Artist and author Mark Heine's swan song will open at the Peninsula Gallery in Sidney next week.
30 original paintings in Heine's "My Sirens Odyssey" will be on display in his final public exhibit.
Diagnosed with a terminal cancer in 2023, Heine has been winding down his work to concentrate on family and his health.
The show will debut some of the latest works from the series which now includes more than 100 pieces, many of which are already in private and corporate collections.
Each painting is the visualization of a key moment in his upcoming Sirens book, a work of fiction in the genre of magical realism, written for the young adult+ audience.
In more than four decades as a professional artist, Mark has toured the world exhibiting his art and sharing his knowledge as a teacher and a mentor. For the past 12 years, the inspiration and focus of his work have been the Sirens paintings and book.
The inspiration for Sirens came from the future (Heine’s two daughters, Sarah and Charlotte and their friends) and the past (Homer’s Odyssey).
"Sirens is a protest, but it's also a promise," Heine says. "As so many of us are, I'm deeply concerned about the environment, and the politics and systems that keep us dependent on fossil fuels. So I decided that the best use of my efforts was to protest through my art and writing. I also hope that my work can help promote sustainable thinking and environmental stewardship among young people and adults."
Son of renowned Victoria marine artist Harry Heine, Mark's work can be found in galleries, museums and collections throughout North America and Europe.
"My Sirens Odyssey" opens September 17 and runs to October 11.
Health permiting, the artist will be in attendance from noon until 3 p.m. Saturday, September 21.