Scott Plear Painting Commission, Calgary

Alberta Aurora is Installed

2008-03-30T11:07:00.000-07:00

I received word and this photo of the commissioned painting, Alberta Aurora, that it now hangs in its location at Livingston Place in Calgary. More photos to come.

Unfolding painting in Calgary

2008-03-26T16:44:00.000-07:00

Leaving Vancouver, December 11 at 7 am and arriving in Calgary at 9:15, I was prepared to see the folded canvas for the first time since it left my studio in September. Here is Calgary as seen from my Westjet arrival.

Arriving at Livingston Place Tower II, the folded painting was brought to me in the main lobby for opening out

By 3:30 pm I had successfully opened the painting, re-framed it and re-wrapped it. It will be hung in the main foyer in March.

Livingston Place Towers: Model and Actual

2008-03-26T04:47:00.000-07:00

Model of the two Livingston Place Towers.

View from the street of the main foyer entrance to Tower II.

The actual Tower II: Livingston Place.

View from the street of the actual main foyer entrance to Tower II.

Livingston Place Tower II.

Packed Painting for Travel

2008-03-19T16:38:00.000-07:00

To ship and move the painting through doorways and into trucks for shipping, the canvas needed to be able to collapse. This required three folds with the environment kept above freezing. The acrylic polymer is very flexible when kept warm but if frozen can easily crack. I decided to send the painting up to Calgary in early September and placed in a warm storage room at the Livingston Place complex until I unfolded it in December. Here is painting is in my Vancouver studio ready to be wrapped in polyethylene.

The painting is now wrapped and strapped and ready to be shipped to Calgary.

Unstretched to Stretched: Unframed to Framed

2008-01-06T12:12:00.000-08:00

The painting is put up right for the first time.

The painting is lowered on to a stretched and pulled taut.

A frame is put on the final painting and again returned to a vertical position.

Adjustments and Additional layers

2007-12-15T16:20:00.001-08:00

Adjustments and detailing were made to the first coat of gel once the layer was dried.

A second thin orange gel coat was applied to the painting and again left to dry.

Beginning the Commissioned Painting

2007-05-30T16:35:00.000-07:00

Now that the final image had been determined I needed to start the commissioned painting. As a smooth surface was required I used three 5' x 10' 3/4 panels of plywood linked together to use as a painting platform on the studio floor.

A roll of 10 foot canvas was next laid out to give added evenness and consistency to the surface. This would not be the painted surface.

Following this a layer of polyethylene was placed over the canvas then a second layer of canvas which would be the painting support.

I began the painting by putting a preliminary colour on the canvas.

Then the first layer of coloured gel was placed on the painting using a large trowel. This required a week to dry and set before continuing.

Uber Modello Three

2007-05-30T16:31:00.001-07:00

Uber Modello Two

2007-05-30T16:26:00.001-07:00

Uber Modello

2007-05-30T16:23:00.000-07:00

Modello: It. - a small version of a larger commissioned painting used to show the person or body commissioning the large work for approval before the final design is put to hand. (In sculpture it is called a maquette which is French for a small model or in Italian a bozzetto.

The original presentation modello was 30” x 12”. In preparations for this much larger format I have painted three 10’ x 5’ modellos which I’ve called Uber Modellos. The final painting will be 15 feet high and 9 feet across

Uber Modello One

2007-05-30T16:15:00.001-07:00

2007-04-15T16:13:00.001-07:00

2007-04-15T16:11:00.000-07:00

2007-04-15T16:09:00.000-07:00

2007-04-15T16:08:00.000-07:00

Colour Test

2007-04-15T16:07:00.000-07:00

Gel Test

2007-04-15T16:06:00.001-07:00

2007-04-15T16:03:00.000-07:00

2007-04-15T16:02:00.001-07:00

Studio Cleanup

2007-04-15T15:44:00.000-07:00

Rehearsals

2007-04-15T15:30:00.000-07:00

Since being awarded the foyer painting for Livingston Place, Calgary, I've put myself into rehearsals. The purpose of this, like a musical or theatrical rehearsal, is to become familiar with the material and to work out any technical problems. The size of the projects has, in particular, needed attention. I have had to re-tooled, consider drying rates of the paint and generally consider methods for approaching the canvas at this size.

The format and size of the final commission was established by the site wall and the original modello. Nine by fifteen feet seemed the best solution.

I paint flat on a horizontal surface. This is necessary as I work in gel acrylic which, if upright its movement would be enhanced by the force of gravity. Usually I use table height platforms, but for this projects I felt it best to work at ground level. I will paint on specially order 10' x 5' plywood sheets.

I began rehearsals by doing several 10' x 15' paintings.

2007-04-13T09:28:00.000-07:00

How it all started.

2007-04-13T09:27:00.001-07:00

In March 2005, I was approached by Mr. Chuck Swanson, Vice President, Real Estate, for the British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (bcIMC) regarding any interest I might have in doing a commission for a new office tower project in Calgary.

During the summer of 2006, I submitted an “expression of interest” for a painting commission for the foyer of Livingston West, one of two office towers (http://www.livingstonplace.com/) being constructed in downtown Calgary.

I made a presentation to bcIMC and Bentall Management at a meeting on July 26 in Edmonton. The following day I visited the site of the project located at the corner of 3rd Avenue and 2nd Street SW in Calgary.

Having been awarded this commission in December 2006, this Blog was created to show the progress of the final painting.

The painting is based on the original Modello: It. - a small version of a larger commissioned painting used to show the person or body commissioning the large work for approval before the final design is put to hand. (In sculpture it is called a maquette which is French for a small model or in Italian a bozzetto.

The final version will be 15 feet high and 9 feet across.

Foyer Elevation View

2007-04-13T09:08:00.000-07:00

LIVE WEB CAM

2007-04-13T09:04:00.001-07:00

See the "live web cam" view of the construction of Livingston Place at http://www.livingstonplace.com/index.php?section=5&content=3

Modello for Calgary Commission

2007-04-13T08:51:00.000-07:00