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3/9/2017 2 Comments

Denise Antaya, Daydreams and Landscapes

Denise Antaya is a modern realist painting whose work has been shown at Westland Gallery for some time now, She is one of three female artists participating in the upcoming show, A Journey into Realism, on March 28th - April 15th 2017. Denise’s work shows her classical realism training from the Academy of Realist Art in Toronto, a tradition stemming back to the European ateliers of the 19th century. She seeks to “rebel against the fast-paced world we live in,” through her works, such as Across the Pond and Tangled. These serene landscapes are calming in their palettes and compositions, a conscious choice of Denise’s to “evoke memories of childhood vacations long forgotten.”

When viewing her work, it is easy to imagine that at any moment a family will pass through the frame on bicycles, or set up a picnic to enjoy the day. Having made a career in advertising, Denise often worked with digital mediums. So, it makes perfect sense that when Denise left the corporate world, she would switch focus to the nature world, and would attempt to capture the truth in what she observes. Denise’s landscapes often show nature untouched by human incursion, similar to the Hudson’s River school, where Denise has attended workshops. Denise is always seeking to improve her practice through education, a journey which she hopes will never end.

Denise Antaya, Across the Pond, oil on canvas

Denise Antaya, Tangled, oil on canvas

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3/9/2017 4 Comments

Nancy Calder and her Nostalgic Compositions

Nancy Calder is a contemporary realist artist that focuses on still-life paintings. Having worked for over 20 years in more craft mediums, Nancy now seeks to paint life into her subjects, a process she finds “absolutely fascination.” The compositions Nancy chooses to render all have a sense of days gone by, such as Big Night Out, or Market Morning Weigh-In. These subjects lend themselves wonderfully to the style of realism and reflect the culture and lifestyle during the heyday of realism. Nancy’s images, while realistic, are still romantic with a strong sense of nostalgia.

Nancy describes her paintings as “stories from a moment in time, a little curious and vaguely familiar.” We can relate to buying eggs at a market, but have we ever had to weigh our eggs? Nancy’s paintings are reminiscent of simpler times gone by, and their colors, rich yet muted, add to a sense of nostalgia. Nancy has always had a talent for rendering life through drawing, and began her realism work in graphic, carbon, charcoal, and then finally moving to oil paints, the medium she is most comfortable in, and her confidence shows through in her work. A Toronto native, after graduation the Academy of Realist Art, Nancy would become the Academy’s first female teacher ever! She now focuses her practice full-time, and we are very pleased to show her work at Westland Gallery in the upcoming show A Journey into Realism, on March 28th - April 15th 2017.

Nancy Calder, Market Morning Weigh-In, oil on canvas

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3/9/2017 1 Comment

Sandra Murphy's Joyous Realism

Sandra Murphy is the third female artist showing in A Journey into Realism, on March 28th - April 15th 2017. In this show, Sandra’s work provides a nice bridge between the works of Denise Antaya and Nancy Calder, as she focuses on florals in her work, bringing together both nature and still-life. Sandra does not seek to provoke through her work, instead, she paints decidedly “pretty pictures,” and “enjoys the challenge of trying to capture them on the canvas before they change, wilt or die.” In these often contentious times, politically or otherwise, Sandra’s work “attempts to bring a bit of lasting beauty into the world,” and she succeeds.

In Fall Bouquet we can see Sandra’s focus on color, with joyous colors popping in contrast to the grey background. In Azaleas in Ginger, color is used to frame the crisp white blooms. The contrasting textures in this piece work to draw the viewer into the composition: the softness of the red fabric with the smooth porcelain and chrome elements. While simplistic in their subject matter, Sandra’s works show great technique. Sandra is based out of Toronto and is also a graduate of the Academy of Realism. Today, she works on her art full-time, and A Journey into Realism is her first showing at Westland Gallery.

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3/1/2017 2 Comments

Pouring My Heart Out; The Abstract Flow Paintings of Vicki McFarland

My work is intended to evoke an emotional response with the viewer. I let my intuition guide me in the colours, angles, shapes and layering of paint. Typically, I pick a song and let the rhythm become part of the design process.
When designing, it is as much about the white space as it is the colours, and having an idea of where I want to flow the paint and how much white space to leave.

Vicki McFarland ~ Ringmaster ~ Acrylic ~ 48x48

Vicki McFarland ~ Circus ~ Acrylic ~ 48x48

My technique provides me the freedom to let go of preconceived ideas of the visual outcome, and instead lets my feelings dictate the process. I call this process “Pouring my heart out”. The reward which comes from expressing feelings in a piece of art is overwhelming. I liken the experience to a runner’s high which many artists feel. My hope is that I can pass along some of this deeply felt emotion with canvas and paper.

- Vicki McFarland

See the collection for Vicki McFarland and Erica Dornbusch's "Vivid Alliances" here.

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Denise Antaya, Daydreams and Landscapes

Nancy Calder and her Nostalgic Compositions

Sandra Murphy's Joyous Realism

Pouring My Heart Out; The Abstract Flow Paintings of Vicki McFarland

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