Ocean-based activity makes a substantial contribution to the Canadian economy. As explained by Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the marine economy spans a number of industries and sectors including seafood (such as commercial fishing, aquaculture, fish processing), offshore oil and gas, tourism and recreation, marine transportation, manufacturing and construction (including ship and boat building, and ports and harbours construction) and public sector (such as National Defence, Fisheries & Oceans).
“Marine industries are naturally concentrated in coastal areas with significant marine traffic. … The largest portion of Canada’s marine industry employment (direct & spinoff) was located in British Columbia, followed by Nova Scotia, Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador.”
Evidence of ocean-based activity, as viewed below on Bush Island, can be found all along Nova Scotia’s lengthy, rugged coastline.
In Blue Rocks Nova Scotia, small-scale fishing operations with their hard-working boats, weathered wharfs and colorful buoys are part of everyday life.
These quintessential maritime scenes are also an endless source of inspiration for local artists and craftspeople. Tom Alway and Peter Blais, the artist/owners of the Maritime Painted Saltbox Fine Art Gallery, are a case in point. Their jubilant gallery is located in a repurposed barn surrounded by flowering gardens in the charming community of Petite Riviere.
Petite Riviere is in the “South Shore”―an area immersed in and surrounded by ocean-based activity which, in turn, informs and inspires local artists.
Alway and Blais offer a fresh, authentic take on the province’s fishing heritage. “We had no inclination to paint the rolling surf or the beach or lighthouses when we started … We never saw ourselves as a seasonal tourist business.” Blais told writer Anne Calder according to her 2022 Saltscapes article, A Feast of Colour and Joy. “So we stumble forward, looking around us, painting the things around us. In the end we’re painting ‘of this place’. … With us, people see things they are familiar with.” As Blais told me when I had the pleasure of chatting with him during my recent visit to the gallery, they’ve “had real fishermen come in and say they never expected to see their lives on a gallery wall.”
It’s not difficult to see how the paintings pictured above could have been inspired by local scenes like these.
Alway and Blais describe and promote their art as “fine, folk and fun”―all three aspects are evident at the gallery.
The gallery offers a variety of artwork including “original art and archival reproductions on canvas, metal, vinyl and more”. I was intrigued by the metal and vinyl pieces displayed in the gallery’s pergola located at the top of the garden―a beautiful, serene spot worth checking out. Designed to be displayed outdoors, these pieces would be the perfect addition to a front porch, garden fence or shed wall.
I wasn’t in a position to purchase artwork during my visit so I had to content myself with this fine selection of postcards.
Here’s a closer look at my two favorites. This piece by Peter Blais is called Lunenburg Laundry. I’ve made no secret of my fondness for clotheslines (see my previous blog post Some Day on Clothes) and I appreciate Blais’ fresh take on this familiar subject.
This cleverly titled piece, Call to Order at the Old Buoys’ Clubhouse, is by Tom Alway. I’m drawn to the interesting composition and vibrant colors in this one.
These cards will be the perfect reminder of a pleasant day spent in Nova Scotia’s South Shore!
More Info
The Maritime Painted Saltbox Fine Art Gallery, featuring the outstanding work of Tom Alway and Peter Blais, is located in Petite Riviere, Nova Scotia. This jubilant, playful place is tucked away on a quiet country road and filled with lively and colorful art. Check out the Maritime Painted Saltbox Fine Art Gallery website or Instagram page to learn more and, ideally, plan your own visit.
For information about visiting this amazing area, see Nova Scotia’s South Shore website or the Tourism Nova Scotia website.
Previous blog posts mentioned in this blog post include:
. Some Day on Clothes.
To see more blog posts featuring the Canadian Atlantic provinces, check out the following:
. FanningSparks’ blog posts tagged Nova Scotia
. FanningSparks’ blog posts tagged Prince Edward Island (PEI)
. FanningSparks’ blog posts tagged Newfoundland.
The following books and articles were consulted in the writing of this blog post:
. Rough Magic book by Peter Blais which is available here
. Creative Petite Riviere Duo Attracting Crowds article in South Shore Breaker Aug 2024 by Steve Gow
. A Feast of Colour and Joy article in Saltscapes Feb/Mar 2022 by Anne Calder
. Various Wikipedia entries.
You can learn more about the marine sectors in Canada or Nova Scotia on this section of the Government of Canada > Fisheries and Oceans Canada website.
Today’s Takeaways
1. Art of this place is inspired by local scenery and activities.
2. There is beauty to be found in the everyday.
3. Consider a variety of art including, as Tom Alway and Peter Blais put it, “fine, folk and fun art”.
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