Artist Statement

To distill the spiritual essence of a place in a moment in time; this became the underlying theme of the work. The ‘distillation’ might come through a series of rapid watercolour sketches done on site, which are later worked up in the studio. Or it might come from a memory bank of landscapes ‘ingested’ by the subconscious which emerges as the painting proceeds. In either case, the images that appear are subliminal; the subconscious abstracts the natural. The painting process is an attempt to capture these key moments of ingestion and then to decode them, recreating each landscape's ‘secret essence.’ The viewpoint is unchanging; the viewer is confronted by the infinity of space and time between air and water or land. Connection with solid land is minimal and man’s influence is absent: we are suspended and free — as at the end/beginning or beginning/end.

Artist Resume / Curriculum Vitae

B I O G R A P H Y
B.A. (1974) at McGill University, major in Art History
B.F.A. (1975) at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design
Print-making at La Guilde Graphique in Montreal 1975Book design, McGill Queen’s University Press 1975/6
Principal of her own design firm from 1993-2001 when she returned to painting full time. She has taught design at OCAD and has sat on juries for both the Ontario Arts Council and OCAD.

S O L O S H O W S
2015 — ‘Signal’ Walnut Contemporary, Toronto, Ontario
2009 — Prime Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
2008 — Prime Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
2006 — Prime Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
2006 — The Queen Mother Restaurant, Toronto, Ontario
2004 — Gallery Gillygooly, North Hatley, Quebec
2004 — The Queen Mother Restaurant, Toronto, Ontario

J O I N T S H O W S
2014 — Love Art, Toronto
2009 — Julia Harris & Gillian Iles, Torres-Porcelli, Galerie d”Art Contemporain, Montreal, Quebec
2008 — ‘Une partie de 7’, Galerie St. Ambroise, Montreal, Quebec
2007 — ‘Up from the Roots’, Galerie St. Ambroise, Montreal, Quebec

G R O U P S H O W S
2016 — Wings, Walnut Contemporary, Toronto, Ontario
2015 — ‘Recall’ Walnut Contemporary, Toronto, Ontario
2014 — Walnut Contemporary, Summer, Toronto, Ontario
2007 — Artists’ Walk Gallery, Burlington, Ontario
2007 — Prime Gallery, Sex Pots, Toronto, Ontario
2006 — Prime Gallery, Tea Party, Toronto, Ontario

A W A R D S
2007 — S. Sloan Prize, 82nd Open Water Juried Exhibition, Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour
2006 — Honourable Mention, The Ontario Society of Artists ‘Regeneration’ Open Juried Exhibition/Aird Gallery,Toronto
2003 — Life Members Award, Ontario Society of Artists ‘Water’ Open Juried Exhibition

J U R I E D E X H I B I T I O N S
2009 — Toronto International Art Fair/Prime Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
2008 — Toronto International Art Fair/Prime Gallery, Toronto, Ontario
2008 — John B. Aird 9th Annual Juried Drawing Exhibition, Toronto, Ontario
2008 — 83rd Open Water Juried Exhibition, Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour, Toronto, Ontario
2007 — 82nd Open Water Juried Exhibition, Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour, Toronto, Ontario
2008 — Toronto Outdoor Exhibition, Toronto, Ontario
2007 — Toronto Outdoor Exhibition, Toronto, Ontario
2007 — John B. Aird 8th Annual Juried Drawing Exhibition, Toronto, Ontario
2006 — The Ontario Society of Artists ‘Regeneration’ Open Juried Exhibition/Aird Gallery, Toronto
2006 — John B. Aird 7th Annual Juried Drawing Exhibition, Toronto, Ontario
2005 — John B. Aird 6th Annual Juried Drawing Exhibition, Toronto, Ontario
2004 — Toronto Outdoor Exhibition, Toronto, Ontario
2003 — The Society of Canadian Artists, ‘Spring’ Open Juried Exhibition/Aird Gallery, Toronto
2003 — The Ontario Society of Artists ‘Water’ Open Juried Exhibition