06/21/2026
๐ข'๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ: ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ฑ๐ผ๐บ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐ (๐ฏ๐ณ" ๐
๐ณ๐ฎ" ๐ผ๐ถ๐น ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐)
After over five months in the studio, I have completed the centerpiece painting for my upcoming exhibition, ๐ข'๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐๐ฟ๐: ๐ ๐ฃ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟโ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ๐, ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฝ๐๐ฒ๐บ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฎ ๐๐ผ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ณ๐ณ. The exhibition marks a significant milestone in my careerโcelebrating 25 years of representation with the gallery.
O'Hara: Kingdom of Light (37" x 72") will serve as the signature painting of the exhibition, reflecting not only my enduring connection to the Canadian Rockies but also the countless painting journeys that have taken me across the mountains, coastlines, and northern wilderness of Canada.
๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐ขโ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฎ ๐ต๐ผ๐น๐ฑ๐ ๐ฎ ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฝ๐น๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป๐.
It is a landscape of extraordinary beauty, where unforgettable experiences and personal memories become intertwined with the land itself. Drawing upon several visits to this remarkable place, I sought to create more than a depiction of a mountain landscape. This painting is a tribute to the majesty, mystery, and timeless spirit of the Canadian Rockies, and a reflection on the importance of preserving these wild places for future generations.
With every major painting, I challenge myself to venture beyond familiar solutions and established formulas. I often tell my students that formula painting rarely leads to meaningful work. The most rewarding paintings emerge from a willingness to explore deeplyโto trust intuition, visual memory, and lived experience. They require patience, uncertainty, and a commitment to discovery that can unfold over weeks or even months.
Much of this painting was developed from memories gathered during long days spent hiking and painting in the mountains. As the work evolved, I found myself reaching beyond the physical landscape and into the emotional experience of being thereโthe sense of awe, solitude, light, and wonder that draws us back to these places again and again.
