January 9 - February 18, 2012, Marianne Van Silfhout Gallery,        St. Lawrence College, Brockville, Ontario

Catalogue Available - Click HERE to go to exhibition page & see a tour!

Artist's statement

My interest is the landscape, emphasizing the energy of the space as a whole. I paint it as I see it – not as a physical likeness, but as an entire presence, involving the space of emotion, spirituality, temperature and the senses.

I find I am inspired by the friction and play of textures where surface planes meet. A joining of forces, where colour and temperature meld or clash for dominance - a battle of the elements, Earth, Sky, Water and all they encompass.

Using traditional oils, I work quickly and vigorously, laying in several layers of transparent colour and value using large dynamic brushstrokes combined with  splatter and drip , these layers are each reworked with opaque brushwork and  calligraphy as I attempt to portray what first excited me about the subject, the flash causing the rush of adrenalin and the urge to ‘get it down’ before the feeling dissipates.

I prefer to work in large format, unhindered by the need for glass and space constraints, where I can apply movement and gesture to express the intense vitality and power I experience in the landscape.

I often paint in silence, the sounds associated with the subject becoming my background ‘music’, influencing the overall feeling of the finished piece. The thunderous crashing of a shoreline or the roar of a waterfall will result in a powerful statement of texture, hard edges, and visual noise.  The soft rustling of the wind or the hum of insects will evolve into a play of lost edges, a softer dance of colour and light.

Sheila