After a three-year ‘retirement’ from the ad world and the completion of a major artistic undertaking, commercial directing hall-of-famer Bill Irish has thrown his hat back into the spot ring.

Irish has signed with API Aviator Pictures in Vancouver, for representation everywhere. Irish acknowledges the non-permanent nature of his retirement, wryly noting that he’s coming back to prove wrong everyone who thought he was retired for good.

‘I retired to concentrate fully on a project I’ve wanted to do all my life,’ says Irish. That project has culminated in a collection of 16 ‘Canadian vista’ works, large paintings of countryscapes that capture a large physical and emotional place for Irish.

An exhibition of the collection, called ‘Down the Road,’ will be held at the Edward Day Gallery on Hazelton Avenue in Toronto from Dec. 7-31.

Irish, a prolific and celebrated commercial figure (he’s won the Bessies’ Spiess Award and the Art Director’s Club’s Les Usherwood Award for lifetime achievement), says the paintings took three years to complete, although he says he’s been painting in his head since he was a teenager.

Irish says his return to spot directing will be on a limited basis; a handful of projects a year is the idea to allow family time – a priority at this point in his life.

*Cactus closes

Cactus Productions has closed its doors in the Vancouver spot market. Company principals could not be reached for comment.

*Blink stretches international

Bringing some fresh blood into the Canadian marketplace, Blink Pictures has signed co-representation agreements with London, Eng.-based Outsider, l.a.-based Vamp Films, Swedish director Jonas Frick and New York director/cameraman Richard Reiss.

On the Outsider roster are Paul Gay, Pedro Romhanyi, Pat Holden, Brendon Norman-Ross and Billy O’Brien and Alan Friel, better known as the wacky Billy & Alan directing team, who were in town last month shooting three days for Barclaycard.

Vamp, started by ex-pat Canadian Dodonna Bicknell, has most recently produced out of l.a. for directors Steve Chase and Jeff Preiss.

On the home front, director David Wellington is back on the spot circuit after wrapping his cbc feature Dead Aviators.

Although neither exec producers Jane Kessler nor Kate Hunter will confirm, sources say Blink will sign a new sales rep before the end of the month.

*Avion packs ’em in

Avion Films held its fifth annual pre-Halloween bash at the spot shop’s Toronto headquarters Oct. 29.

Around 1,000 people packed the place, sipped martinis, filled up at the pasta bar and sampled the ample hors d’oeuvres.

Those who could tear themselves away from the eats and squish their way through to the live music section of the party were entertained by the sounds of The Lincolns, accompanied by Hoodoo Film’s Michael Rosen on trumpet. The band, along with half a dozen professional swing dancers, kept the groove going all night.

*DAVE Fires up

The new Fire suite at dave is now in active duty for the commercial market. The shop had recently purchased the Fire Version 2.5 resolution-independent nonlinear online editing system with the intention of providing a new online solution for spot producers. The system now resides in the former Edit 1 traditional online suite at dave under the helm of senior editor Ernie Mordak, who has been bulking up on Fire training over the past several weeks.

The suite reflects the shift toward systems with heavy-duty effects capabilities. Mordak says the Fire system provides the power and flexibility required for commercial work, with capability for 12 layers of dve while also providing an interface that’s accessible to Avid editors.

In addition, the system can share files with and is linked to the shop’s existing Inferno system, run by Mike Morey. After comparing available systems of its ilk, Mordak picked the brains of various users in New York and Chicago to get the real-world lowdown.

The Inferno suite is next up for redesign, following in the footsteps of the overhaul of the shop’s transfer suite. The Fire suite will be aesthetically revamped in the next year.

*A perk for Cuppa

Cuppa Coffee Animation is taking on a potful of new talent to accommodate a busy roster at the shop. Joining the bustling facility are designer Domingo Huh and animators Rozzi Fuller from the u.k.; Stephanie Dudley, previously with ytv; Mike Gatt Jr.; Todd Peterson and Caroline Price.

The shop has been busy turning out its kids’ show Crashbox for hbo, produced with Planet Grande Pictures and airing in early 1999. The shop is also working on a huge broadcast design job for hbo as well as work for HBO Family.

Cuppa head Adam Shaheen has been dividing his time between spot work and developing new tv properties, with two new series reported in the works with two u.s. nets. With those initiatives, Shaheen has set up Percolator Pictures, a new development arm of Cuppa, to handle original projects.

*Leo Burnett creative appointments

Leo Burnett has announced that Kerry Reynolds has joined the creative department as associate director and will team with Patrick Doyle, who has been appointed to the same position.

Reynolds was previously with MacLaren McCann, working on accounts including Molson Canadian and the National Post.

Also making the move from MacLaren McCann is Sean Davison, who previously worked on Molson Export, gm and Durex. Davison is teaming with writer Denise Rossetto.

On the production front, Janice Bisson has been appointed head of broadcast production.