Suzanne Sandboe: A Little Bit of Country

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Opening Reception: Friday, January 6, 2017 at 7:00 pm

Whether consciously or unconsciously Suzanne Sandboe is always observing her environment, collecting and editing information. Her grandparents arrived in Canada from Norway and Slovakia in the early 20th century and, like many people of that time, started farming the land to survive and carve out a new life. Sandboe’s focus is that landscape, the people that inhabit it, and the tools and machinery they used to tame the wilderness.

Her subject matter records a memory of the processes and activity that farm life encompasses. A shovel or hoe left leaning against an outbuilding, a discarded piece of equipment left to rust and decay, a collection of various everyday objects piled near the back door. Whether the person who last touched the object is present in the painting or not, evidence of their interaction remains.

Much of her work is watercolour and as such, the contrast of light and shadow allows her to maximize the brightness of the surface to great effect. After 25 years of creating and recording these scenes, Sandboe’s skill and technique is evident in these pieces. Also included are several acrylic works that exhibit the same quality and high standards Sandboe strives for with each new creation.