Sail and Canvas

Artistic Statement

I see hidden beauty in Hamilton’s aging structures. Historically an industrial city, the effects of nature on my hometown have eroded the buildings and transformed them greatly. I don’t regard my work as melancholy, but there is a kind of sadness in my pieces. That sadness is key to me, and through it I try to challenge the traditional and narrow view of what is beautiful.
Geometry features prominently in my work; I strive to keep the composition uncluttered, relying on layered areas of complex colour to complement the simplicity. Although people rarely appear in my paintings, I’m always conscious of the impact that these places have on working class lives. I let the buildings take centre stage and allow the “presence” of man to be felt through his mark on the architecture - and its decay.

Generally I use dry media (pastels, pencils, charcoal, conte), then create a ‘wash’ by brushing over the paper surface with solvent or distilled water. My colour palette is vivid and earthy like the subjects I paint - using very few colours to achieve the results I am after. Influences are drawn from colourists like Henri Matisse and his genius for composition, shape, colour and spacial planes.

My latest series is entitled “Favelas” and in particular focuses on the working class strata in Hamilton. A “favela” in Brasilian Portuguese, means literally shantytown, and the images I’ve grouped together are mostly found in the lower-income section of Hamilton’s immigrant community. Colour, shape and line are the unifying elements in this group - look for the flattening of shapes and organic colours throughout this series

Sail and Canvas

Marzena Kotapska


Artistic Statement

I believe in traditional skills: drawing, composition, the use of colours. Techniques are vital, like knowing the language. My work combines vibrant colour and detail in the creation of cityscapes and landscapes, my favourite themes. It has primarily been based on observation.I paint year round, in and around the Toronto area. I love hustle and bustle of busy city. I love buildings, city markets, churches and nature.

In composing a piece, I think of the subject as the setting for a drama of light and shadow play. I’m drawn to scenes that have strong light/dark elements or that have intricate patterns. I am especially fascinated by how illumination lends an aura of significance to objects, transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary. I want to freeze those moments when we catch a glimpse of something breathtaking and preserve that feeling on canvas.

My work has primarily been based on observation and photo-imagery. I carry my camera with me constantly, and I take lots of pictures. I try to record with my camera; objects, situations that draw my attention or that I find aesthetically captivating and of significance to me. Later on, I will process and store them in my computer. Afterwards, during the viewing and processing, I will choose the ones that are of interest to me, and that in some way ‘speak to me’. Those will become the basis for my paintings. I sometimes manipulate my photos, in order to convey a certain feeling or emotion, or for purely aesthetic reason.

Art has allowed me the opportunity to express and share my personal vision of the world that, to me, is both aesthetically beautiful and personally meaningful. I truly enjoy the process of creating. My brush strokes are broad and energetic. I enjoy the materiality of paint and the surfaces of my paintings are rich and textural. I’m fascinated by the sheer ability of putting paint on the surface of the canvas. To me painting has a life; a life of its own. Each painting has a personality, character, it talks, it breathes, narrates a story. I truly enjoy being part of this creation.

Painting is poetry on canvas. For me it is about the spirit of a place or an object, about the way I felt. I paint simply because I can't imagine not painting.

ARTIFICE Exhibit : Floyd Elzinga

ARTIFICE

Floyd Elzinga from Artifice, has put together a very interesting show entitled Potential and Resilience. An unusual adaptation of media that crosses sculpture with painting. Floyd has managed to create deliberate impressions of landscape and textures by literally painting with rust (oxides) on steel and utilizing bead welds. The pieces are bold and dramatic as well as organic and natural.

An abolute must see is Floyd's new fountain that was featured in Canada Blooms recently. It stands about 9 feet tall and is made from stainless steel and thousands of bead welds. We will attempt to get this piece photographed but for now it will just have to be a surpirse.

See more information here.

Joe Sampson Exhibition : Water's Edge

Joe Sampson - Water's edge




Our next journey brings us to the water's edge with a series of paintings by Joe Sampson. Joe has had much success already with a number of high profile collectors, including Darryl Sittler.

"I find myself drawn to shorelines, beaches, lakes and oceans to enjoy soothing repetitive movement and sounds of water. I believe water to be one of the most challenging subjects to capture its constantly moving and changing shape and colour."


See more information here.


Joe Sampson

Water’s Edge is the title of Joe Sampson’s current show of paintings at Marten Arts Gallery, and the title aptly describes the subject of Sampson’s recent artistic practice.

Sampson’s oeuvre has always been varied, and water is a frequent theme in his current focus on landscape painting. He is inspired by the shorelines and beaches of lakes and oceans, and the realistic renderings of these sites rise to the challenge of capturing the transitory qualities of light and shadow on moving water.

Moods are evoked through colour and composition. Silver Cloud places the viewer above the clouds, providing a glimpse of water far below. Rolling Waves depicts only a touch of sky on the horizon, while a large expanse of water in varying blues and greens leads up to a gentle wave curling on the sand in the foreground. Turbulence fills the canvas in Beach Foam, and one can practically hear the wave breaking in Glass Wave. One’s perspective is always changing.

It is fitting that this exhibition can be viewed at Marten Arts Gallery in Bayfield, Ontario, situated within earshot of Lake Huron’s shore.

I graduated from The Ontario College of Art in '95 with
a specialization in illustration from the commercial design department. After
OCA, I freelanced as an illustrator and also painted scenic imagery. The
images I chose to paint ranged from portraiture to cityscape and
landscape.

While teaching drawing and painting at a performing and visual arts school, I
began to show my work at a variety of art shows, galleries, and art-related
events. At present my work is comprised of landscape painting and a variety of
scenic imagery, but landscape captivates the majority of my artistic time. I
believe that a strong background of drawing and painting a variety of
subjects has enabled me to develop into a well-rounded artist. I constantly
challenge myself to explore different subjects, techniques, and compositions.
I think this is the most important reason for my growth and
inspiration.
My
landscape paintings have a common theme throughout; whether it is winter,
fall, summer, or spring, the majority of my paintings have water in them. I find
myself drawn to shorelines, beaches, lakes, and oceans to enjoy the soothing,
repetitive movement and sounds of water. I find water to be one of the most
challenging subjects: to capture its constant movement and changing shape and
colour. A dynamic composition and an understanding of colour and light and
shadow are my artistic goals. Creating a mood and feeling help me achieve my
ultimate goal, which is capturing a moment in time and holding it
forever.

Joe Sampson