Sea Lungs

Originally posted on Asher Mains:
Context As someone who has grown up in the island environment, particularly Grenada, it is apparent how crucial our connection to the sea is. Whether the sea is feeding us or attracting visitors, we are in constant dialogue with and our health and well-being is in constant relation to the…

5 Ways to Find Art Online

In 2012 I posted an article titled “10 ways to develop your own artistic style”. Many of the points involved seeing other artists’ work and since then I have realized that it may be helpful to talk about how to get other people’s art in front of you. Exposing yourself to more art opens all…

Steve McQueen, Grenadian

Steve McQueen, Grenadian   Read Asher Mains’ article about Grenada and Steve McQueen, director of 12 Years a Slave. Steve McQueen: Grenada’s Future Creatives By Asher Mains,  Art and Soul Gallery Although Grenada is small in land area and population, she has produced international superstars. Kirani James is the first that comes to mind for…

In honour of Nelson Mandela

Asher Mains paints Nelson Mandela Asher Mains painted this iconic hero portrait a number of years ago–when he was still in this three colour stage of yellow, red, and purple. The emphasis for this series is that the colour of skin doesn’t make the man–and certainly Nelson Mandela’s life is an example of that philosophy.…

Big Art Adventure!

The ultimate of art adventures, the Venice Biennale has for 155 years been the premier art exhibition in the world.  Grenada’s artists have not yet had the privilege of  representing their country in art at this prestigious event, nonetheless, a contingent of Grenada’s leading artists found their way to Italy to be inspired by the…

Asher Mains ” A Glut of Diamonds”

    Asher relayed the story of these paintings: “I had a friend who posted on facebook the story of how through a set of circumstances he traveled from one city to another, one job to another, until he finally ended up in California.  There he met the love of his life, who became his…

Asher Mains Market on Bag

Market on Bag 24″ x 36″  This  compelling work of art follows in a series that Asher began following an extended stay in Ghana, West Africa.  The Market place is much like a Caribbean  Market, including the people. He found many similarities  between West Africa and the Caribbean, and ever so often, these parallels creepinto…

Asher Mains “You Can Have My Kingdom of Dust”

60″ x 48″ Oil on Canvas Asher painted this work a couple years ago during the time of the earthquake in Haiti.  What struck him was how in a matter of minutes the work and building of centuries had been levelled–turned to dust.  This started his thought process on the theme of this painting.  He…

Asher Mains’ 10 Rules of Painting

I nearly put “rules” in quotations in the title because it comes across a little more hard and fast than I mean it to. There is something to the idea that given infinite options, creativity is limited. Give yourself constructive boundaries and flourish within your bounds. These “rules” are things that I’ve learned over the…

Stony Illusions

Asher visited the Vatican Museum in Rome recently.  This painting is several views of the same marble bust.  “All of history is men moving rocks around. To build, to exchange currency, to tear down…if you are important enough your likeness is turned into stone and kept for a future generation. to view. And someone might…

Bob Reclining

Asher has painted Bob Marley a few times–ok that is an understatement. Asher has painted Bob Marley a lot of times! This painting, however, takes on a new feeling. Besides the resting Bob, Asher has added an organic imagination to the painting. Maybe it was the influence of his recent trip to Barcelona, Spain.  I…