Memories, Moments Imagined

An exhibition of work by Toronto artist Eleanor Lowden and Alvinston artist Liana Russwurm is coming to Westland Gallery. The show, “Memories, Moments Imagined”, runs from May 22nd to June 16th.
 
Eleanor and Liana have created a figurative show that looks at memory, story telling and personal recollection; some peacefully pleasant and some with a bit of an edge!
 

Liana Russwurm is exhibiting her, “Tickle Trunk” series. The paintings explore the innocence of childhood memories; so often overly romanticized and exaggerated by imagination in order to protect them from being altered by the passage of time or warped by outside influences. They show how ideas about ourselves from childhood permeate our identity and daily life as adults.
 
Liana works in a highly realistic and detailed manner on large scale panels. The resulting paintings are attention grabbing and technically impressive. The children in her paintings look almost like porcelain dolls and are depicted alongside vintage toys, purposefully leaving the viewer questioning what is real. 

Russwurm includes her personal collection of dolls, toys, puppets and marionettes in the works, bringing to life memories from her own childhood. Russwurm begins each painting by staging the scene with models, props and makeup. She uses digital photography as type of preliminary sketch to reference while she paints.
 
Liana studied at the Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto ON, completing her final year in Florence, Italy in 2007. Here she developed a style reminiscent of Caravaggio’s use of light and dark. Her work has been displayed in Ontario, Quebec, British Columbia, Italy and Ireland. Her art is owned in public and private collections across Canada. 

Eleanor Lowden is inspired by the figure and by places to which she has travelled. Even when painting a landscape, Eleanor incorporates a human element. This helps to place the viewer into the painting, building a personal connection and narrative; you see a story that could be your own.
 

The moments Eleanor captures are not grand ones. Instead she focuses on beautifully simple moments. The everyday encounters that form the basis of our lives and our relationships. She seeks to create a feeling of shared experience. Common imagery in Eleanor’s paintings are friends and couples walking together, cyclists exploring rural paths, beachgoers lounging in the sun and her recognizable umbrellas.
 
Eleanor paints in an impressionistic, vibrant, and loose style. She uses many layers of transparent acrylic, to create colours that glow.  “I want the viewer to spend time contemplating both the painting process and the story that I am telling,” Eleanor explains.

Lowden began her art career while living in Toronto. She studied fine art at the University of Western Ontario, and continued her studies at the Ontario College of Art and then at the Alberta College of Art.  Throughout her career she has participated in various workshops and artist retreats to further her learning.
 
“Memories, Moments Imagined” runs from May 22nd to June 19th. An opening reception will be held Friday May 25th at 7 pm and an Artist Talk on Wednesday June 6th at 7 pm.