The Heron is a bird that makes me think of my travels to Vancouver. I come by ferry from Vancouver Island to deliver and sell my work, and Great Blue Herons are a common sight in the bay when I arrive on the mainland.
It felt like the right subject for a piece coming to this gallery and there is a more specific reason for that. A few years ago, when I first started selling my works, I was en route to the Douglas Reynolds Gallery with a paddle featuring a Heron design. This piece was intended to be my first work sold to Doug. I stopped to deliver a different piece to another gallery downtown and, while there, showed the owner the paddle at his request. He looked it over, walked away with it and returned to me with a cheque. Being new to the gallery circuit, I didn't want to cause an issue, however I was shocked that he took the paddle from me without my approval. I intended to sell the paddle to Doug and felt bad that I was no longer able to.
I can now say I've delivered my Heron piece along with several others to Doug!
The panel's form and design draws on several influences from my training. For example, the large negative space is after the style of Moy Sutherland; the domed interior and bordered edge from the panel construction approach of Rande Cook; and the design framework developed through my studies at the Freda Diesing School under instructors Phil Gray and Nathan Wilson.
- Harrison Martin
