Flowing dresses, beautiful flowers highlight many of the works on display

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By Aloma Jardine
Times & Transcript Staff

Thirty-six paintings by Moncton artist Marc Little will be unveiled Friday at the grand opening of the latest exposition, which runs until Feb. 4.

Marc, who is well-known in the community as a member of the band The Watchmen, has been painting for about 20 years, but this is his very first solo exhibition.

"I've done hundreds of paintings, but every piece you'll see at city hall has been done in the last year. It is very fresh, the very first unveiling of these paintings, so it is kind of neat," Marc says.

Several of the paintings are part of a series Marc completed on women in European settings -- a couple dances in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, a woman in a pink flowing gown glides toward the Notre-Dame cathedral, a gypsy dances to a street band.

"There is nothing more beautiful than women," Marc says, explaining that picturing them at major tourist attractions just enhances the appeal of the overall piece.

Many of Marc's other paintings feature flowers -- a bunch of daffodils in a vase, a sunflower climbing a fence.

"It is interesting because women in dresses, I see a strong correlation with flower blooms. Like the petals of flowers is kind of like the dresses," he says.

Marc is one of about 80 artists across the country who sells paintings to Laila's, an art manufacturer which sells framed art, prints and other works across the country.

He has been a member of their roster of artists for about two years and his prints have been available in major chain stores like Zellers and Home Sense. He says in about six months time framed prints of many of the paintings that are included in the current show will be on store shelves.

"A lot of people will walk into major chain stores and will think they are not buying local, but they can now," he says.

Thirty per cent of the sale of any of the paintings on display during the exhibition will go to support the Mobile One soup kitchen and the Children's Wish Foundation.

"It is kind of neat. If it wasn't for my painting ability, I wouldn't be able to help raise money for charity," Marc says. "Just on a personal level I wouldn't have a lot to give, but with the art work it promotes the art work as well as (enables me) to give a lot more to charities."

The official opening of the exhibit takes place Friday at 5:30 p.m. The Moncton Gallery is located in the lobby of Moncton city hall, 655 Main St. The gallery is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Marc Little's works will be on display all month.