John Burrow, "Sugar Lake," 2008
oil on canvas, 11" X 14"
JOHN H. BURROW
Art Beat Gallery, St. Albert
August 6 to 31, 2009
By Rob Alexander
Though John H. Burrow, a former advertising illustrator, moves easily between many different styles, most of his work focuses on rich impressionistic florals and bright, whimsical folk art scenes. Regardless of what he’s painting, including classic landscapes, his work connects directly to his love of the land and the outdoors, and the combination of two elements: light and shape. “I like things that show character, usually by being out of the norm of geometric shapes or straight lines, things that have a twist to them,” says Burrow, who lives in the Shuswap Lake region. “Showing a definition of character in the design, and the way the lighting is on the subject, are probably the two most important things in my compositions.” Before he puts his oil paint — which he describes as having a “rich, buttery flow” — on the canvas, Burrow turns to his sketchbook. “I have some old-fashioned standards,” he adds. “One of them would be do a good drawing and plan it out thoroughly before I begin painting.”