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artwork by David McClyment
Sept 10 - Oct 4, 2025,
Opening Thurs Sept 11, 5:30 - 8
Red Head Gallery, Toronto
Part 1:
Invasive Species
Invasive Species Shard : Disease Carrying Mosquitoes, 2024
I like to think of this format as a "shard", an enlargement maybe of a broken ceramic saucer. Found some time in the future, idealizing some of the invasive species brought on by climate change. While we still had the technological capabilities to make such a thing.
Spray paint through hand cut stencils applied to aggressively abused paper. 8 pieces. Irregular about 8 ft tall x 6 ft wide
Spray paint through hand cut stencils applied to aggressively abused paper. 8 pieces. Irregular about 8 ft tall x 6 ft wide
Mosquito detail
At the beginning of a new series of work that I was tentatively calling "Invasive". Later settiing on "then, there's this..."
Something about human reaction to the effects of climate change. Humans might not survive, but nature will. In this case, an invasive disease-carrying mosquito coming north as the climate warms.
This work will shown at Red Head Gallery in early summer, 2026.
Something about human reaction to the effects of climate change. Humans might not survive, but nature will. In this case, an invasive disease-carrying mosquito coming north as the climate warms.
This work will shown at Red Head Gallery in early summer, 2026.
Mosquito Stencil 1, 2024
Elsewhere on my website you will find that I have been creating imagery by spraying paint through hand-cut stencils for decades. This is one of the very few occasions where I have incorporated actual stencils into the exhibition.
About 22 inches in diameter.
About 22 inches in diameter.
Invasive Species Shard: The Blue Marbled Crayfish, 2024
The invasive species this time is the blue marbled crayfish. Apparently the exotic darling of some aquarium owners. Trouble is, it doesn't reproduce sexually. Rather through cloning. So if you have one do you have potentially thousands? Flushed down the drain, they are crowding our native crayfish
Spray paint through hand cut stencils. 8 pieces. Irregular about 8 ft tall x 6 ft wide
Spray paint through hand cut stencils. 8 pieces. Irregular about 8 ft tall x 6 ft wide
Invasive Species Shard: Murder Hornets, 2024
This time "murder" hornets. Really? Are they? They don't murder humans but they do murder honey bees
Spray paint through hand-cut stencils on aggressively abused paper. 8 pieces. Irregular about 8 ft tall x 6 ft wide
Spray paint through hand-cut stencils on aggressively abused paper. 8 pieces. Irregular about 8 ft tall x 6 ft wide
Murder Hornet detail, upper
All the colour in any of the Invasive works has been applied by spray paint through hand cut stencils.
Murder Hornet detail, lower
Murder Hornet, stencil
About 22 inches in diameter
Invasive Species Shard: Hammerhead Worms, 2024
Apparently, Ontario gardens are being invaded by "hammer head" worms. Ok?! Originally from southern Asia, where, for some they symbolize resilience and immortality .With good reason, apparently if you cut a hammer head worm into 100 pieces and you will get 100 worms.
Spray paint through hand cut stencils. 8 pieces. Irregular about 8 ft tall x 6 ft wide
Spray paint through hand cut stencils. 8 pieces. Irregular about 8 ft tall x 6 ft wide
Invasive Species Shard: Hammerhead Worms, detail upper
Invasive Species Shard: Hammerhead Worms, detail lower
Invasive Species Shard: Hammerhead Worms, stencil detail
3 Invasive Species Shards, 2024
A digital construction of what 3 Shards might look like on a gallery wall. I doubt very much if they will end up being exhibited like this. I see more space around them, and interspersed with my Oasis/Garden drawing.
Maybe something like this?
Invasive Species Shard: Chinese Mystery Snails, 2024
I am blessed in that I share a family cottage north of Toronto. My brother, this year discovered that in our little bay, we had an infestation of Chinese Mystery Snails. Of course, they are "Chinese" and of course they are mysterious. Big brutes that probably beat up on the resident snail population.
Spray paint through hand-cut stencils on aggressively abused paper. 8 pieces. Irregular about 8 ft tall x 6 ft wide
Spray paint through hand-cut stencils on aggressively abused paper. 8 pieces. Irregular about 8 ft tall x 6 ft wide
Invasive Species Shard: Chinese Mystery Snails, detail lower
Invasive Species Shard: Chinese Mystery Snails, detail lower environment
Invasive Species Shard, Chinese Mystery Snail, stencil detail
Invasive Species Shard, Background stencil
All the finished line work and colour in this invasive part were created by spraying paint through hand cut stencils.
First, I draw the image for the stencil in some detail on Stonehenge paper. Everywhere I make a mark, I cut out. And as with any stencil, there is a design strategy involved - you don't want to cut a circle out - because this just fall on the floor!!
This one of plants and water in the pond in my backyard
Stonehenge paper is a delight to draw on, but is also very easy to cut without falling apart.
After the stencil is used (that is, sprayed paint through) the image reverses. In this case, the white spaces are, in fact, holes in the paper
About 22 in x 30 in
First, I draw the image for the stencil in some detail on Stonehenge paper. Everywhere I make a mark, I cut out. And as with any stencil, there is a design strategy involved - you don't want to cut a circle out - because this just fall on the floor!!
This one of plants and water in the pond in my backyard
Stonehenge paper is a delight to draw on, but is also very easy to cut without falling apart.
After the stencil is used (that is, sprayed paint through) the image reverses. In this case, the white spaces are, in fact, holes in the paper
About 22 in x 30 in
Invasive Species Shard, Background stencil
Often I would lay the stencil down three or four times with interventions like sanding and/or drawing before I got the right effect.
This one a stencil of a very vigorous cucumber vine
This one a stencil of a very vigorous cucumber vine
Invasive Species Shard, Background stencil
Ultimately, these stencils have a visual attraction of their own. I have decided to present a couple of these background stencils at my contribution to an upcoming group show at Red Head in October 2024 "We Made This". Stay tuned
This one based on a hibiscus plant in my backyard
This one based on a hibiscus plant in my backyard
Invasive Species Shard, Background stencil
More plants and pond water
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