About Me
Ed Flanagan ASA
Biography
I started painting with watercolors about twenty- five years ago after a career in business. I took some courses at the Alberta College of Art but I am primarily self - taught. Fairly soon, after starting, I was showing in commercial galleries (notably the Masters Gallery in Calgary) until 2016. Thereafter, I was more interested in public galleries and organizations and my work is now in many such organizations. To name a few:
Alberta Foundation for the Arts –Provincial Collection
University of Lethbridge
Alberta Children’s Hospital
Sheldon Kennedy Child Advocacy Centre
The Children’s hospital and the Kennedy Centre are very special to me because of my interest in children’s art. My wife was an elementary school teacher and principal and I have been exposed to children’s art for a large part of my life and have marveled at how expressive and touching their art can be. After analysis one of the more important techniques was their use of invented symbols to express themselves. Largely used because of their lack of formal drawing skills. A famous quote from Picasso is:
“It took me four years to paint like Raphael, but a lifetime to paint like a child”
The uses of symbols sets up the following continuums:
Representation to Abstraction
Depiction to Design
Specific to Universal
Now each work I do will lie somewhere along each of the continuums and will have a unique footprint dependent on where it sits on all three. I think that the use of this structure has improved the quality and expressiveness of my work.
Solo Exhibitions:
“Through the Eyes of a Child” ASA Hub Gallery Calgary,2019
Feature Artist, Masters Gallery Calgary,2012
Spring Show, Terra Cotta Gallery, Black Diamond, 2004
“Everything is Relative” Artisan’s Art Gallery, Calgary, 1999
Group Exhibitions:
Alberta Foundations for the Arts TREX
Program “The Rush and the Roar” 2022 to 2023
ASA Annual Show December – February 2022
Pynelogs Art Museum June 2021
ASA Big Leap Show September-October 2020
ASA Artist’s Choice September 2020
Pynelogs Art Museum Invemere BC June _ July 2020
Pynelogs Art Museum Invermere BC June -July 2019
Alberta Society of Artists “Nocturn “
Jubilee Auditorium Edmonton January 2019
Jubilee Auditorium Calgary March 2019 Lethbridge 2019
Crowsnest Pass Public Gallery May 2020
Western GM Gallery Drumheller October 2020
Galleria Inglewood 2018 - 2019
Masters Gallery, Calgary 2008-2016
Pacific Gallery, Saskatoon, 2007-2012
Frank Slide Interpretive Centre “Alberta Show” October 2011
ASA “Festive Show” Lougheed House 2009
Alberta Society of Artists Artwalk Show 2009
“Travel Time” Artwalk Show Calgary September 2008
“Peaks and Valleys” ASA Show Canmore August 2008
Stollery Gallery, “Home Show” Edmonton July 2008
Best of 2008 – Pacific Gallery Saskatoon- Spring 2008
Alberta Society of Artists – Artwalk Show 2007
Out of the Fire Studio, Edmonton 2007-08
Alberta Society of Artists –Fresh Faces 2007
Alberta Society of Artists –Kaleidoscope 2006
Alberta Society of Artists- Artwalk Show 2
Terra Cotta Gallery, Black Diamond, 2003-2005
Artisan’s Art Gallery, Calgary, 1997-1999
Artnest Art Gallery, Calgary, 1999
Publications “Passau Memory” featured in Alberta Views Magazine Nov2012
“Foothills Farm “featured in Alberta Views Magazine Dec 2013
“Big City” featured in Alberta Views Magazine April 2015
“Landscape 8” featured in Alberta Views Magazine June 2019
Canadian Paintings Twitter February 2022
Canadian Paintings Twitter May 2022
Canadian Paintings Twitter October 2022
Canadian Paintings Twitter December 2022