Loons Serenade

Artist: John Doherty

Medium: Painted paddle with ink & watercolour 

60" x 5.5"

Dim clouds drift through a lavender sky…full moon floats in the expanding shade as silvery stars appear with a sigh like shimmering tears for a loon’s serenade? 

John Doherty was born in England and graduated in Graphic Design from the Kingston College of Art in London, England. After immigrating to Canada in 1982, John became intrigued with the stories and magic of the Canadian First Nations People. This has led him on a wonderful journey, which explores and interprets the legends, songs, tales and prayers of the First Nations into a visual art form through a variety of media. He is also recognized for his very bold, imaginative, and complex graphic style.  

John paints on traditional media as well as leather, drums, wooden artifacts, carved birds and fish, antler, and skulls. A watercolour wash is applied before finishing with ink detail. Bold colour, imaginative images, geometric design combine with text or teachings of ancient peoples to create powerful messages. The quality of John's work has resulted in very special commissions involving furniture and parts of buildings. 

The paddle is handcrafted by John Bell, owner of the Red Tail Paddle Company from a single length of Hard Sugar Maple wood. The shape is traditional, and the illustration is painted by John Doherty and includes words of the Algonquin people, which are on the reverse side of the blade.  

John’s work is in many private & corporate collections across Canada.  

Artist’s Statement  
My work is neither a political nor an artistic statement of great import, but rather I am simply trying to take thoughts, ideas and images and put them down in a way that intrigues and fascinates you the viewer. I have always felt that words are key to what inspires the image and for this reason, I always include the text with the work. 

The medium is a mixed media. I always start with a pencil drawing. It is not a sketch, but the actual drawing that, once complete, is painted with watercolour and finally covered with an ink line and wash. Most of my work in Canada has been done on material other than illustration board, for I feel that the use of watercolour on materials such as bone, wood and leather allow the actual colour and texture of those materials to come through and thus actually become part of the work.