The McMillan Arts Centre welcomes three new art exhibitions starting Oct. 29.
The exhibits include works by Janis Gosbee, Christian Ouellet and Jolene Hassard, according to a news release by the arts centre.
Kinetic Landscapes: An Abstract Journey by Gosbee highlights the dynamic interplay between the forces of nature and the energetic strokes of action painting.
Featuring large-scale oil and acrylic paintings, each piece captures the essence of movement and emotion, transforming natural landscapes into vibrant, abstract expressions. Explore the rhythmic motifs, unique colour fields, and evocative mark-making that defines the work and experience the raw power and beauty of nature re-imagined through abstract art.
Gosbee will host an Artist Talk at the MAC, starting at 2 p.m. on Nov. 2.
Reconnection by expressionist and realistic artist Ouellet embodies his profound love for nature, encapsulating the space and vibrant life that flourish within the natural beauty of our environment — a beauty we too often overlook.
With a palette of bright and vivid colours, Ouellet skilfully captures the essence and emotion of each subject. His chosen medium of acrylic paint becomes a conduit through which he shares his undeniable respect and appreciation for the world around us.
Hassard's exhibition First Light showcases the use of paintbrushes and acrylic paint in the style of dotillism.
The subject of each piece is honoured – a moment, a place, an animal – by creating an extremely intricate and detailed background with a colourful design created from thousands of dots. This mandala-like pattern contrasts and therefore highlights the stark silhouette of the subject itself. She also creates more traditional mandala-style pen and ink drawings which are occasionally re-created as murals.
Hassard is a registered veterinary technologist and has been working in the field of veterinary medicine for almost 30 years – this has given her ample opportunity to witness and be inspired by the incredible bond between animals and humans. She is also an avid backpacker who seeks out the remote places on the west coast for both inspiration and spiritual rejuvenation. Coastlines, animals, oceans, forests and experiences in the natural world are common subjects of her paintings.
Mandala stones were her introduction to dotillism and mandala work, and she eventually started to experiment on canvas. As time went on, the dots became tinier and the backgrounds more intricate. She has also taken several courses in traditional pen and ink mandala design and while the two styles are quite different, the techniques learned in this style have translated to the dot work and have helped her to create more balanced and detailed pieces.
The fine and detailed work is very meditative, requiring breath control and a very steady hand to create and maintain the consistency of the fine and tiny details. She hopes her pieces bring the viewer the same senses of peace and happiness that fill her as she creates them.
All three exhibitions will be on display at the MAC (133 McMillan St.) until Nov. 24.
