Hope Wells "# 39"

Hope Wells
#39Mixed Media on Linen
50.5"x55.5"x1.5"
www.hopeangeliquewells.com

Drawing on experiencing the landscape of the prairies and memories, Hope explores the distance between the self and the spaces we occupy. She has created an atmosphere within the paintings that can be felt, sensed, listened to, observed, and savored to truly appreciate the state of being. Linen, transparent acrylic paint and silk are her choice vocabulary to convey both human’s and nature’s comforting and disturbing traits. The imagery is of human presence and atmosphere threading their way through time, place and space to offer a glimpse into a portrait landscape by combining formal abstract painting with thoughts on human bodily experiences within our own spaces.

Roberta Murray "Sometimes It's Just About Luck"

Roberta MurraySometimes It's just About Luck from The Dreams Collection
Photography
16"x20"
2011

http://www.uncommondepth.com/

James Gaa "Graffiti, Brussels"

James Gaa
Graffiti, Brussels
Pigment Print
13"x19.5"
2011

"Graffiti, Brussels" is quite different in its interpretation. Here a cacophony of colour and form stands exuberantly on an abandoned store window in plain sight and impossible to ignore. the photograph consists of a group of graffiti, painted more or less randomly at different times by different people and for different reasons. The result- which is a selection by the photographer--shows the energy of making art, where each person creates a part of the whole; a bit carelessly and hurried, and without any plan.

Wilfred Chiu " Krumlov #18"

Wilfred ChiuKrumlov #18Watercolour on Paper
22"x 15"
2011

Laurie MacFayden "In Like a Lion"

Laurie MacFayden
In Like A Lion
Acrylic on Canvas
30"x40"
2011

http://www.lauriemacfayden.com/

I am a poet and painter who's largly self-taugh. Endlessly fascinated with the visual arts, I began painting iwth watercolours, oils and acrylics in highschool., but set the palette aside for two decades while pursuing a career in sports journalism. In the mid 1990's  I rediscovered my passion for throwing paint around. Since June 2007 I have been working as  freelance writer, photogapher and visual artist. My debut poetry manuscript, "White Shirt" was published in April 2010 by Frontenac House. Over the past few years my paintings have been displayed in libraries, galleries, cafes and other public spaces in Edmonton.

Al Mier "Creative Passion"

Al Mier
Creative Passion
Acrylic on Canvas
"16x20"
2011

My passion for painting reflects my internal desire to express myself in visual language. It is almost like a quest for the rediscovery of my internal artistic self-hood in this complex contemporary life, where each of us, not only creators of the arts, wants to be heard and noticed.
My artistic composition is created from personal aesthetic experiences. There is a need to share it with together human beings like me to show them my vision of the world. The 21st Century is the center of communication and advancing technology where there is not one dominating style in all kinds of art. Because of that, I am multi-dimentional in my artist I expression. I do not reduce myself to one unique style. I love acrylic; is my best painting medium, I like its flexibility, fast drying quality and it is very forgiving, I want to get results fast in my search for materializing my vision. Visual Art is a dialogue between souls.

Charlene Denton "Dalsify Seed with Poppy Pods"

Charlene DentonSalsify Seeds with Poppy Pods
Photography
2010
Taking Flight
An Artist always has seeds locked inside them waiting to be released. All it takes is soneone or somthing to start the creative process. It can be the smallest thing that lets an idea take flight. It could be another artist's art, a word from a fellow artist or working with their own art that sparks the next grand series of the submlime. The energy is always there all it needs is the right key for the idea to take flight.

Judith E. Hall "Carseland"

Judith E. Hall
Carseland
Acrylic
24"x30"
www.judithehall.com

As an artist I enjoy observing my surroundings and interpreting them on canvas. I am fascinated with all aspects of my environment and see beauty and interesting patterns everywhere. All my work is done in a realistic style as I strive for accuracy in portraying all subjects. The undoubtedly reflects my scientific background. Dramatic skies and detailed foregrounds are distinguishing features of my paintings.

Kathleen Newman " The Back Road"

Kathleen Newman
Oil
18"x18"
http://www.klhnewman.com/

Originally from Singapore, I moved to Canada in late 2002. I started my working life in medical research after doing a Masters degree in Human Physiology but have spent the rest of my life returning to my childhood interest in the Fine Arts. I made a late career switch into graphic design after receiving training in medical illustration and attending workshops in graphic design in the USA and New Zealand. I attended numerous art classes in various countries and became an exhibiting artist in the late 1990's. Kathleen is presently a student in the Certificate of Fine Arts program at U of A Extension and will be participating in the class exhibition " Group of Seventeen" at Enterprise Square, Edmonton, June 23 to July 7, 2011.

Nataliya Bukhanova "Gamajun"

Nataliya Bukhanova
Gamajun
(from the series The Song of the Universe)
Watercolour on Paper
17"x23"
http://www.artistsites.org/bukhanova/

In Russian Mythology, Gamajun is a Bird who sings The Song of Wisdom. He remembers how our world was created. He knows what will be after the end of our world For Gamajun all the existence of the world is but a moment for him. There are words to an old song, : You will see the soul of the crystal reflected in the edges reflected in the edges of mirrors, and you will see the soul of world reflected in the edges of dreams". In my art works I try to go behind the usual understanding of things and events. I try to show another side of world , the edges of reality which reflect one another endlessly creating our universe. I think of the questions of life, death, creativity and love. Hoe does a soul come to this world? How does one separate dream and reality? How does love change the world? How does the mind of universe reflect itself in people and nature?

John Richardson "What Lies Beneath" (Energize Exhibition June 09-July 09 )

John Richardson
"What Lies Beneath"
Etching and Electrical Parts
10.5"x18.5"2.75"

What Lies Beneath is a symbolic reversal of the reality of the energy distribution system we take for granted. To bring light to our rooms from the hidden, complicated, and delicate grid, so many times each day we touch the plain, unadorned switch plate. Here, the plate has been electrolytically etched with a dense, complex circuit diagram. Electricity has itself been used to draw the complexity of our energy supply out from behind the switch plate and make it visible and tactile on this most ordinary of household items.

James Gaa " Intersection, Redding California" (Energize Exhibition June 09-July 09)

James Gaa
Intersections, Redding California
Archival Print
16"x20"
 
Downtown Redding, after rush hour. A motel on one corner, a used car lot on another. Nothing is happening, except for an occasional car and whatever has drawn three police cars to the motel down the block. Energy comes only from a sign, a windshield, and the blue sky.

Hope Wells "#99" ( Energize Exhibition June 09-Jule 09 )

Hope Wells
Acrylic and Silk on Raw Linen
26"x78"
2011

www.hopeangeliquewells.com

Drawing on experiencing the landscape of the prairies and memories, Hope explores the distance between the self and the spaces we occupy. She has created an atmosphere within the paintings that can be felt, sensed, listened to, observed, and savored to truly appreciate the state of being. Linen, transparent acrylic paint and silk are her choice vocabulary to convey both human’s and nature’s comforting and disturbing traits. The imagery is of human presence and atmosphere threading their way through time, place and space to offer a glimpse into a portrait landscape by combining formal abstract painting with thoughts on human bodily experiences within our own spaces.

Paula E. Kirman " Cleaning Epcor Tower"

Paula E. Kirman
Cleaning Epcor Tower
Digital Print
2011

Energy is all around us, especially in Alberta where we have such an active and prominent energy sector. My photos focuses on a major architectural figure in the local energy sector: the newly built Epcor Tower. In Cleaning Epcor Tower, construction has not yet been fully completed, yet care is already being taken to ensure this centre for the business activities of Epcor is kept gleaming. 

Neil McClelland " Creation" (Energize ExhibitionJune 09-July 09)

 

Neil McClelland

Creation
Oil on Mylar
14.5"x21.75

In my still life paintings I like to work from old toys, thrift store discoveries, and other neglected objects. I combine these objects in tableaux that play with art historical and popular culture references. Sometimes these arrangements evoke the partly buried fears of childhood or they search for meaning in what increasingly feels like a fragile and fragmented world. “Creation” references our dependence on non-renewable energy sources and concerns about the dangers for humanity in being “addicted to oil.”

Donna Marchyshyn Shymko " Windmills of Another Time" (Energize Exhibition June 09-July 09)

Donna Marchyshyn Shymko

Windmills of Another Time

Acrylic on Canvas

30"x30"

I cannot remember not being an artist. Most of my paintings begin with color choices, and more often than not, result in contemporary landscape paintings. I have now chosen to explore with acrylic paint on paper and canvas.

Everywhere you look the colors we see evoke an emotional response within us. I am inspired be a feeling when something I see in life basically hits me in the pit of my stomach, I get excited and creative!
There is usually no plan or particular scene in my mind when I start a contemporary painting. The process is lead by my mind’s eye and intuition. I love to explore the texture, color and pattern created by overlapping brush strokes, light against dark, the hues of color that are created when one color is overlapping another stirs the imagination. I like to use fluid acrylic in more of a watercolor technique rather than a thick textural method.
Everyone sees something different. It is my intent for the viewer to explore the images within. It is a personal journey of unexpected and delightful surprises, what do you see ?

Karolina Kowalski " Shifting Fault Lines" & "Cataract Fault (Energize Exhibition June 09-July 09)

Karolina Kowalski
Shifting Fauly Lines
Cataract Fault
Copper Etching on Honen and Somerset Velvet paper
2011

www.karolinakowalski.com

The Universe – the totality of all things that exist.

The universe is boundless. It is constantly expanding and changing. Through maps and photos, we construct a rigid and static structure to represent space. What would that map look like from the other side? Would the lines and dots align, or would they reveal a distorted image that challenges our incomplete vision. I am unveiling an abstract vision of the universe. My work is an exploration of the ambiguous nature of the infinite. Using geological maps, I am exploring the shifting of mountain spaces through time and space.

Madonna Mikhail "Candy Necklace" (Energize Exhibition June 09- July 09)

Madonna Mikhail
Candy Necklace
60"x60"x5"
Plaster and Pigment
2011

Cakes, Candy and Sweets Oh No! The average American consumes an astounding 2-3 pounds of sugar a week as stated in the health statistics per the last five years. Everybody ha s certain relationship an idea about sweets. Whether an eating disorder, diabetes, a sweet tooth, or comfort food, itis evident that sweets may cause serious health conditions. I am interested in creating a tension and making apparent the excess of such foods and mass production. Oversized and fashioned entirely of plaster and pigment, Candy Necklace not only appears and smells edible but also becomes interactive and playful.
Madonna graduated from The University of Alberta with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2011.

Wendy Gervais " Complete" (Energize Exhibition June 09-July 09)

Wendy Gervais
Complete
Collage and Mixed Media
38"x50"

Wendy Gervais was born in Saint John, New Brunswick. There, she completed a bachelor degree in history and anthropology. As well as being an advocate for education in the arts, Wendy is involved with the arts community with various programming and fundraising activities.

As I construct my art I consider the aesthetic decisions confronting me. I imagine what co-artist, friends or even family members would like me to do. Will they like the piece? In this state of conformity I consider this and then most often i react then act. My feelings of conformity disengage and a commitment to the process of art making ensues. I hesitate to say that my decisions become an act of defiance but assert that they are instilled with the knowledge that art making is an integral part of my being. This process although formal is not devoid of social or personal awareness. Clothing has socio-economic and emotional references in all societies. clothing is a reflection of style of a time and a place. Clothing  choices are explained by physical time and place. My comfort clothing series consists of approximately twenty mixed media works using clothing as subject. The idea originated from memories of sewing for long hours in my youth and teen years. The activity fostered an extensive knowledge of patterns, fabrics and layout formats as well as a frugality of materials and money. The two activities of art production and sewing are physically and emotionally similar. The art making process and the subsequent emotional activity remains a fascination to me. 

Laureen McMullan "Windmills and Bales" (Energize Exhibition June 09-July09)

Laureen McMullan
Windmills and Bales
Acrylic on Cotton
24"x32"

Windmills and Bales is part of a series of four paintings depticting Alberta at dusk. I wanted to capture the colours and feeling of impending darkness. I also like the ambiuous etheral qualities that themes  of darkness lend themselves to. Laureen McMullan was born in Calgary and has been a painter and practicing artist all her life. She attended The Alberta College of Art for four years, receiving The Queen Elizabeth Prize three years in a row. Her artwork has been in many shows including Canada, U.S.A and Japan.

Debra Backman Smith "Looking Glass" (Energize Exhibition June 09-July 09)

Debra Backman Smith
Looking Glass
Oil on Silver Metallic Acrylic on Wood
9"x7.5"
2011

Following portrait painting traditions of antiquity, these portraits attempt to create an image that holds the energy of the soul and transcends time. Looking Glass tampers with our sense of reality, working with and against the photographic image.

Annette. Ayre "Springs the Thing" (Energize Exhibition June 09-July 09)

Annette Ayre
Springs The Thing
Acrylic on Canvas
32.5" 31"

Color is the foundation of my practice. Colour relationships, subtleties, nuances and the interplay of colours with light, texture and position in space are my inspiration, my metaphor, a description of my journey. Early influences were the abstract expressionist and colour field painters. These paintings communicate the psychic dance between my inner world and the creative materials.
www.annetteayre.ca

Roberta Murray "Downdraft" (Energize Exhibition June09-July09)

Roberta Murray
Downdraft
Pigment Print
16"x20"

Truth and reality are constantly manipulated to suit the agendas of the 

individual. In my images, I am manipulating the truth as an escape from
reality to express my dreams and personal visions of the world. It isn't
based so much on what exists, as it is on what I wish existed - a
constructed representation. There is a romanticized feeling of a world that
is at once full of joy and deep sadness, like something found is easily
lost. A nostalgic longing for a simpler time when the world was full of
innocence. I am not interested in documenting reality. What is reality
anyway?
www.uncommondepth.com

William Prettie " Transparency is the Method" ( Energize Exhibition June 09-July 09))

William G. Prettie

Transparency is The Method

Mixed media on wood

49.5" x 57.5"

“Transparency is the Method” heavily abstracts the sidelong glare of the eyes of Julian Assange, founder of WikiLeaks. It is inspired by the organization’s foundational motto: “Democracy is the goal, transparency is the method”.

Secrets are used to maintain systemic and institutional injustice, and we understand that oppression and exploitation are more easily continued in secrecy.  Not all who discover the ways of power will be complicit with it. Some will attempt to look more deeply. Some will weep. Some will do all of the above and more. Some know that power itself is not evil, but that the application of power that can produce evil results is more easily accomplished if done in a dark that is deep enough to allow all of us to not see.  As a precondition, transparency allows us to penetrate the black swill of the misapplication of power. Some are capable of looking toward possibility, of not looking away. These are the messengers. They are generally vilified.

www.williamprettie.com