Gwen Gray - April Artist

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Artist Statement - Gwen Gray

My name is Gwen Gray and I am honored to call Melfort my home town.

I am excited to pursue my new passion, as an artist. My first was 33 years as a Registered Nurse. I loved my job in ICU, CCU, and PACU but in all honesty retirement is the best.

It took me 50 years to decide what I want to be when I grow up. I am not a lifelong artist. Until 4 years ago I had no interest in art. It is amazing how one small insignificant event can change your entire life. I went to Lee Valley to buy a folding shovel for my son. In the clearance bin was a book “Landscapes in Bloom” by Jane Maday. I am a Master Gardener and love flowers. So I bought the book and followed the instructions. Much to my surprise, it looked like a landscape. Now 4 years later, many, many library books and hundreds of hours of YouTube videos, have brought me to where I am today, an Accidental artist.

I will admit to a touch OCD and try to strive for realism in my work, with detail. In the rendering of that detail, I find a sense of Zen, and can lose myself for many hours in a painting. I always come away feeling energized and calm.

There is a Japanese Concept called Ikigai. It means” reason for being” or “What gets you out of bed in the morning”. Finding your Ikigai is said to bring satisfaction and meaning to your life. There are 4 facets of Ikigai 1-What you love 2- What you are good at 3- What the world needs 4- What you can earn money at. The only way to find your Ikiagai is by trying and learning. For me it was a case of Old dog- new Trick; but well worth the wait.

To this day, I step back from a completed painting and stare in wonder… Where did this come from???

The bulk of my exhibition is “A Fan of Mother Nature”.

The second part of my exhibit is inspired by Annemarie Ridderhof of Holland, a Youtube instructor of the acrylic fluid pouring technique. It is a semi-controlled chaos style of abstract painting.

Welcome, I hope you enjoy.