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Fine art - Al Bergin
Lakeview, Nova Scotian, Canadian artist, Al Bergin, at the age of ten, told his mother
that he was sick and had to stay home from school. Upon returning to his room,
he immediately began to sketch the neighbour’s new addition to their home located
across the street. He observed and attempted to recreate every detail. It was his first piece of fine art.
Unfortunately for him, he was too accurate. Upon seeing the finished drawing,
his mother assumed that if he could capture every minute detail of the renovations
including the exact number of shingles, the pitch of the roof and the position of
the windows, he should be well enough to get out of bed and walk the three miles to
school. That was many years ago and some things haven’t changed.
He still goes to school every day, as a Jr. High Social Studies teacher.
At home in his art studio, the composition and detail in his fine art
is as important now as it was many years ago when something inborn grabbed
his attention and he sketched his neighbour’s house.
Many years later, after graduating from St. Francis Xavier University with a major in Physical Education, Al began to teach in Nova Scotia. . Even though he studied fine art in university, his artistic drive and creativity lay dormant for fourteen years. However, in 1988, he purchased a beautiful 8-week-old Golden Retriever puppy. His life was about to change. Always being a dog lover, he decided to carve a replica of her out of cedar. Thus began his carving career. He carved many other subjects and by 1992 to 1994, his work was shown and sold through the prestigious Huston North Gallery in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia. During this time, his fine art medium was only cedar carvings, large representations of Atlantic Canada Wild life, painted in their natural habitat. He subsequently sold and displayed work on the West Coast of Canada. Late in 1995, Al decided to focus specifically on his painting. He believed he could create a more realistic representation of his subjects. He has worked on a variety of surfaces, specifically masonite and stone. He works only in acrylics and his work has included fishing boats, wilderness scenes, National Parks, golf courses, wild and domestic animals.
Al specializes in painting dogs and has completed many commissioned pieces for clients who demand the utmost in realism and detail. Many pieces are painted on river stone and mounted on a hardwood base. His painting of two golden retrievers titled “Grandma and Me” was recognized internationally at the “Art Show at the Dog Show” which is held in Kansas every year. He contributed a limited edition print of this painting to the local Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and generated a considerable sum of money for this organization. His limited edition authentic Iris Giclee prints of the painting “Eyeing an Eagle”, depicting the Highlands Links Golf Course in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia were used to celebrate the 46th anniversary of this world ranked course and now hang in homes and offices through out the world
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