Shirley Elias: Feature Artist

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Shirley Elias, "No One's Shy Here," nd

acrylic on canvas, 30" x 48"

Shirley Elias first made her mark as an artistic force as a concert pianist with performances across Canada, with frequent broadcasts on CBC's Radio Two and the recording of three CDs. She also earned the sobriquet 'Piano Woman' during New Music Festival performances with Maestro Bramwell Tovey and the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (WSO).

Her current incarnation as a painter finds her marrying the art forms in works that often feature abstract music themes in bold strokes and colours. Her exceptional skill in capturing movements of music and bringing them to life on canvas has led to a high demand for her work, with more than ninety private commissions to date including recent ones to Florence, Italy.  Commissions include Canadian opera sensation Jean Stilwell, WSO Concertmaster Gwen Hoebig, composer Randolph Peters, and novelist Arthur Motyer (The Staircase Letters), who describes Elias's paintings as 'vital and colourful forms that sing'.

In 2011, Shirley Elias completed a large installation for Corus Entertainment’s new radio studios in Winnipeg, Manitoba. This commission included a 6 foot painting for the reception area and a 12 foot triptych for the board room. The grand opening of this installation included such guests as the Premier of Manitoba and the Mayor.

Stilwell, who has been accompanied by Elias on piano in performance, said, "Not one of her paintings is without exquisite color, passionate energy, committed detailing and a fabulous sense of humor."

Shirley Elias' original paintings can be found in private collections in Canada from coast to coast as well as in India, Italy, Sweden, and the USA.

"My art is about communicating with color and composition. As a concert pianist my performances were about connecting with an audience from stage, using colors of sound within a structured musical framework. My work as a painter is based on a similar principle, as I aspire to communicate with colors on canvas; vibrant colors presented in a detailed and balanced composition. I am directed by the flow and rhythm of the colors and design. Just as one's ear is constantly stimulated in a concert setting, I now strive to keep the viewer's eyes engaged and moving across the painting." -- Shirley Elias