Written by
Martha Stroud posted on March 13, 2017 12:22
In early spring 2015, Betty Matthews and Ingrid Schmidt were in the St. Lawrence Room at the Gananoque Inn and thought it would be a wonderful place to have an art show. Great location, great lighting, great space. So, they secured a date, met with a few friends and were off.
They started with ten visual artists and this year changed it up a bit to include a glass artist and a book/paper maker. One and all are invited to come and check it out – perhaps just the piece of art you have dreamed about will be there.
Opening night is June 2nd from 6 to 9 pm with live music by Lea and Phil Hamblett. Lea plays the harp, while Phil accompanies with the guitar. Wine and food will be available. The show continues Saturday and Sunday, June 3rd and 4th from 10 am to 5 pm each day.
The artists involved are:
Belia Brandow I am a realist artist, painting in oils or acrylics. I am inspired by the beauty of the local countryside with its changing seasons and of everyday objects that surround me. Paintings by Belia Brandow © 2017 |
Helma Gansen
The beauty of the Thousand Islands and the St. Lawrence River inspired me to paint. Capturing nature's beauty is my quest and reinterpreting on canvas colour, light and composition is my on-going passion and challenge.
Paintings by Helma Gansen © 2017 |
France Grice In the late ‘90’s I became interested in the qualities of glass. I am largely self-taught, but also attended the renowned Glass school in Montreal – Espace Verre – and the Ottawa School of Glass. Glasswork by France Grice © 2017 |
Kitty Kelly I want my paintings to relay what inspired me to paint that specific subject in the first place. It might have been the backlighting on a flower petal – last rays of sunlight and deepening shadows while walking in the woods or the reflection of light in a cat’s eye.
Paintings by Kitty Kelly © 2017 |
Betty Matthews Painting is a very big part of my life. I paint in watercolour, acrylic and acrylic collage. I enjoy working on local scenes and using new techniques and papers – such as Yupo. |
Paintings by Betty Matthews © 2017 |
Suzanne Owen My textile works are abstract interpretations of images gleaned from the natural environment. I use a variety of techniques in my work, beginning each piece by dyeing cloth. Textile Works by Suzanne Owen © 2017 |
Ingrid Schmidt I paint mainly in oils, acrylics and watercolour in a fresh expressionistic style. The mighty St Lawrence River and the rugged landscape, offer constant inspiration. My large landscapes are distinguished by strong composition, the use of bold colours and gestural brush marks. In my floral paintings, I am more interested in capturing the essence of the flower, than giving an exact rendering. Paintings by Ingrid Schmidt © 2017 |
John Sorensen My background as an architectural antique dealer, my interest in dancing and love of the outdoors influence my choice of subject matter. I use the rich warm colours and textures obtained from traditional oil paint to interpret my interests – old room interiors, ‘ordinary’ people dancing and landscapes. Paintings by John Sorensen © 2017 |
Martha StroudWe live in a beautiful world that is constantly changing, hard to capture. Clouds move in the sky, the sun goes down, flowers die, winter comes and goes, many of the old barns in this area have been abandoned and are slowly falling to the ground. I am changing too, trying to move from a detailed investigation of a scene, to a looser, more emotional reflection of it. Working with palette knives and painting outside have been liberating and I will continue to experiment.
Paintings by Martha Stroud © 2017 |
Larry Thompson My original intent to print letterpress books has grown to include an interest in creating linocuts, woodcuts and wood engravings. I print by hand on a Vandercock letterpress proofing press. The traditional printers craft is elevated to art as the quality of the final work demands that the printer must also be designer, illustrator, engraver, technician and occasional inventor.
Letterpress Prints by Larry Thompson © 2017 |
By Martha Stroud
Martha Stroud's family emigrated from Ireland around 1908, to live first in Gananoque, then Kingston and finally Toronto, where she was born. She has lived and worked on three continents, but is very happy to have retired back to Kingston and the Thousand Islands area, where she tries to capture nature ever-changing on canvas.
Editor’s Note: Not too early to mark your calendar… June 2, Opening and June 3-4, 10:00 to 5:00 p.m for the show at the Gananoque Inn & Spa. Gananoqu
