Spring Sentiments - A Reflection of Art in Isolation

Peter Bates

oil 24" x 36" 

$400

By January and February I was feeling the stress of having to be careful and wary of others. With ample time on my hands, I set out to complete two unfinished paintings. “Bayshore Scene”, gave me great pleasure working originally ‘en plein air’ and I looked forward to continue interacting with the result in my studio.

Painting during the pandemic has offered me great joy.

Peter Bates

oil  24" x 36"

$400

“Pond Study” was quite experimental for me. Again, I developed the composition and chose my palette ‘al fresco’ standing at the edge of the water right from the start. I wanted a radiant water to present to the foreground. The main problem to solve: the reeds and grasses were to interact with and capture their background.

Painting during the pandemic has offered me great joy.

Jennifer Topaz Bruce

acrylic on canvas  24" x 20"

$500

As an abstract artist, my paintings for the most part are non-representational and rely more so on colour and shape to depict a feeling and elicit an emotional connection/response from the viewer. During the past year, I struggled to paint and found the disconnect from family and my support system to have deeply impacted my daily life. I was able to sketch here and there but basically, I did not paint. The artist in me retreated into her own safe place during the pandemic and rarely emerged.

However, during that period “Into/Out of the Void” was born. For months I contemplated if the piece was done, one day coming to the realization that – yes it was. I understood that the void I saw when looking at the painting was not the painting itself but rather how I was perceiving life at the time. This painting always presented itself as an access point to somewhere earthy and nature ridden, perhaps even watery. For me it is a tonic of sorts.

As I slowly begin healing up, I realize art will no doubt play a vital role in that process. Whether it be my own art or that of others, I know I need to surround myself once again with all that creative energy.

Emma Flindall

ink and alcohol ink markers  12" x 9"

sold

Last year, I participated in the online challenge “Inktober 52” hosted by Jake Parker. This project would
give out prompts weekly over the course of a year. I was so thankful to have this to look forward to
every week during the pandemic. It gave me focus and was very grounding. Prior to the lockdown I did
not have a lot of time to spend on creativity. The pandemic gave me the space and freedom to dig back
to my roots and use more time and energy to nurture myself with art again. With it I have been able to
water my own blossoms and grow a lot artistically because of it.

This piece, “Reflection,” is one that I did after a year of doing these prompts. I was thinking about the
duality in all people and how each part inside of you is still you. In this image the ladies are watering
themselves, helping each part to bloom and grow. I feel as though this piece is very representative of
the pandemic as it has forced each of us to view our own inner selves for long and persistent periods of
time.

Michelle Hutchinson

mixed media 36" x 18"

$800

Robert McKay

watercolour  14" x 20"

NFS

With regards to the Pandemic, I do not look negatively at it, but rather as an “Opportunity," to advance my skills through study of other artists and Zoom Workshops.

I am not a writer, although I do read a lot. Sketching and Painting is my writing, in that artists can create a visual story. My aim is to develop a good composition, like writing a good novel, and using light, colour, atmosphere, value, texture, and gradation to portray it, hoping the viewer will explore it.

Planning, via a monochromatic value pattern sketch to use as a Blueprint, is a prerequisite for me. I am trying to follow the golden rule that “Failing to plan is planning to Fail” in watercolour.

Robert McKay

watercolour  6" x 9"

NFS

The landscape, water, and the outdoors have always been an attraction. I have been on many remote wilderness canoe trips, beginning in my teenage years.

Walking the trails and dunes of Presqu’ile Park is an excellent source of inspiration. Roaming the back roads of Northumberland and Prince Edward County’s roads, looking for old barns, abandoned homes, and streams and woodlands is a treat.

Barbara A McLean

acrylic  11" x 14"

$200

I love the development and abstract design when painting and making something beautiful. I enjoy creating with colour and experiencing how the flow of acrylics, inks or watercolours blend together to make a piece of art. 

My goal is to inspire those who see my work to discover beauty in unusual places.

Barbara A McLean

acrylic  16" x 12"

$200

My recent works are in acrylic, fluid acrylics, inks, watercolour and pastels. My passion is for abstract art, but I also love painting in an impressionistic and sometimes a realistic style.

"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life" - Pablo Picasso

M.A. Simms

oil on canvas  12" x 24"

$175

During the pandemic painting was a way to process what was happening around me. I drew my inspiration during the long walks that had become such a major part of my daily life, and also from photos sent by loved ones living much too far away.

M.A. Simms

oil on canvas  20" x 16"

NFS

During the pandemic painting was a way to process what was happening around me. I drew my inspiration during the long walks that had become such a major part of my daily life, and also from photos sent by loved ones living much too far away.

Cynthia Solomon

oil  20" x 20"

$300

Early on in the pandemic lock-down and the isolation it created I was looking at subjects that drew my attention. I had been letting my hair grow as we could not access hairdressers and it made me look at myself in whole new ways.

Never before had I looked within myself to see me as a subject. Now I was there and time was slowed down and I could take the time to be introspective and focus on myself as a subject.  "Portrait of the Artist" is the result of this introspection.

Cynthia Solomon

acrylic 20" x 20"

$280

The imposed restrictions on movement also led me to a wonderful online art group that meets weekly. Working in our own art spaces but with fellow artists at hand encouraged me to explore and expand upon my fascination with abstract art.

"Lightly Dancing" conveys the joys and exuberances of working together. The shapes dance and twirl and skitter across the canvas and show that art can be joyful in the company of like minded people even in the midst of physical isolation.

Linda Coulter

mixed media fibre  16" x 21"

$395

The recent lockdowns and reduced activities have been an unusually quiet time for me. Typically running in many directions at once, I found myself spending more time in my studio being unusually productive. Many of my pieces during this time reflect my appreciation of the small pleasures in life - a walk in the snow and a quiet drive to the countryside.

The soft colours and repetitive hand stitching found in "Sound of Silence" and "Winter Camp" reflect some of these feelings and reflections.

The technique used in these two pieces - just embroidery on wool - mimics the simple pleasure of a quiet winter’s day.

 I hope that my viewers can sense the joy in my work.

Linda Coulter

mixed media fibre  16" x 17"

$375

The recent lockdowns and reduced activities have been an unusually quiet time for me. Typically running in many directions at once, I found myself spending more time in my studio being unusually productive. Many of my pieces during this time reflect my appreciation of the small pleasures in life - a walk in the snow and a quiet drive to the countryside.

The soft colours and repetitive hand stitching found in "Sound of Silence" and "Winter Camp" reflect some of these feelings and reflections.

The technique used in these two pieces - just embroidery on wool - mimics the simple pleasure of a quiet winter’s day.

 I hope that my viewers can sense the joy in my work.

Jan Coombs

acrylic  18" x 18"

$400

Most of my work is semi abstract, acrylic/collage. Both of my paintings symbolize hope for the future as we struggle together to defeat Covid-19.

Jan Coombs

acrylic collage  12" x 12"

$150

Most of my work is semi abstract, acrylic/collage. Both of my paintings symbolize hope for the future as we struggle together to defeat Covid-19.

Elizabeth Coxwell

mixed media  20" x 20"

$400

My painting process begins with bits of torn paper – old, new, handwritten or printed, scraps of plastic floating by, tickets, book pages, random letters and numbers or whatever at the moment focuses my attention. They can be weathered or pristine, and stuck down with a vague sense of emotion or memory or no point in mind at all. Graphite, markers, crayons, inks, pastels, and acrylic paints allow the work to continue with uncontrived looseness. There is a listening and then a responding to what has happened.

The emerging painting seems to be able to better express emotion than words could ever do.

Elizabeth Coxwell

mixed media  20" x 20"

$400

Art in the time of Covid and isolation focuses the attention on the chaos and unpredictably that is the future. I appreciate the past more and look for answers to ever changing difficulties.

I am an intuitive painter whose subjects are most often abstract or impressionistic. I love working with acrylic, mixed media, collage, unusual tools and materials. Complex colour fascinates me so I rarely use colour straight from the tube.

Patricia Blackburn

free-flow acrylics, poured resin  30" x 24"

$400

The pandemic lockdown has forced everyone into a state of introspection due to isolation. I’m lucky that I'm a creative artist and love experimenting with various mediums. The escapism of creating helps stabilize and relax me. Creativity can ease stress and help people process the heaviness and loneliness that they are dealing with throughout lockdown. During this time of creativity I’m in a zone and completely focused on the task and working on a piece can be quite a euphoric event.

After doing resin pieces with alcohol inks/photo paper, then resin pour, it was time to try a different version. This piece was produced with free flow acrylics on photo paper with a resin pour.

Kelli Diosi

acrylic, mixed media  36" x 36"

$1500

Art in Isolation: It took a pandemic to break my creative block! I’ve been creating and dabbling in small projects for years but I haven’t been able to commit to creating like I had before. My daughter asked me to create something for her, something ‘dark’ and ‘moody’. Well, the Covid lockdown was the perfect setting. That piece led to the works I submitted for this exhibition. I dove in, feet first and I’m inspired. I’m working with new techniques, mixed media and experimenting with textures. This is my outlet. It turns out the isolation was the atmosphere I needed to create.

Kelli Diosi

encaustic mixed media triptych 3 x 6" x 6"

$250

It took a pandemic to break my creative block! I’ve been creating and dabbling in small projects for years but I haven’t been able to commit to creating like I had before. My daughter asked me to create something for her, something ‘dark’ and ‘moody’. Well, the Covid lockdown was the perfect setting. That piece led to the works I submitted for this exhibition. I dove in, feet first and I’m inspired. I’m working with new techniques, mixed media and experimenting with textures. This is my outlet. It turns out the isolation was the atmosphere I needed to create.

Joyce Empey Smith

acrylic  20" x 10"

$135

One of the lesser known side effects of Covid 19 is an increase in time spent in outdoor activities. I am looking forward to ‘the new normal’. My style is impressionistic. In my colourful painting I have tried to create my outdoor garden space that gives a clear picture of what’s important to me.

Joyce Empey Smith

stained glass and wood  16" x 16"

$140

January 2021: how we pass time when Ontario is in lock-down (stay at home orders).

Bright sides may be in short supply at this moment but I decided to create a stained glass panel with cranberry coloured glass to bring you all a little joy.

Chris Finkle

oil on canvas  20” x 16”

$285

I enjoyed painting the beauty of sailing on the Bay of Quinte during the lock-down isolation period.

Esther Grav

felt & stitching  12” x 32”

$1500

I have fond memories of travels to the west coast: taking ferries, trains and driving to meet family and friends. The view of the mountains never ceases to amaze me. This piece of felted wool reminded me of those past trips. Spending lots of time walking alone this past winter, I found this piece of metal. It reminded me of the exposure to the elements and how everything is affected by the wind, rain, salt and sunshine. How the looming mountain ranges are consistently exposed and yet the flowers, trees, and lichen will emerge and push their way to the surface. As I was stitching these pieces together, it became not about the mountains but something else… the journey; the connections; the elements; family; friends; the exposure.

Chris Finkle

oil on board  10" x 8"

$225

During lockdown isolation I find enjoyment in portraiture especially painting a master!

Dona Knudsen

watercolour  10.5" x 14.5"

$450

Spring is my favourite time of year. It is a season of hope and renewal and the soft colours of spring in the budding trees and flowers were the inspiration for this piece, “Whispering Spring.” As this pandemic has slowed down our lives I think we have become quieter and more aware of the natural world around us.

A. Nadine Goulet

acrylic  24" x 24" 

$400

For me, painting is an emotional response to one’s life experiences. When I create, I am responding to something that has moved me to express my feelings with paint. I use texture, colour and composition to express this and the finished piece is often a surprise. My love of acrylics has developed over the years and continues to do so because of the endless possibilities with this versatile and exciting medium.

A. Nadine Goulet

acrylic  24" x 20"

$450

Throughout my art career I have painted and experimented with many kinds of artistic media, and each one is my favourite when I’m using it. However; at the moment it happens to be acrylic. When a viewer looks at my work, I want them to have an instant unexpected response to it, positive or otherwise. I hope there is always a question or two to be asked.

Pushing paint around on a large canvas searching for the next abstract gives me the most satisfaction and joy.

Rachel Harbour

acrylic and charcoal  10" x 14"

$120

It is an understatement to say that 2020 was a year of change. Covid restrictions meant that time dedicated to my teaching practice stopped and became time reassigned to making my own art; though I knew I would miss interacting with people I had met through workshops and classes, this new time would mean opportunity for my own development.

Prior to 2020 I had been working on a number of landscapes inspired by a 2019 trip. As lock-down set in and the weeks became months, I found my focus becoming narrower: rather than the distant landscapes looking ‘out’, I began looking ‘in and around,’ studying, in greater detail, things around me in my home and garden. 

Rachel Harbour

acrylic  12" x 12"

$95

Home, which had always been important, was now even more so: it was safe, it was understandable. Plants, trees, grass, flowers all just reassuringly grew, regardless of what was going on in the wider world. As time passed, flower petals, crumpled leaves, ripening vegetables, fruit on the kitchen counter all became subjects for painting, their familiar details of form and structure reassuring when so many other things taken for granted in everyday life had changed and gone. Capturing that familiarity and building it into artwork became a way to see what was constant, to recall what was changed and to hold a place for what was being missed, to return.

Stewart Hood

watercolour  7" x 10"

NFS

2020 and these two paintings were unpredictable.

When the COVID 19 pandemic and lockdown occurred in March of 2020, I knew that I would be spending more time painting in isolation than outside painting "en pleain air" besides being socially distanced, wearing a mask and doing just about everything differently.

Patricia Blackburn sent me two photos that she felt I would consider worthy for "studio" watercolours. I was very impressed by the photos, their compositions and their unified but limited colour schemes. Because these were local scenes with a wintry feel and such quiet solitude, I decided to paint them.

Stewart Hood

watercolour  7" x 9"

NFS

These paintings realize how nature manages to create its own beauty even in the cold, stark and lonely surroundings: of course I'm referring to the swans who are swimming about in the freezing pond and not complaining.

For me these are very much scenes of natural isolation but with their own beauty painted in isolation during the worst of times.

Natalia Howard

acrylic  16" x 20"

$200

Once, I was strolling through the trees in the twilight of a forest in early spring. And out of the corner of my eye I saw glowing eyes. To whom did they belong?  At first, I thought they belonged to an animal; maybe an owl. I never saw those eyes again but I couldn't get the image out of my mind. Later, having pondered what it could have been, I began to believe these were the eyes of a green woman. It made me wonder, what does the world look like from her perspective? If we are isolated in our homes, what is it like to be isolated in nature? I would certainly prefer to be isolated somewhere in the wild of the woods than locked down in the safety of a man-made structure.

Natalia Howard

acrylic  16" x 20"

$250

Petroleum refineries break down crude oil into components that are then used to make products, such as fuel, generating electricity, and heating. But many of us don't recognize or appreciate the role they play in polluting our environment. This painting can be viewed from an environmentalist perspective. The juxtaposition of a man and a man-made factory in nature can lead the viewer to ponder the relationship between man and nature. Who is more important? How much do we give and how much do we take? 

Briana Godden

acrylic and ink  10.6" x 13.8"

$975

Since the pandemic began, Briana has been meticulously cataloguing her dreams in vivid detail, documenting over 100 nights of dreams. Briana draws from the imagery and symbolism therein. She is able to retain the details and access the image through dream recall, "seeing it" like a regular memory.

Here Briana's illustration depicts ominous storm clouds rolling over a city, and a charged ball of lightening hovering at its center. There is a feeling of impending catastrophe, a building tension stoked in our waking life in facing the very real calamity of a global pandemic. Though Briana feels we have all been thrust into an invariably unprecedented time, and turmoil seems rife, the artist feels this time has given us an opportunity to introspect and refocus on our lives with a renewed vision for our future.

Briana Godden

pencil crayon and ink   20" x 16" 

$975

In this piece, Briana uses thoughtful mark-making to delineate waves between colour variations in the background painting, and has scribed a contour drawing from her sketchbook onto the canvas, then lining the illustration with an ink pen. Briana painted this piece in the beginning of the pandemic, while simultaneously dealing with the end of a relationship.

DJ Sproat

mixed media  20" x 10"

NFS

Art in Isolation is simply - art.

Isolation seems to always have a negative connotation, for most people. Particularly if it is not by choice. It implies containment and confusion. Uncertainty and fear. Disruption and darkness.

Chaos.

Yet, isolation can be freeing. It can reduce noise and distraction. It can give peace and serenity. It can allow for the discovery and expression of what matters. What is of true value. If one lets it happen.

DJ Sproat

acrylic  8" x 10.5" 

NFS

My abstract art tends to reflect this expression. It is rarely directed. Instead, it is allowed to be what it wants. Maybe starting with an idea of a technique, a surge of colour, then simply letting whatever will happen, happen. If I fight it or try to make it be something in particular, it will be ruined.

While my realistic work (animals, horses, wildlife, cartoons) tends to be fairly restrained pen, pencil or graphite drawings, my abstracts are always a riot of colour. And colour is what often first attracts me to the work of others. The world needs more colour! Colour is light, it is joy, it is expression. Even in isolation.

I hope my art brings people some colour.

Sharon Ramsay Curtis

mixed media on paper  11" x 15"

$50 (unframed)

An occurrence that has blessed me during this trying time is that I was introduced to the concept of Neurographic Drawing. This concept is a kind of creative meditation with very few technical 'rules.' This idea introduced me to the world of mixed media where formerly I had been a bit of a purist where paint was concerned. The whole experience has been incredibly freeing. 

While the shut down has been difficult, it has allowed me to bloom creatively in new ways. It has allowed me to focus daily on creative work, and encouraged me to think outside the box. That certainly has been an unexpected gift! 

Sharon Ramsay Curtis

mixed media on paper  15" x 11"

$50 (unframed)

Prior to the Great Pause, for many years I painted  in water-colours. My subjects were most often the countryside around me and occasionally vignettes of people and places. As our Isolation deepened I heard about “Zoom” and the interesting things that were coming to be offered by this system. I am a profound Luddite at heart and it took quite a while until I was able to screw up the courage to stick my toe into those waters. 

My first foray into Zoom was a life drawing opportunity offered by Martin: Life Model. It had been 40 years since I had picked up a piece of conte and I was nervous. In no time at all I was a convert and now I  join the group most weeks. Ideas and creative ideas tumble about just begging to be tried out!  

Renee Hiltz

mixed media  36" x 12"

$600

It is the surprises that emerge from the canvas that fill me with joy as unexpected images suddenly appear and colours, shapes and shadows make themselves known. In response to the infinite possibilities the painting process reveals, renewed creative impulses continue to be a source of amazement. They are in fact, fodder for ongoing painting discoveries and future painting adventures.

Renee Hiltz

mixed media  24" x 32"

$1000

During this time of the pandemic and isolation my thoughts and emotions have been often in conflict with my creative abilities. At times I have found it very difficult to focus. During other times the serenity and quiet have been inspiring and all encompassing. My work during this time reflects my looking forward to a future filled with light and hope.

Sandra Kidd

acrylic  15" x 30"

$275

My paintings are vignettes of beauty I glimpse around me or memories of far away places we hope to see again.

Sandra Kidd

acrylic  16" x 20"

$350

Despite the perils of the pandemic during the last year, I have to count myself as fortunate to live in this area and be able to continue to make art in an inspiring community of fellow artists and with wonderful support from our local art association and the Parrott Gallery.

Nancy Sherk 

acrylic  20" x 16"

$350

During the Covid isolation Nancy has been studying and painting abstracts with a group of Belleville Art Association members on zoom. 

She was challenged, during isolation, to paint 20 paintings on one theme. She chose rocks. She has entered two of these rock paintings for this juried show.  

Nancy Sherk

acrylic  16" x 20"

$350

During the Covid isolation Nancy has been studying and painting abstracts with a group of Belleville Art Association members on zoom. 

She was challenged, during isolation, to paint 20 paintings on one theme. She chose rocks. She has entered two of these rock paintings for this juried show.  

Penny Thompson

acrylic  11" x 14"

$120

I am a Belleville artist who paints abstracted landscapes, primarily in acrylic. Although I usually paint alone in my studio, the lack of social contact with other artists took away my enthusiasm for painting.

After several months of doing very little art, I decided to sort through my old paintings. I covered large sections with gesso and began to push them in a different direction. The process renewed my passion for art and gave me hope for the future. I hope viewers will feel the same.

Penny Thompson

acrylic  16" x 20"

$250

I am a Belleville artist who paints abstracted landscapes, primarily in acrylic. Although I usually paint alone in my studio, the lack of social contact with other artists took away my enthusiasm for painting.

After several months of doing very little art, I decided to sort through my old paintings. I covered large sections with gesso and began to push them in a different direction. The process renewed my passion for art and gave me hope for the future. I hope viewers will feel the same.

Karen Richey

mixed media mosaic  12” x 12” 

$250

Created during the December to February 2021 pandemic lock-down, this mosaic was inspired by song lyrics from Leonard Cohen’s Anthem:

“There’s a crack, a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.”

Closely placing pieces of slate in a radiating format, I tell a story of being drawn-in, absorbed and tight: isolation and limited freedom of movement.

Inserting pieces of copper, I continue the story by bringing attention to random spaces between the slate: a glimmer of something light within the dark slate.

Placing a unique piece of sand casted copper in the centre of the piece, beckoning the eye to come nearer, I conclude the story with a hint of curiosity: how’s this going to look when the pandemic is over?

As a story of introspection I am saying despite imposed restrictions there can be a glimmer of hope.

Karen Richey

mixed media mosaic  18 ”x 10”

NFS

Created during the December to February 2021 pandemic lock-down, this mosaic was inspired by my new felted hat.

I am intrigued by the skill of fibre artists. Their ability to transform strands of fibre into fabric, their ability to take something small and fragile and transform it into something strong and resilient, challenged me to translate this into a mosaic.

To convey the look of strands of fibre, I placed pieces of slate on edge to expose narrow ridges. I tucked pieces of copper and glass within the narrow ridges of the slate to hint more than one type of fibre and colour can be added.

To communicate the transformation of the fibre into fabric, I then laid the slate pieces flat, revealing more surface area. The copper was manipulated to appear broader, and more coloured glass was placed in the spaces between the flattened slate. 

As a story of transformation I am saying despite imposed restrictions, resilience exists.

Maureen Zahorbynsky

encaustic 12" x 12"

$250

This Botanical Fantasy Series comes from an artistic journey of wanting to design, create and share joyful, vibrant, and expressive botanicals. I am drawn to the sensual flow of molten wax and the heady scent of natural beeswax as I watch the luminous layers develop. Wax, shellac, and alcohol ink combine to create one-of-a-kind artistry that exudes excitement and the promise of the arrival of spring.

Maureen Zahorbynsky

encaustic  18" x 18"

$450

Although I have been using a butane torch as my paint brush and molten wax as my paint for the last 12 years, encaustic painting has given me more joy and serenity during this time of isolation than ever before. Daily, I draw on inspiration that comes from the beauty of nature outside my studio window, imaginary gardens in bloom, and hope within my heart.

Joyce Pond

acrylic 7.5" x 11"

$100

Joyce Pond

acrylic 14" x 11" 

$85

Maria Moreno

Mixed media on canvas  36" x 24"

$690

A blank canvas looks very different when you look at it while a never-ending chain of thoughts about the world situation are crossing your mind… Yes, it does look different!

Sometimes you feel guilty thinking that you are painting while so much pain is affecting the world; In other occasions you just want to forget about it all and just bring joy through your paintings.

My works for this exhibition are the result of a blend of all these sentiments, some dark, but so many others filled with hope and joy while waiting for better times to come.

Maria Moreno

mixed media  24" x 24"

$550

A blank canvas looks very different when you look at it while a never-ending chain of thoughts about the world situation are crossing your mind… Yes, it does look different!

Sometimes you feel guilty thinking that you are painting while so much pain is affecting the world; In other occasions you just want to forget about it all and just bring joy through your paintings.

My works for this exhibition are the result of a blend of all these sentiments, some dark, but so many others filled with hope and joy while waiting for better times to come.

Jeannine Berschied

acrylic and oil on canvas  10" x 20"

sold

My unique style of art starts with specially prepared fluid paint poured on a canvas. Next, I map the design using negative and positive painting to find the image hidden within the paint patterns existing on the canvas. Starting with this acrylic pour then using both negative and positive painting techniques to create the final image.

Jeannine Berschied

acrylic  24" x 20"

$225

Covid has been both a positive and negative influence on my creativity. The positive side was to severely restrict outside influences so I could focus more on my art and creating. This only happened after I overcame the negative side of Covid which was the human tragedy that was unfolding around the world. My paintings represented my retreat from the realities of Covid and into happier places with fairies and butterflies. 

This painting started as a pour on unstretched canvas and developed into a butterfly in my garden. In the summer my garden was my safe retreat from the health threats found in the outside Covid world.

Sarah Winn

mixed media  12" x 16"

$200

I love to travel, but Covid 19 stopped us from visiting places and people I would love to see.

I dreamt of far away places from my big comfy chair in my living room, and thought: 'what is stopping me from imagining I am there with what I have here?'

Sarah Winn

mixed media  12" x 16"

$200

I decided to take photos of home-made renditions of wonders of the world, and paint them. They give the viewer a sense of happiness, hope and humour.

Margaret Ruttan

watercolour on yupo  12" x 9"

sold

I’ve been experimenting lately with yupo paper, and both my pieces were done on yupo. The pigment travels and flows on this paper and has its own challenges, but I enjoy the challenge it provides me.

“Emerging” is of the phoenix reflecting our inner resilience to this trying time; and that we will indeed rise up again from the ashes, not to where we’ve come from, but to where we now find ourselves in a changed and new world.

Margaret Ruttan

watercolour on yupo  12" x 9"

$225

Although I have explored several mediums, I always seem to return to my first love, watercolour. It continues to resonate with my need for fluidity and gentle textures.

“No Walk in the Park” is a bit of tongue in cheek, reflecting this past year and its many challenges and struggles during a pandemic. In other words, it’s been no walk in the park, that’s for sure.

Colleen Thomson

felt  24" x 36"

$850

As a fibre artist, I have explored a wide range of techniques and developed a variety of skills. In this picture, I see the sun as a symbol of life. Whether it's a sunrise, or a sunset, only the viewer can decide. Are the trees dying from the ravages of fire and climate change, or quietly resting only to burst into spring's lush greenery? Is the undergrowth about to flower, or is it fading from the previous season's glory?

As an artist, I can suggest but it's up to you, the viewer, to choose which version you see.

Holly McClellan

photography  18" x 12"

$500

This photo is part of a series called "Visual Studies of Endangered Trees."

Response to my surroundings and current events help guide my approach when working with a subject for long periods of time.

Holly McClellan

photography  18" x 12"

$500

This photograph is part of a series titled "Alone yet Connected,  Abstracted Window Views."

Photography is my main medium but other art forms, especially abstract painting, influence my artistic process and final works. The important part of the work is done prior to or during capture. Atmospheric conditions are studied. Colour and light are manipulated during exposure.

Andy White

acrylic on glass  34" x 30"

NFS

I saw the glass windows by the side of the road which inspired me to do something with some feeling of spring flare as I think we all need it. I told myself that now I have the time and the tools to do something that makes me feel not so lonely and so isolated from my friends and relatives. This project has made me feel better during this time of loneliness and frustration. God bless us all and stay safe and healthy.

Andy White

acrylic on glass  34" x 30"

NFS

I saw the glass windows by the side of the road which inspired me to do something with some feeling of spring flare as I think we all need it. I told myself that now I have the time and the tools to do something that makes me feel not so lonely and so isolated from my friends and relatives. This project has made me feel better during this time of loneliness and frustration. God bless us all and stay safe and healthy.

Colleen Zetaruk

photography  13" x 10"

$230

Photography is my chosen medium to explore and reveal the intricate design in nature and the man-made world. 'Vine of Reclusion' demonstrates the adaptability of nature to a fabricated environment. It illustrates many of the emotions that we have faced in the past year; loss, separation, strength, sorrow, determination, and contemplation.