TRANSLATION- Paintings by Nathalie St. amant & Cheryl Long

Opening Reception Friday Sept 16, 5-7 pm

Show continues to Oct 5

TRANSLATION by Cheryl Long and Nathalie St-Amant

This collection of paintings explores the stories that emerge from landscape. 

Salt Spring Gallery of Fine Art, September 16-Oct 5. Opening Exhibition September 16, 5-7 p.m.

Cheryl Long:

The process of translation from perception of environment to its manifestation onto canvas is both mysterious and dynamic. I'm intrigued, especially, with finding the strength and simplicity of form in nature. The images I capture with my camera may be momentary, as in moving water, or wind-driven clouds, yet I strive to express the strength and sculptural qualities I see within these fleeting glimpses. I invite you on a journey of reverence and mystery with the voices of the landscape 
as they share their hidden stories.

Living on Salt Spring Island, BC, Cheryl’s life as an artist includes Oil Painting, as well as writing and illustrating children’s books.
She draws inspiration from her travels across Canada, visiting and photographing our National Parks and wilderness areas.

Nathalie St-Amant:

Translating the grandiose beauty, wisdom and mysteries words could never express has been a deep yearning, a fantasy that needed to become tangible to soothe my soul, so much romance was otherwise to be contained.. Light and shadow, colour, movement and composition, the language of the Fabric of Life itself liberated me from the limiting world of the conscious mind. A place within I name’’Before Mind’’.

1988..last stop Tofino BC. I jumped off the bus, young and free, a few belongings and hungry for adventures, The next 10 years proved to be what the concept of that word could not encompass.

Some days, it was a ghost town with a few wandering natives and imported characters, artists, rednecks, hippies, fishermen, … All of us cradled in a womb of old growth and open ocean wilderness.  My first plein air paintings painted in Clayoquot were to imprint me with a passion for this expressive process, influenced by a few mature artists of the area.The thick canope’s filtered morning sun slithering its rays on the old draft dodger's cabin, i woke haunted by the call to tackle yet another painting journey in the wild (sometimes hours of hiking or boat ride) and meet her at her finest edge.

2022, i grab the paintbrush, trembling in front of the Cathedral.. can i accomplish the mission? My left brain doubts relentlessly, I let go and let myself be the fool, jumping off the cliff of my mind and letting the dance of life move me, 32 years of work cheering me through, relieved to find myself part of Creation again.

Bedsheets & Recurring Dreams: Monumental Dance Portraits by Olga Szkabarnicki

August 26 - September 14, 2022

Opening Reception: August 26, 5 - 7pm

Show closes: September 14, 3pm

Summary Artist Statement

It’s those images one obsesses about in the wee hours of the night. In the liminal time between sleep and wakefulness. For me, it’s bodies in motion. Expressive movement. Twirling swirling rising tumbling breathing sweating thrashing relaxing. The dance of life, captured in stillness.

I am a life-long student of figure drawing. While I may be known for my pen and ink Dancer Drawings, this is my first show of life-sized mixed-media work inspired by expressive dance movement.

The figures are rendered on Mylar, a translucent, durable surface. The artworks are suspended, unattached, over fabrics in a scroll-like fashion. This allows colour and light to show through the artwork, with interesting optical effects. The overall mood is dreamy, and changeable. The lengthy fabrics pool below the figures like bed linens on the floor on a hot summer night.

Working in a monumental size presents its own challenges, both technical (achieving a credible rendering) and physical (not falling off the ladder when stepping back to see what I’m doing). I get very close and physical when mark making, my hands and fingerprints all over the bodies I’m creating, exploring their expression, smoothing it across the Mylar, scratching it into the surface - trying to feel it - and melding it with my own expression. This dizzying dance of becoming plays mind games with me. I feel it.

I want the viewer to feel it, too.

Understory-Paintings by Judy Chappus

July 15- Aug 3, 2022

Opening reception Friday July 15, 5-7 pm

Show closes Wed Aug 3, 3pm

Artist Statement

I first set foot on Salt Spring Island in 2016 to see if my daughter was alright. She had left Ontario on a bus and ultimately settled here. I wrote," Pirates of the Ganges", during that first visit. Fear and worry for her consumed me and I gave it to this poem. Four times a charm and three grandchildren later it's 2022. This painting exhibition and book of poetry are the result of my most recent two year adventure.

Bio

Among her many achievements Judy Chappus is Founder and Director of a group of figurative woman artists from Windsor, Ontario called the Exhibitionists. Her first book of poetry titled, "Chop Shop" is part of the University of Windsor, Leddy Library rare books collection. She has an MFA from the University of California and a BFA from the University of Windsor. Her work can be found in private collections throughout Canada and the United States.

Acknowledgements

I’m fortunate to have found a supportive life partner in Mr. Glenn Ritchie. How many men would sell everything, drive across the country to a remote island and live in a trailer for two years during a pandemic. I list here those people and organizations that have been the foundation for my success with this project, Cinda Helm, G. Gus Szentner and Rob, Kendra Chappus Sikich, Amedee Chappus Sikich and her wonderful family, Danielle Nicole, David Borrowman, Salt Spring Gallery and Salt Spring Arts Council. Thank-you.

Transformation- Allison Brodie & Carol Bednarski

Abstracts and Impressionist Paintings

June 23- July 13

Opening Reception Friday June 24, 5-7

My inspiration for this body of work comes from the medium itself- beautiful papers! Mixed media is my great love at the moment and I find cutting and tearing paper along with paint, graphite, crayons and texturing compound works with my intuitive style.

Perhaps I’m trying to make order of the chaos of the last few years. I know I feel the need to create “Happy Art” that is uplifting and alive.

I’ve also added some mixed media pieces of abstract landscapes. A mirage? A distant town?

Definitely a colourful journey to another place.

I hope you enjoy.

Allison

It’s About Time- Fine Art & Photography by Julianna Slomka

“It’s About Time”

In deciding to have a show of my work, a comment I heard from friends was “It’s about time.” I thought it would be fitting as a title. The inspiration for the show comes from my lifetime of changes, whether it be in me or in the world, they are kind of one in the same. As Bob Dylon said, “Times They Are A Changin’ "

“Life is full of constant adjustments, with some laughs in between. Change is inevitable, so we must adjust, but we can also strive to make positive changes.” ~Julianna Slomka

As a child I had difficulty learning in school, my pencils only wanted to draw horses. After dropping out at 16, moving out on my own at 17, I put my pencils away. Buying a farm and having real horses was a dream I made come true. Eventually I began to feel creative again, mostly working in watercolor and pencil, exhibiting my work in group shows. A farm accident made me have to adjust to constant pain and changes in my life.

I also dreamt of moving to BC to be near the ocean, mountains and forests. In 2005 I did just that. I didn’t know anyone but looked forward to starting a new life without the bitter cold of Northwestern Ontario winters. Since then, I dove into many other artforms such as Argentine tango, stand-up comedy, performing in live theatre and photography.

I am also a member of Photosynthesis whose show is at Art Spring during SSIPhotofest which runs June 3-17, 2022.

Broken Open-Paintings by Nathalie St amant & Kelly Kiss

May 13-June 1, 2022

OPENING Reception Friday May 13, 5-7.

''Broken Open’’ The title (like the paintings) are subconscious windows to a variety of experiences....you feel what it is for you.

Places that are broken and need love and light..places that were broken and have opened to light or are in the process, places that are still being broken into.. all these places needs a mirror to see itself and not feel so alone. Visual Abstract Windows are powerful ifor the purpose of this kind of communing and participating in a common room full of rich honest sharings.For me and Kelly, joy has opened through a LONG JOURNEY of self inquiry and healing and still there are a lot of numb and deadened places to visit and bring to life.

Kelly:

“Through pain and suffering I have struggled to know myself, the truth of who I am. I am love and have been on a journey of love back to myself. I now welcome myself home. Through this journey I had to be turned upside down in every way to see who I was. I was beautifully broken open, and from this have emerged like a butterfly flying free from its cocoon. ‘'


Nathalie:

''Honesty is the basis of Art for me... Here, people feel like they can trust my work and trust to allow it into their lives.

Being Broken in some core aspects of myself at a very young age and choosing the path of self recovery has been a courageous journey. Art has been the safe heaven where i could come back too and feel/ see who i really am, a conversation with my soul.

I strive to allow what broken parts still need to express in synch with the healed light parts. My Genre is a combination of aesthetic design, cubism, surealism and expressionism. It makes for a unique combination of ‘ graffitti markings with 3D visual effects and the cubist deconstruction découpé of color planes. You will aslo feel Chagall’s influence in there (my first love in art school).

The MAIN intent in my work is self acceptance in where i am precisely at. This is not easy and i go through LOTS of self doubts about my art journey. then, eventually, in the process, i GET MY OWN DRIFT and that FEELs like such an amazing loving place to be.”

Fee Free to ask more questions. It is important to me to engage in these deeper languages and have that relationship with you all.