Reg Cantwell

St Johns, Canada

About the Artist:
I was born in Corner Brook Newfoundland & raised mostly in Ontario. My family traveled and moved a lot when I was growing up & I had the quintessential experience of being a child in exile, but as children do, I imagined myself into a state of familiarity wherever I was - either in the home team or the visitors box. Having seen much of the country & returned to my birth Province, I am currently living & painting in the rugged, beautiful coastal city of St. John's, Newfoundland where my wife Judy & I have been making a home for the past twenty years.

The yearning to experience other places & cultures has calmed somewhat over time, as I delve into our Provinces own rich history & unique traditions. But I still take regular visits abroad to what we call Canada to seek inspiration & experiences that differ from what can be found at home.

I have been an avid participant in the creative arts since childhood, having studied under notable Newfoundland Artists as diverse as Clarence Osmond & Don Wright. I studied Graphic Design at the College of the North Atlantic where I distinguished myself with honors beyond any achieved to that point in the history of the program. I went on to work as a commercial artist for several years in sign shops & advertising houses until making the move to becoming a freelance illustrator & artist.

Artist's Statement
"Look Deep 1": "... Window to the Soul ..." that's the old cliché, but considering it for a moment inreverse, the sighted are besieged by thousands of images daily and the disabled are subject to the countless stares and glares of the uninformed. Regardless of ability, looking deep, long and close into one's eyes can expose the story of a life lived, lost and longed for. Ironically, when one looks close enough, the reflection of self becomes unshakeable and once known can't be unknown.

"Look Deep 2": The news of yet another medical complication for her beloved continues to take its toll. This intimate portrait of exhaustion and grief is as rough a commentary on being exposed as possible, despite the reflexive hand gesture of covering the face to hide and attempts to smooth the malleable features into something more suitable for present company.