Previous Exhibitions 2005

Previous Exhibitions 2004

Exhibitions Main Page

Artist's Statement:
These paintings, completed over a five-year time span, are studies of the view from my front window on the Black River near Washago, ON. I wanted to capture the scene in all lights, seasons, times of day and weather. The idea was to take the iconic rock-and pine-tree of Canadian art and give it a Monet's haystacks treatment; that is, to se how the same scene can change every time it's painted.

Bio:
Born and raised in Toronto, Liz Schamehorn has lived in Orillia and Washago since 1969. She graduated with honours from the Ontario College of Art and Design in 1999, and studied with OCAD in Florence, Italy for two semesters.

This series of work has been winning awards around the province, including first prize at Praxis Gallery's (Toronto) juried show "Landscape: the Lasting Inspiration" in June, and third prize at Riversong Gallery's (Nuestadt, ON) juried show "Moving Water" in May.

Linda owns and operates Northshore Pottery near Windermere, Ontario where she creates bold, colourful, functional pottery. Her line includes a wide selection of mugs, bowls, tea pots, serving platters, dinnerware and much more, available in five colour combinations to suit city or country décor. Linda has been a member of the Muskoka Autumn Studio Tour for 15 years.

lindawright_30@sympatico.ca

As a painter and photographer I work in downtown Toronto (Artscape studio), Up North (Sudbury) and in Newfoundland. My ongoing series of paintings explores weather, islands and chaos.

My work strives for a rawness, speed, and intensity to speak of the land and my connection to it, but always referring to paint and place and speaking of both. The paintings are begun on site in order to capture an immediate sense of place and to map the actual physical topography of rocks, plywood, earth.

Using a mixture of acrylic and ash over graphite rubbings my elemental and internal connection to place becomes a physical dance as I layer my marks working with the surprise of paint and canvas and seeking through the chaos and underlying grid pattern a sense of landscape, energy and beauty.

My newest works - Burnt Cove Series, Newfoundland – remain connected to my exploration of land, sea and phenomena but they have moved in a new direction. The islands are often present but the work is more abstract, more about space. The manipulation of the canvas on the rocks plus the randomness and control of the running paint begins to drive the composition and narrative of the work.

The theme for this exhibition was inspired by a gift from my niece - a candle with the Chinese symbol for “love” and a beautiful box of the Chinese Character rubberstamps with a little booklet, "The Chinese Character" by Barbara Aria from my daughter.

While I’m not Chinese, I have a great appreciation for the Asian culture and I love the beauty and philosophy of the Chinese Character. I am a fourth generation Muskokan and feel a deep connection to the spirit and the peace that is Muskoka. Both my work and my life are influenced by Muskoka’s lakes and skies, fire circles and community, and the rootedness I feel in its earth.

A quote from "The Chinese Character":

Once, it is said, everything was a whole. There was no beginning or end, on one and other. According to classical Chinese philosophy, this was true both in nature, and human culture, and the two are completely intertwined. Out of oneness were created both the universe and human expression – the multiplicity of forms made by nature and people. The goal of the truth-seeker is to see in nature, and to express in art, the original oneness as well as the beauty of each individual form.

The character I have chosen to represent this body of work is:

Grace/EN – The character for Grace, which joins the image of a heart with a person lying on a mat – once meaning to rest on and now signifying to rely on. You achieve grace by following your heart. EN refers both to the seat of the emotions and to the mind … Grace, then, comes from relying upon a balance of intuitive feelings and rational will.

This body of work was inspired by my work with Audrey Jolly, Jon Oelrichs, Pat Fairhead, Janet Stahle Fraser and Hildegard of Bingen.

My intention is to explore the balance of intuitive/rational – masculine/feminine – abstraction/symbolism within the context of the four elements – earth, water, fire and air - starting with the intuitive and weaving it together with more willfully and rationally constructed characters and symbols.

It seems that if you continue turning east you could end up back where you started!…. yet with a renewed and enlightened perspective.

Acknowlegements

I wish to express my appreciation to the following for their generous support:

Ontario Arts Council

MacLaren Art Centre

White Water Gallery

Muskoka Lakes Museum Catto Gallery

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