Tom Wilson brings art and music to Daffodil Gallery

By Aaron Taylor

EDMONTON — Fans of Juno award-winning musician Tom Wilson were treated to an intimate performance at the Daffodil Gallery on Feb. 1.

Wilson performed in front of a packed house to promote his debut exhibit, A Cast of Thousands.

The exhibit, which opened Jan. 31 and runs until Feb. 4, features paintings he makes with his fingers. He carefully etches lyrics into the paint.

“He’s not the traditional gallery artist,” Daffodil Gallery owner Karen Bishop said. “But part of our thing is to appeal to a less traditional gallery crowd. The energy he’s bringing in is fun, fresh and unpretentious.”

This is good, says Bishop. “We want to go for art without pretence in this gallery.”

 

Wilson is part Mohawk, and his work has an aboriginal influence that often features large faces and deep skies.

In addition to being a creative outlet, painting has allowed Wilson to explore another important part of his life: sobriety.

“I needed to find an outlet to begin a life of full productivity,” Wilson said. “Instead of being destructive i wanted to be productive and painting helped me on that road, and it continues today.”

Wilson hopes that his art will be able to help people other than himself. “I’m trying to put something positive out there,” Wilson said. “Hopefully to enrich our planet in some little way.”

This is something that, according to longtime fan Kevin Frey, Wilson was able to accomplish.

“It’s fantastic, you can feel an energy from his art and from him,” Frey said. “It really humanizes him. This guy’s got a voice that is truly Canadian and he’s married the two forms of art into something that is truly Canadian. You have to see it to believe it.”

Wilson’s paintings will remain at the Daffodil Gallery until Feb. 4.