‘BRIDGE OVER TIME’, Recent Work by Betsy Fairbrother and Nancy McPhee, October 2 – 30, 2010
Betsy Fairbrother, Artist Statement
My life has always been defined through artistic pursuits. After many years immersed in the world of dance, I began to explore painting as a creative release. I started with small watercolours while living in Mexico in the 80’s, and have since experimented with enamel on wood, oil pastels and collage.
‘Buddha’ by Betsy Fairbrother
Last winter I was determined to complete a series of paintings I had started over 10 years ago. The series,”Women & Roses Dream”, developed from some collage work I had done, combining images of iconic women, within a dreamlike world. I picked up my brush and quickly immersed into a lovely creative bubble where everything else seemed secondary. I found myself losing track of time as I embraced the dance of the brush on canvas and the intense concentration and observation of the subject at hand. After completing these pieces, I continued to be inspired to paint, first and foremost by my immediate environment, with colour and form that bring joy to the eye. As I go about my day, my eye often acts as a camera lens, looking about my surroundings for images that compel me to paint.
‘Women and Roses #1 (Detail)’ by Betsy Fairbrother
I continue to develop my own personal style, and I have found the process of painting has illuminated my world in every way. My daily walks are filled with more colour, texture, light and shadow. As I gaze at life around me, I feel in awe and inspired by natures’ exquisite designs. My sincere hope is that my paintings reflect the joy I feel when I paint.
“May the eye of the artists remain in the soul of the viewer.”
‘Tulips’ by Betsy Fairbrother
Nancy McPhee ‘Bridge over Time’
The collection of paintings gathered together for this show span many years of experimenting and revelling in the mystery of creating art. These paintings represent the bridge that connects the past years of my artistic journey to the present.
‘Smilkameen Valley’ by Nancy McPhee
I am inspired by landscapes. Sometimes it is the memory of the light on the hills, the sound of the wind or the smell of nature that I strive to capture. Sometimes it is a phrase, a line of poetry, or a piece of music that is my muse. Whatever it might be, I love to capture the magic of my experience in art. My mediums vary though I tend to paint with acrylic and often add other elements that interest me.
‘Beyond the Milky Way, 1, Emergence’ by Nancy McPhee
In the early paintings, I experimented with a technique that I learned out of a book by Maxine Masterfield. Surprised and pleased with the images that emerged, I played with the combination of inks, watercolours and texture. The Winter Series evolved from my first visits to Galiano and I use shells, sticks and leaves found on nature rambles to create the texture in the paintings.
For the past few years I have been interested in the idea of change and transition and this is reflected in my newer work. The paintings are an exploration of edges, known and unknown through doorways. The most recent work focuses on a question about what connects the past to the future, what is known and unknown. Using a glazing technique with acrylic paint, the textured ground is broken into two definite areas joined by the transition of an edge — both areas are a mystery of memory. The viewer will see what they see in these landscapes. I hope you enjoy them.
‘Strange Attractor’ by Nancy McPhee
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