the person making it. When that respect is not present, jettison those people. Life is too short to spend it with disrespectful people. Disrespectful people can destroy the soul of an artist.
“ART IS NOT ABOUT THE GALA’S. ART IS ABOUT THE CONDITION OF THE SOUL, IT’S HEALTH AND ITS MEANS OF EXPRESSION REGARDLESS OF MEDIUM, OIL, DIGITAL, ENGINEERING, MEDICINE, POLITICS…WHATEVER…IF YOU DON’T GET THAT, YOU WILL NEVER BE AN ARTIST. EVER.“
Eyes light up when they paint with me
Green, a highly respected artist always calls it like he sees it and that demeanour has solidified his reputation as a genuine and authentic artist and voice within the arts community. Always respectful of other artists work, their vision and work ethic, and his love for people has resulted in developing a close cadre of trusted colleagues he routinely turns to for advice. “I’m only interested in listening to the voice of my brush and it is inherently unique. Every artist has their own voice and its their responsibility to listen to it if they expect to refine their own unique style. Regardless of the look, style, medium and more, the most important element for each artist is to find, listen to and refine their techniques based on their own voice. That voice is informed by the personal hardships, torment, heartbreak, love and joy they have experienced and unless you use the creative arts process to confront what amounts to the un-confrontable, you will never grow. The moment you succumb to being afraid to confront even the darkest aspects of what resides in your soul, that’s where your journey ends. I’ve seen it and its truly sad. As long as you respect that core fundamental and understand that, I don’t care what medium, method or style you use to explore whatever it is you are exploring, as long as you are honest and respectful and courageously dedicated to that pursuit, I will always be there to turn to for support, advice or critiques to help you further refine your own practice. Being an artist is challenging enough as it is, but if you enter this arena with a massive ego, sanctimonious attitude or arrogant dismissal of anyone in their own pursuit, regardless of what level they are at, then you have undermined your own credibility and authenticity and subsequently erode any desire to interact with you.”
Alberta Premier Rachael Notley applies the final brush stroke on the painting of the Legislature.
The Most Ancient Practice
With the large Canadian Flag he painted and now hangs in the House of Commons, he donated it on the proviso that it never leave Canadian soil for any reason. He produced a series of high resolution prints which he has given a large majority of them all away to recognise and inspire many about Canada. These prints are a way to allow Green to share his love of Canada with others who feel the same. That painting was painted on the streets of Vancouver with a large amount of people who once they made a brush stroke, were invited to sign the back of the painting and anchor their name to Canadian art history. He regards that as hanging in the House of Canada in the Offices of the Leader of the Official Opposition and for him, that’s “good enough” as it acts as a symbolic reminder to keep all governments in check and act as the grinding stone to keep the sword of Canada as persistently as sharp and dignified as possible.
Currently Green is working on expanding his collection of works in the new medium of resin painting. Green also accepts painting commissions on the proviso that all collectors absolutely accept what he provides as it is an authentic expression of whatever subject matter they wish him to paint. He has had a large number of commissions and enjoys providing collectors with providing them with a painting of a subject matter they wish to see depicted in his style. If you wish to contact him for a possible commission, please contact him through this website.
This portfolio section is broken down into three areas:
I used to paint in high school. I decided to take a painting class in university as an homage to my mother. The moment that I laid down the first brush stroke, it was like walking into a massive, gymnasium sized room, filled with an inch of gasoline on the floor and my first brush stroke, was like throwing a lit match onto the floor. The fuel ignited an inferno within and ever since that moment, I knew there was no turning back. I discovered a massive component of my late mothers soul and ever since then, when I stare at any original painting, I can see, almost as if its stamped into the paint, the emotional state of the artist and where they are or were in their respective journey as a painter. I recall staring at a Van Gogh, being lost in his tormented brush strokes, yet could feel his love for the refuge of paint he had. Van Gogh is my primary influence as a painter. I love his style as it has found its influence within my work. I often think to myself, if he only had more resources to paint, how would his style evolve? As such, through that question, I’ve managed to develop my own unique style and pioneered my own technique rooted in the love for his work and paint pigments in general. Paint supplies are worse than any narcotic addiction. When I paint, paintings seize me, my soul and very being. I have no control over it, when it comes, how it comes or why. I absolutely surrender to it and I let whatever the painting needs to be to flow through me as I am its instrument. The worst thing anyone can do is to try and force it. When you are in that zero-point of zen creativity, from the outsiders perspective, it may look like a ferocious creative storm, however from my perspective, its like sun tanning on a yacht in the middle of an F-5 Hurricane. The more I produce, the closer I get to the absolute calmness and serenity of the zero-point. When I don’t paint, I shift focus into the digital high end and can step into that role seamlessly. Developing that skill has been an immense challenge, however, working in the digital realm is cheap to produce work, if I was painting full time, I can easily blow through over 1M a year in supplies without breaking any sweat at all. When I routinely work 80 hours a week, I do because I enjoy it immensely. Being an artist is a curse and burden, but it is also a divine blessing as I can express myself and my artwork, anchors me to truth. If I ever violate this sacred internal relationship within, it is worse than committing spiritual suicide. As long as I have all of that in balance, it has allowed me to delve deep into areas of life which have enriched my soul that quite frankly, no words can ever describe.
Every artist and their journey is equally important and worthy of the highest respect possible. I don’t care about anything materialistic as that plays no role at all in my work nor interacting with others. I care about, very deeply, the state of the soul of the person or artist I speak with. Materialism and financial standards are not a pre-condition for interaction within my life as they have no role in the development of the soul as exemplified by the work of the artist regardless of medium. Real artists use their skills to confront the internal struggle, hardships and torment experienced by the artist. Some say that all the great art comes from the most troubled of artists. It is through ones practice of using the skill set developed and refined by artists to confront the inner horrors within which the medium documents, which enables the work to transcend the quality from just being good, to being truly great. That is the core fundamentals of what it means to be an artist. If life comes within a whisker of destroying your very soul, in any capacity, regardless of gender, race, heritage, sexual orientation or metric, if that person can, through the diligent application of consistent practice, continue to produce work, eventually they will become a master and when they turn their gaze towards that horrifying internal confrontation within, can confront the wild beast and slay it through producing work and by extension, push out the pain and torment and imprison it within the canvas and as a result, heal what seems like the unhealable soul. Its a practice of exercising genuine power as you deal with technique, a medium, an issue, through practice you refine your skills and through courage you confront that within and at the end of the day, you blow out the septic tanks of your soul, leaving a clean tank within, utterly clean, quiet, peaceful and calm, and that is what it means to be an artist. If you want to slap paint or resin on a canvas and make up some nonsense about what that piece is, you miss the point entirely. Absolutely miss it. I am only concerned about the work, because I concern myself with the condition of the soul and that is so important as its meaning which gives purpose within our lives. When infused with hope, it has the potential to become, once you go through this process, a deeply private, personal and intimate experience where with each brush stroke, like yoga and meditation, it profoundly calms the soul and one can see the world through new eyes as if a blind man viewing a sunrise for the very first time.
As a sensitive, alpha-male, hetero-sexual, military-inspired artist, I am in an extreme minority, however its blessed me with immensely powerful and enriching experiences in life. I’ve experienced the hard struggles in life, from many deaths beginning at a young age, financial hardships, not being understood because I talk and think different, along with meeting those who are those in society who use and abuse, mislead, defraud, manipulate, dismiss and insult others, all of which have served to directly enrich my art. Outputting art is like equalising my soul pressure at depth. With each experience in life, especially the ones which have caused me immense pain, from trying to be nice to a fellow artist and help them out and being profoundly and unjustifiably insulted to the immensely profound positive experience of letting people paint with me, showing them directly the power of this ancient practice, or handing them a signed print of the Canadian Flag to inspire them, all of these experiences serve to equalise my soul as I get deeper and deeper into the depths of the ocean of art. Through my practice, I am only interested in exploring the very depths of the soul, my own soul, this art life, existence, meaning, the human condition and more, and exercise the most gentle of compassion whenever possible, for as someone whose soul has been battered and bruised, there is something oh so delicate about being gentle, kind and loving…its actually beautiful to be gentle when you have an arsenal of power at your fingertips.
Art has served to bring my life into ultra sharp focus, pursue that which provides meaning and abandon that which doesn’t. We will all die at some point and I choose, as you all should, to cram as much love, beauty, courage, inspiration, strength, hope and optimism into every moment of your life, so that you can look back when all of this is over and say to yourself “I did my best, I never hurt anyone, I accomplished what I set out to, and completed every single thing I ever wanted to. I have absolutely no regrets because I did it right, I’m good to go.” Welcome to my painting portfolio. This has always been a deeply private section within my life and it gives me great pleasure to show you all, most of my work. I’ve lost count how much work I’ve done, lost track of lots of work, however I managed to compile a good list of paintings. I will continue to update this section as I produce new works. May these works serve to inspire you all to pursue your art, your dreams, your vision, regardless of how mundane or out of this world they may be considered. Go for it. Do it. Try it. I support you. Go as deep as your art submarine can go. Use your skills to confront the deepest and most painful parts of your history. Trust me. When you get through it, it will change your soul. Don’t be the technician. Be the Artist. Be You.
Much love to each and every one of you all. Thank you, honestly, for taking the time out of your day to visit this website. It means the world to me. I sincerely hope you enjoy this work, as I’ve spent many years producing the works and an immense amount of time building this website to serve this specific purpose. If you have any questions, comments or just want to say “Hi!”, I would love to hear from you. Wherever you are in this world as you read this, make today and this week, the absolute best week you’ve ever had in your life and may it only be the first of many more to come!
Sincerely,
Joseph
Ready?
“Producing a painting is like having a lovely and intense love affair with someone, but knowing full well its only temporary. Its intense, colourful, magnificent, but when its over, its over. Each painting is like a lover of sorts. Its intimate, intense and leaves me with a level of physical, spiritual and mental exhaustion that is unlike anything else. My paintings capture an idea and because I paint so much, I’ve discovered something very remarkable about painting, or my paintings anyway. At the core of my work is the belief that the only thing that matters is the voice of the brush and being true to that. A painting will become what it needs to become through the style of the artist. My role is to be as faithful to the idea of the painting in an absolute pure form that when its works, its like a sail capturing the winds which pull your boat across the seas. When you try to impose your own will over it, you experience a tormenting tearing feeling inside. A painting has a life of its own which must be respected and you must be honest with it. When you are, you are privy to an absolutely magnificent experience and when its finished, sometimes you can actually hear the painting speak to you saying “Done”.
This list of paintings is shown in no particular order of priority nor significance. Given the large body of work, emphasis was paid to assembling the list. The painting on the left is titled “Sunset with Bailey”. This painting was mounted on the easel and blew over and landed on Green’s dog. As you can see, the water part landed on her face. She was okay, but looked like a smurf for about a week.
“Shaw Conference Centre 2nd Annual Art Night
Green was invited to attend the 2nd Annual SCC Annual Art Night in 2018. “I found the staff incredibly hospitable, gracious and very kind. Thank you to the wonderful staff for putting on an event like this to show off the works of local artists. I was honoured to have been asked. I don’t place much of a priority to show my work and so I decided that for this occasion, I would drain my studio and show a cross section of my work ranging from paintings, coins, chess games and aerospace design. I ended up bringing the most work out of any artist. For the 2.5 hours of the show, it took a full day to move all the work, but it was worth it, especially to see all the wonderful work by other artists.”
2nd Annual Shw Conference Centre Art Night
2nd Annual Shw Conference Centre Art Night
I gave the the little girls prints of the flag to inspire them.
2nd Annual Shw Conference Centre Art Night
“I had a wonderful experience at the SCC and I would like to thank the organisers for putting on the event. I look forward to showing there again at some point in the future. I met a number of highly talented artists and it was my pleasure and honour to be have been able to participate and show off some of my work. I truly love and adore interacting with many lovely people and doing what I can to inspire them. Given my workload, I most definitely need to show more.”
Selected to Attend International Painting Retreat in Portugal
Green was selected among a large group of international artists to attend a painting retreat in the Algarve in Portugal. While there, he had the fortunate opportunity to meet Ms. Apryl Davis and Manny Munaf Baksh (Backfish Manny), other amazing artists who have now evolved into life long friends. They decided to form “The Snail Arts Collective”. While there, Green painted 7 canvases, with one being the flag of Portugal with the intention of presenting it to the people of Portugal at some point in the future as a gift from the people of Canada. This was Green’s first international overseas trip and one that he shall cherish for the rest of his days and it has inspired him to keep driving hard to travel more. While there, he painted on the streets and in his trademark style, offered the opportunity to others to paint with him and sign the back of his paintings.
Ridiculously Amazing Food, Amazing Culture, Port Wine, Beers, and a cool guy named Bricktop
Next Destination: Egypt
There is nothing in the world like being able to travel and see the world, experience amazing cultures, meet inspiring and kind people and document the experience through painting.
Art Gallery of Alberta-100th Anniversary of the PPCLI
Green was invited to participate with a number of truly amazing and inspiring war time artists to participate in a group show at the AGA to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. “The artists who attended are some of the most inspiring and talented people I’ve ever had the privilege to show along side. That day was an overwhelming day beginning with presenting a large 8×4 foot painting of the colours to the Regiment, followed by moving it to the AGA, then dealing with family and friends and I wish I had more time to sit and enjoy visiting with my fellow artists as it was a truly wonderful experience. Unfortunately, the experience was tarnished by the representative from the AGA telling everyone at the opening that my work was not ‘Good enough for the AGA’ and for me to ‘Let me have my moment’. Lol. Yup.
For more information about these works, please check the military section.
Dooryway into Quantum Paint
“Here is the painting which opened my eyes about just what the hell a painting is. This is 8’x4′ oil on canvas and I painted it in Vancouver. This painting hung on my deck and every time I had a little extra paint left over from another painting, I would empty the tubes on this canvas. Eventually over a year of doing this, its slowly came together. One day, my friend asked me if I could paint her car with some Tremclad rust paint, which I did and with the leftover paint, I drizzled it into this painting. When I thought it was complete, I laid it flat on my deck for it to dry. A few hours went by before I came outside to check on it and to my utter amazement, the paint moved all on its own due to how it was slightly inclined and it filled itself out entirely on its own and when I saw that, I teared up as it was the first time one of my paintings did this. This painting is a doorway into the quantum level where time is an adjustable variable. This painting is what I would regard as my first real masterpiece. It’s powerful, absolutely magnificent and colourful. Its a portal into the universe of intense and passionate creative colour which envelopes the soul.” (96″x48″ Oil on Canvas)
Doorway into Quantum Paint with my buddy and biggest painting supporter Dean Belder who is currently storing this painting. I joke about it calling it “100M on Deans Wall”. lol.
Showdown with Stephen Colbert
“This is a painting I did as a response to Stephen Colbert mocking Speed Skate Canada. This painting is autographed on the back by Stephen Colbert and Michael Buble. I gave Michael Buble some space rope, told him the story and told him to decouple the twisted pair rope and give the other half to Stephen Colbert. This happened back stage during a filming of the Colbert Report at Science World during the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games.” (24″x 36″ Oil on Canvas)
This is the Spot Where I Fell in Love with You
“My great uncle used to be a chef at the Hotel MacDonald many years ago. My great aunt gave me his old chefs whites and that jacket became my painting outfit. I wanted to document how significant of an impact that jacket has made on me and my arts practice and how my great Aunt always spoke fondly of the Hotel and so I wanted to paint it. When I informed the hotel management of the history of my jacket, they graciously provided me with one as a gift. “
A couple was gracious enough to pose for a picture with my painting and paint the back of the painting. This painting is sold.
Photo: Dean Belder
Photo: Edge Photography
Photo: Dean Belder
Photo: Edge Photography
Prints presented to the staff as thanks. Photo: Joe Green
Prints presented to the staff as thanks. Photo: Joe Green
Prints presented to the staff as thanks. Photo: Joe Green
Photo: Edge Photography
Hotel MacDonald in Edmonton. (48″ x 60″ Oil on Canvas)
I Love Lucy
Green was invited to paint with Lucy the Elephant at the Edmonton Zoo in front of a class of little children. After painting with Lucy, Green invited the little children to make a brush stroke and sign the back of the paintings. They were sold as part of a fundraising effort with all the proceeds being donated to a foundation dedicated to the preservation of elephants.
Evolving Beauty
“Here is one painting which really struck me deep and I’ve witnessed its effect of halting others in their tracks, even those with no real experience in the arts world. This painting is a portrait of a girl. It started out as a regular portrait, but then it needed to change. Here is the freaky thing about this painting and it never became apparent until much later. It is only when you apply correct lighting which cast shadows from the textures does the face of the woman emerge. Her hair is up, she is wearing a choker, she is beautiful but has experienced the rough and tumble aspects of life. When I first saw her emerge, for me, it brought paintings to an entirely different and higher level.” This painting is now in a private collection. (60″ x 40″ Oil on Canvas)
A Beautiful Storm
“This painting is dedicated to a lovely young lady who sadly passed away. Her life and legacy served to inspire this painting which gave me the most significant idea I’ve ever had. This painting began as a portrait but then morphed into what it is today. This painting for me, represents the most overwhelming aspects of what art is. Art is raw, powerful, when its time to paint, you don’t have a choice, when you’re brutally honest, its interpreted as something its not and this experience left me feeling incredibly injured and raw with emotion. It left me feeling so incredibly raw that I had a long conversation with the universe. This painting is like a duality. If you want to be a real artist, then it comes with the high price tag of misunderstanding and pain. I donated this painting to a wonderful organisation so that it may be displayed in an area which may serve to inspire others who may feel as though there is no hope in life nor light at the end of the tunnel.” (60″ x 40″ Oil on Canvas)
Miss Bailey
“Miss Bailey was my beloved companion for nearly 19 years. When it was her time to go, I put her to sleep in my home in Vancouver to the Flower Duet Opera. I was devastated. Given how she was such an integral part of my life, I decided to bury her ashes in a portrait of a painting I did of her in oil paints. She now resides in my bedroom and every time I look at it, I am looking at her. It is a beautiful way to commemorate the lives of loved companions.”
Miss Bailey’s ashes were buried in her own burial painting. Rest in peace Miss Woofsters. (48″ x 60″ Oil and ashes on canvas)
Fat Mama
“Fat Mama was my cat for nearly 17 years. She was pure white with blue eyes, deaf and the absolute most loving cat one could ever hope to ever have. She would constantly demand cuddles and love and she used to shed like chalk on a chalkboard. When she passed away, it was really hard on me as I lost the last part of my tiny family. I buried her ashes in a painting of her and she hangs across from Miss Bailey in my bedroom.”
Paint & Fat Mama’s ashes mixing
Fat Mama, Fat Mama….
…Where you gonna go Fat Mama?
She was one crazy cat. hahaha
Fat Mama! Fat Mama! Where you gonna go Fat Mama!? (48″ x 60″ Oil and ashes on canvas) Rest in peace girl.
Beers with Nick and Relic
I decided to paint the famous Molly’s Reach as a way to honour the Canadian cultural TV show sensation The Beachcombers. Jackson Davies, the actor who played an RCMP Constable on the show was gracious enough to pose for a picture with this painting hanging at Trixi’s Crepes in Vancouver. This painting was sold to a lovely collector.
Jackson Davis poses with Beers with Nick and Relic. 48″ x 60″ Oil on Canvas.
Champions Honour: 2010 Olympics Flag
As a flag lover, I decided to paint the Olympic Flag. Thanks to the attention required in order to ensure the rings were properly depicted, I realised that the red gloves that were sold during the games, depicted the rings inaccurately. Never the less, this painting now resides in Australia in the family cottage of Olympians. Living in Vancouver during the Olympics and to experience Sidney Crosby put in the game winning goal leading to Team Canada winning Olympic Hockey Gold, was beyond amazing. The biggest complain the RCMP had was that their hands hurt from hi-fiving everyone! YAY! #BestGamesEver
Ice cream with Grandma / Fresh Peppers
I was commissioned by a local business owner in Vancouver who wanted me to paint her neighbourhood, farm to table business. She ended up defrauding many countless people of hundreds of thousands of dollars. She didn’t like the first painting I did and requested a second one. This taught me to always insist that when doing a commission, that I always state to prospective collectors, that they will in absolute terms accept what I finally present to them. Of course I listen and adjust, however this was such a negative experience for so many involved, it broke my heart. The woman in question claimed that she was awarded the Order of Canada so I decided to contact the Governor General’s Office to inquire if she in fact did receive it: the answer was no. The doors were barred shut, the company went into bankruptcy protection, the woman went into hiding and many innocent people were caught up in this, including myself. My paintings were seized and I had to negotiate with the trustee. One of the paintings was released to me and the other, I am happy to state, now hangs along side an original painted by the wonderful actor Sir Anthony Hopkins. Although it was a tragic situation, I was inspired by the resilience and class exhibited by the many wonderful people who were sadly caught up in this event. I hope by now they have been able to financially recover.
The original by Sir Anthony Hopkins
Cognac with Benjamin Guggenheim
This 48″ x 96″ oil on canvas is an abstract painting I did dedicated to the life of Benjamin Guggenheim. When I learned of his history and how he died on board the HMS Titanic, I realised that I needed to paint him. This painting was a very intense experience for me as this depicts the moment when Benjamin died as the creeping waters of death rose from above and the fires raged above. I wrote a short story about the experience of painting this. I showed this to the Guggenheim family and they were grateful. It was a very, very intense experience painting this.
Popcorn and Paprika
I decided that I wanted to paint the famed Sugarbowl Cafe located in Edmonton. I invited a variety of locals passing by to paint with me. (48″ x 36″ Oil on Canvas) This painting is for sale. Please establish contact through the website.
This is the brush stroke where I changed a womans day. She was having such a bad day and I asked her to paint how she felt. She made something that looked like a puffer fish. Then I said, okay, now let me show you something. Then I did this and instantly converted her mood from a terrible day into something lovely for her. That was a moment I shall cherish forever.
Dancing Barefoot in the Rain
I was inspired to paint the Lorax character as a gift.
The Red Woman
The Red Woman or Passionate Red Woman is what I would consider my first 3D painted Masterpiece. This painting represents the idealised nude female form bust and is painted in 3 Dimensional space. I used a mannequin as my canvas and through this work, realised that I wish to further work within the 3D painted space to explore various elements which touch on everything from passionate love to intense and raw emotion.
The Roundel
This painting is still in development. (48″ x 96″ oil on canvas)
The Dean Belder Experiment
My buddy challenged me to use less paint in this particular piece. It turned out really nice. (30″ x 60″ Oil on Canvas)
Untitled -Resin Painting
I began to explore working with resin as an art medium. This painting has not completed yet, however it is getting closer.
Untitled -Resin Painting
I began to explore working with resin as an art medium. This painting has not completed yet, however it is getting closer.
The Rauschenberg Ejaculate
My buddy Dean likes it and that’s all that matters..Oil and Resin on board.
The Colour of Smell
I love flowers, especially the peonies. Oil and resin on board and on an actual peonies bulb.
Out of Respect
Italian Centre in Edmonton. This painting is available for purchase. (Oil on Canvas)
Untitled -Resin Painting
I began to explore working with resin as an art medium. This painting has not completed yet, however it is getting closer.
Untitled -Resin Painting
I began to explore working with resin as an art medium. This painting has not completed yet, however it is getting closer.
The Abandoned Soldier
Oil on plaster cast. This painting is dedicated to the former and current Prime Minister and the Department of Veterans Affairs for their abject negligence of wounded Veterans. When you make a promise to a soldier or a veteran, you keep it. When the government makes promises and then breaks those promises, they deeply affect not only the veteran, but the family of the veteran. If the government is not prepared to pay the bill for war, then they should not go to war. The companion piece to this is the painting “The Soldiers Virgin Fiancée”. That depicts how her soul was destroyed when she was told the news of her lost lover.
Here is the brave soul who allowed himself to be wrapped in plaster for this painting. He is claustrophobic and he said it was like going through the gates of hell. As thanks, I gave him a painting. Love this guy! Thanks Pat!
The Soldiers Virgin Fiancée
Companion piece to the Abandoned Soldier. Oil on Canvas.
4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse
My interpretation of the 4 Horsemen.
Sammy
Commission (Oil on Canvas)
One of the kindest dogs ever. Rest in Peace Sammy!
Canadian Hockey Series
It’s not done yet, but I will finish this series which feature all the Canadian NHL teams. (48″ x 96″ Oil on Canvas)
Only Gold is Good Enough
Untitled
Canvas of Champions
These two paintings were put on display in Edmonton’s Epcor tower
Canvas of Champions with the Red Woman
The Cambie 6
Dedicated to the residents of the Cambie Village in Vancouver. I produced prints, posters and coffee mugs in an attempt to raise awareness to the plights and struggles of local merchants from the Olympic road construction prior to the Olympics with the creation of the Canada Line and donated half of the profits raised. Thank you to Ms. Marie Rogers for all of your help with your assistance in generating all the immense public relations. As thanks for their support, I gave G-King Photo a painting titled “Autumn Inferno”.
Winnie the Pooh
My sister is a huge fan and I painted up a number of Pooh themed works. I ended up donating 3 large canvased to the Vancouver Children’s Hospital to put a smile on their faces during hard times. When I was walking the Eeyore painting off Granville Island, I recall coming across a gaggle of young children who all screamed with glee and called out saying hi to Eeyore! It was by far the most surreal and magnificent experience I’ve ever had with a painting coming to life in the eyes of others. “HI EEYORE!!! HI EEYORE!!!”…. I’m glad those paintings found their home, especially in the Vancouver Children’s Hospital. They were the most contentious painting at Emily Carr to the point where students protested my works and the school ordered them down out of a sense they felt like the works would have been destroyed by the radical left.
Kermit does not belong here, but hey… I think it works.
Enroute to the Vancouver Children;s Hospital
I miss this face.
A gift for my nephew
The Cambie Crepe
Commission (Oil on Canvas)
Pile O’Paintings
It sometimes gets out of hand….here are some random paintings.
Fox & The Hound
Wedding gift for my friend.
Vancouver City Hall
48″ x 60″ Oil on Canvas with space rope embedded. This painting is for sale. I would like to thank the owners of Trixi’s Crepes of Vancouver for so graciously displaying this painting for years. I love Trixi’s and their crepes.
One Hour Until Open
The first painting I ever sold was to celebrity chef Vikram Vij. They may ridiculously amazing food!
The Twins of Cambie
Wedding Gift and Commission. I decided to make two of the same subject matter.
The Wallace 3
I love these paintings. My father really loves them too.
Sunset with Bailey
This was the final painting Miss Bailey helped with. She signed the back of this one with her paw. I depicted us watching the sunset between the bridge and building. (48″ x 60″ Oil on Canvas)
Bailey and Joe depicted in the painting
The Art Table Top
A cool painting for a cool friend. I retired my art table and made it a painting.
Crest of the Bike Path
Here is one of my favorite paintings. It is near Main Street in Vancouver. This view is of Ontario Street looking North and Science World is visible. (36″ x 24″ oil on canvas)
Mom’s Bookstore
I made it a point to paint this on the streets of Edmonton when it was -32C. Just to say that I did.
Alberta Legislature
I painted the Alberta Legislature and gave it to Madame Premier Notley for demonstrating the class and grace during the last debates. I requested she paint the last brush stroke and here she is painting it.
The Blue Star Pub – Portugal
Painted on the streets of Portugal.
BJ’s Canadian Bar – Portugal
Painted on the streets of Portugal.
The Flag of Portugal
A gift for the people of Portugal.
Bricktop’s Pallet – Portugal
A gift for one of the coolest cats around…Bricktop. Thanks for the beers buddy!
Bricktop
Untitled
Lots of paint….
Wildrose Thunder
Painting of an Alberta Grainy. Purchased by a Member of Parliament. I had a small amount of soil from Afghanistan which I placed inside the painting as a way to act as a persistent reminder to the MP of his duty to this country and those who serve.
Erin’s Raven
(18″ x 24″ Oil on Canvas)
The Mask of Rania
A gift for the lovely soul who helped to establish my arts career in Vancouver and the Cambie Business Association.
La Perfeccion de España
A commission for a lovely, lovely soul. 24″ x 36″ oil on canvas.
The Mentor
Presented to the President of Radical Entertainment (48″ x 36″ Oil on Canvas)
Aroorooroo
Presented to the Vet who graciously performed Miss Bailey’s final moments of life. (24″ x 36″ Oil on Canvas)
The Painted Shoes
Green was asked to paint the shoes of a beautiful bride of a dear friend of his. That prompted the exploration into how women’s shoes are an art form and Green explored that through painting a number of pairs of shoes.
Interested in Commissioning Joseph?
Oil Paints / The Custom Art of Resin / Interring Your Pet.
Photos do absolutely no justice at all to the complexity of the paintings and reproducing the paintings is impossible given the scope of the analogue encryption style of painting.
