Gently
By Sharon Clark
Acrylic on canvas – 22” x 28”
I am interested in the concept of reduction. How much information does the viewer need in order to connect with a piece of art? What story can be woven in the mind of the beholder from the placement of brush strokes of colour on paper? By applying the paint with a palette knife horizontally I have initiated the narrative. The juxtaposition of the colours adds another clue as does the title. The viewer mentally adds the details and the artwork is now complete.
About Sharon
I began painting in 1989 and am now working towards my bachelor of fine arts degree at the University of the Fraser Valley while volunteering with Mission Arts Council and the Fraser Valley Chapter of the Federation of Canadian Artists. Acrylics, collage, photography, and print are my favourite mediums.
Fear and Anxiety: Effects on the Human Body
By Laura Tansley
Acrylic on canvas – 18” x 24”
This painting is about feelings of fear and anxiety and their effect on the body. For myself, anxiety and fear may cause a tight and sometimes painful feeling in my chest. The painting was part of a series that dealt with the physical manifestations of fear. I personified the concept of fear and anxiety as a shadow creature that squeezes the figure’s heart with a vice grip. The figure is also frozen in place by the grip of fear. I chose a shadow creature to represent these emotions as they are something that all humans feel, and like a shadow that follows people around, these feelings can often loom over us. My hope with this work was to show a side of our human emotions that have the power to stop us in our tracks and negatively affect us physically.
About Laura:
My name is Laura Tansley. I am a BA student with a double extended minor in both biology and visual arts. I’m in my last year at UFV and will be graduating in the spring. My favourite visual arts practices are drawing and painting. I like to use many different mediums to create art.
The Game:
By Ryan Liddiard
Acrylic on canvas – 30” x 40”
Two facets of art that have always intrigued me are portrait and colour. It is no surprise, then, that they are central to my pieces. The human face, and the many ways we wear it, provides boundless inspiration. By throwing amplified and exaggerated colours into the mix, I am able to produce some great expressions and facial features. For my current series, I have drawn my subjects from the world of hip-hop, a genre of music I have always enjoyed, and one whose inherent braggadocio, flamboyance, and gaudiness serves as a great complement to my own artistic style. The result is an exuberant series of pieces, which was not only great fun to paint, but also allowed me to pay homage to a form of music that has been integral to my life.
About Ryan:
My name is Ryan Liddiard. I’m a 25-year-old from Pitt Meadows, British Columbia. I graduated from UFV in June 2016 with a bachelor of arts degree, after playing five seasons for the UFV Cascades men’s soccer team. Since then, I have decided to pick up the paintbrush and pursue my other passion: artwork.
Doubt
By Katherine Strand’
Clay, metal, fabric, paint, wood, plastic – 17” x 1’ x 4”
Am I coming up with things that are so out of the box that I am setting myself up for failure? I need to be reassured that my ideas are beautiful. I need to hear that I am good at what I do. I need to feel proud. But I don’t know how. It’s a constant circle I can’t break. My materials are wrong, but somehow they work? Ribbon, plastic, metal, flowers, buttons, clay. Everything is so different. I am good at working with clay — it is a passion of mine — but I doubt that my skills are strong enough. And what is my purpose? To show my personal flaws, to expose myself. No. To allow others to find that feeling of doubt in themselves. To take them to that level. To realize that making art is a process and not every idea is a good one, but with lots of expanding and meditating on that idea, it can become a great one.
About Katherine:
My art-making process is intuitive. I become passionate about creating art related to things I experience. I try to reveal something personal about myself in every project. My motivation to create is that it is important to express emotions that are difficult to expose.
