Here you'll find the recent news, dates and locations of our Upcoming Events and Recent Honours and Accolades. Please feel free to join us for any of our events! Call 1-800-668-2208 for further information.

If you would like to be included on Mark Hobson's mailing list, please forward your snail mail address to us: hobson@island.net

Mark Hobson at the Studio
(Credit: Jacqueline Windh)

SAD NEWS:

After two years fighting a battle with breast cancer that had moved to her spine, Paulette Laurendeau died in Tofino hospital on February 8th, 2011. She was only 52 and had been Mark's partner for 11 years . She was the sole surviving member of her immediate family and was dearly loved by all that knew her. Her life was celebrated by four separate funeral services; two in Tofino, one in Montreal and one in Fredricton. She came to Tofino in 1997 from Banff where she worked at the Banff Springs Hotel and was known as the "Plant Lady", looking after the hotel's entire collection of indoor plants. She grew up in Repentigny, the north eastern suburb of Montreal and was fluent in both English and French. She is greatly missed by Mark and all her close friends and left behind a gap at Coastline Art where she assisted with the business and handled all the bookkeeping and finances. She was always creating and was sadly only starting her career as an oil painter when she died. Another passion was in the healing arts where she had a vast knowledge of herbs and remedies that helped many people. She cherished wilderness and especially that of the B.C. coast where she felt completely at home.

Northern Rice Root by Paulette Laurendeau

WELCOME RINO:

With Paulette in hospital through the winter of 2010 and 2011 I was blessed with a huge outpouring of support from friends both in Tofino and further afield. One unexpected offer of help came from the staff at Eagle Earie Gallery, in Tofino, where Roy Henry Vickers displays his work. From this connection I got to know Rino del Zoppo who came to my rescue in November to assist with the show at the Wickaninnish Inn. As the winter progressed he was able to help with several other projects and by the spring it became obvious that his skills with computers, organisation and marketing were the perfect fit to enable me to get more time at the easel. He has a charming way with people as you will notice if you hear his Australian accent on the answering machine.

Welcome Rino!

UPCOMING SHOWS & RECENT EVENTS 2011

International Artist Magazine

Over the years Mark's work has appeared on the covers of various magazines, phone books and other publications with several feature articles on his work.

The 2010, August/September issue of International Artist Magazine (published in Australia) has done the most extensive review to date of Mark's work, devoting 12 pages of their magazine to his inspiration, techniques and floating studio.

Salmon Conservation Stamp Collection Competion Winner

If you like to fish for Salmon you will have a tiny version of a Mark Hobson painting in your wallet in 2010. Mark won the 20th Salmon Conservation Stamp Competition sponsored annually by the Pacific Salmon Foundation.The announcement was made in the Globe and Mail on Dec. 21 ,2009.

Fifteen of B.C.'s top wildlife artists are invited every November to compete for this prestigious honor and $6,000 prize money. The winning image is printed as a stamp and a limited edition print. The $6.30 stamp is attached to all salt water salmon licences and just over a dollar of that is returned to the Pacific Salmon Foundation for salmon restoration work . Since the program was started in 1989 well over 10 million dollars have been generated by the program for a wide range of projects directed at maintaining the health of the five species of Pacific Salmon and sea going trout. This is the third time the competition has been won by Mark. Previously 2003 and 2005 were also years when the stamp image was a Hobson painting.

Internationl Artist Magazine Competition #51 "Rivers, Lakes, and Seascapes

The June - July, 2009 issue of International Artist Magazine has published Mark's painting titled "Lismer Bay in Winter" and awarded the image Third Place in their competition on Seascapes, Rivers and Lakes.

Royal Canadian Mint Features Mark Hobson's Work
In January 2008 The Royal Canadian Mint launched a new Canadian coin designed by Mark Hobson. This new aureate dollar features a pair of Common Eiders, a duck species frequently seen on the east coast of the country. It is available as a specimen set with six other Canadian coins presented in a maroon-coloured case and limited to 40,000 worldwide. Most post office outlets have the new coin on display.

This is the fourth wildlife design Mark has done for the Royal Canadian Mint. Previous images included  Tufted Puffins, Pronghorn Antelope  and Muskox.

Ducks Unlimited 2006 Artist of the Year
Two of Mark Hobson's images were chosen by Ducks Unlimited Canada for the National Art Program for 2006. The artists proof's of the chosen images are available from the artist. "Mallards: Looking South" was awarded the 2006 Artist of the Year award. "Polar Bear: At the Edge of the Ice" was chosen for the Portfolio Artists Category.

"Polar Bear: At the Edge of the Ice"

Canadian Wildlife Conservation Organization Stamp Program
The Canadian Wildlife Conservation Organization chose two of Mark's images for its 2006 Stamp Program for fundraising efforts. The images chosen were "The Screech Owl" for British Columbia and "The Common Snipe" for Nova Scotia