Kindling a Creative Spirit: Kim Harrison’s Experience with Sigrid Lochner

Sigrid Lochner

Kim Harrison

Sigrid rarely talked about “technical matters” during her teachings; she told stories full of emotional and psychological insight. Her advice or admonishment was indirect, not pointed or personal and she allowed her students to cultivate their practice and encouraged them to freely express themselves in their work.​

“She could speak vehemently about an injustice and render a translation from a German poem that she wanted to share, into a soulful, humane English. She was an image maker, very poetic, and, at times dark. In her art exhibitions, there could be pieces that made biting statements, lyrical landscapes, beautiful still-lifes, strongly individual figurative paintings, images of sophisticated humour and satire, and warm, sensitive portraits for which she was highly attuned.
 
Sigrid had the art spirit and kindled it in others - this is what a mentor in any field does for a young person who is untapped and feeling full of potential and longing. Her artistic range inspired; she excelled in many media: batik, cast jewelry, sculpture, drawing, pastels, as well as printmaking and painting.
 
Sigrid and l were alike in many ways, harmonious. l appreciated that she often strived to stress the soulful aspect and could animate the world of objects and nature.” – Kim Harrison

Kim Harrison

​Kim Harrison is a Beal Art graduate who went on to graduate from the fine arts program at the University of Windsor. He taught at Fanshawe College and has held classes and workshops across Southwestern Ontario. Travel, literature and music have often inspired Kim's work.

Sigrid Lochner

​Sigrid Lochner was born in Dresden, Austria where she endured the destruction at the end of World War II. After moving to Canada in 1958, Lochner became a prominent member of the artistic community in London. She began teaching at Fanshawe and studied at H.B. Beal Secondary School as a painter.