Shanghai-ed

A summer of painting every day in studio space at Vancouver island School of Arts was inspired by my May 2014 visit to Shanghai. Coming home with a giant sized calligraphy brush I began her new series with bold marks of Chinese ink on the canvas which were then followed up by an attack of acrylic colour further developing the forms in the almost dry ink. Some of the pieces were then finished in oil. In contrast to the colourful field paintings from summer 2013, my new works were generally dark and somber requiring the viewer to engage with a sublime yet melancholic vision of existence. A heavy texture on the canvas resulted from working a large rainbow range of pigments and vigorously brushing or palette knifing the colour into spontaneous mixtures, a kind of deeply massaged harmony emerging from the struggle.
BarbBrush
Going to the studio in Quadra Village every day meant a bus ride followed by a pleasant walk past homes, playgrounds, and community gardens which changed in colour and fragrance as summer progressed. The smell of fresh ground coffee from the famous Cafe Fantastico was the last sensual delight on the street before turning to climb creaky stairs into the studio for the pleasure of reviewing what had been done the day before. The studio was a shared space with other artists who work independently and diligently, offering quiet companionship without intrusion. At the end of summer, as art works were packed up to come home, the art school had its exterior transformed by a clearing of years of overgrown bushes, which had obscured the handsome arts and crafts structure, designed a hundred years ago. This building was then painted in an ultra-contemporary colour pattern designed by VISA instructor Xane Phillip. Quite a summer.