The walls of the McMillan Art Centre have been graced with two new exhibitions this month.
UNDERstory: on the edge of the known is the work of Nanoose Bay-based Lynne Patrick. It takes viewers on a journey through the natural world, with some pieces rooted firmly in reality and others edging into the abstract.
The vivid colours of Patrick’s Poppies series stand out from across the gallery walls. The flowers vary from piece to piece, some blending with the background of sky to lend an ephemeral quality to the already fanciful flower.
In the series The Language of Trees, sewing paper is interspersed with acrylic to add texture and ideational contrast between the natural world and the human-made. A collection of smaller sketches mostly called Untitled use ink atop acrylic and pastel to create delicate imagery.
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Swirls of vivid colour and metallic mixed-media comprise MY JOURNEY by Regina Seib. The Nanaimo-based artist displays striking versatility, moving from acrylic landscape on one wall to darkly shining mixed-media abstracts on the next.
Imaginative colours highlight thick-line work depictions of classic Canadian scenery, and golden-hour light graces a depiction of the Rocky Mountains that straddle the B.C. - Alberta border. On another wall, acrylics swirl in striking colours of greens, blues, and reds, and contrasting colours create vivid portraits of faceless beings.
Across the room, the Precious Metals series takes a complete departure from depictions of reality and offers strong textures and abstract etchings.
The MAC will host Patrick and Seib’s work until June 30.
Interested patrons can also take a sneak peek at some of the work for the MAC’s upcoming multimedia exhibition Soft Shore.