I used to say that I was a self-taught artist. I think it is more accurate to say that my development as an artist has been self-directed, though strongly influenced by many people along the way. My father, Clare Bice, has always been the most important, not only through his technique but also through his attitudes to painting and to the arts in general. I have learned, as well, from every artist that I have met. Historically, my influences range from Giotto, to the Impressionists and the Group of Seven, to Robert Rauschenberg and J. S. Sargent , to photographers like Henri Cartier-Bresson and Alfred Stieglitz, to Canadians like Mary Pratt and David Milne. Finally, an important factor in my growth as an artist has been my students who influenced me during my teaching career for more than thirty years.
Media, Subject Matter and Teaching
I work in oil paint, charcoal, india ink, soft pastel and watercolour. In terms of subject matter, I am interested in anything that connects people to their environment and to their history. I am more interested in the ordinary than in those things which we are generally considered "important" or "significant". My choice of medium and my approach are determined by the subject matter. Lately, my painting subjects have centered on Newfoundland (particulary Change Islands), Northern Ireland and Donegal and, as always, Italy.
I run workshops for art groups in idea development. For the last thirty years, I have been leading art history and painting tours to France (Provence and Bordeaux) and Italy (Umbria, Abruzzo, Tuscany and the Amalfi Coast.)
Collections and Exhibitions :
My work can be found in the collection of the McIntosh Gallery (U.W.O.), in various corporate and private collections in Canada, the U.S.A. and Europe. For more than fifteen years, I have participated in an annual studio tour which I co-founded. As well, my work has been exhibited in Museum London's "Art Mart", Tyndale College's "Evidence Of Things Unseen", and the St. Paul's cathedral show,"Art In The Heart Of London" ( annually for 20 years). For this latter exhibition, I have acted as featured artist and juror. In addition to these group shows, I have exhibited in one-person shows in London and Sault Ste. Marie over the past 30 years.
Studio and Location Painting :
I work in my studio at home in London. I have also worked outdoors on location across Canada, as well as in the U.S., Ireland, Scotland, England, France, Austria, Italy and Spain. Favourite Canadian locations include, Lake O'Hara and Galliano Island ( British Columbia ), Muskoka and the Sault Ste. Marie area ( Ontario ), the St. Lawrence South Shore ( Quebec), the New Brunswick south west and northeast, Lunenburg ( Nova Scotia ) and the Avalon Peninsula, Change Islands and Gros Morne (Newfoundland).
