Byron Villager – March 2017
Artist
Alley – Featuring Gwen Card
By
Jim Kogelheide
Soft
Edges and Shifting Light
For many years, I have been blogging
about the art of macro photography – especially when the subject happens to be
the seasonal flowers blooming in my back gardens. One phrase that I often repeat is, “Get in
close! And then get a little
closer!” A short while ago, I had a
delightful moment when I recognized that another artist is as dedicated to the
macro lens as I am.
I was attending an art exhibition at the Fringe
Gallery, located on Hyde Park Road, just north of Gainsborough Road. I was enjoying the many art expressions that
filled the walls when suddenly my breath caught in my throat, time ceased to be
relevant and I was transported into a perfect state of contented bliss. Moments like this are rare in my life, and
when they happen, I know that I’ve connected with something very special! This very special ‘something’ that I had
connected with was a canvas painting of a flower by Byron artist Gwen Card.
Never before had I seen such a portrait of
reflected light, delicately dancing off the soft satin petals of an open
flower. I could feel the petals reaching
towards me and I could taste the clean and moist spring air that teased these
petals off the canvas. Thankfully,
opportunities presented themselves to me and soon, I was shaking hands with
Gwen as she opened her door to invite me into her studio.
I felt like a kid in a candy store, being
surrounded by so many splendid art creations: some finished and some still in
progress. I knew that I would be seeing
more macro flower compositions and the other paintings depicting dogs, children
and other still life creations were equally enjoyable to learn about, as well.
Gwen was born and raised in nearby
Woodstock. Her love for drawing and
crafts was something that filled her early years and later, during high school,
her talents grew as her thirst for creative knowledge had teachers praising her
natural abilities.
Her partner’s job saw the young couple moving
to different communities throughout Southern Ontario for many years. At one time, they were living on a hobby
farm, just outside of St. Jacobs and this is when Gwen decided to take her
artwork a bit more seriously. Soon, she
was one of several crafters who had rented a booth inside a St. Jacobs’ craft
market and one day, her ability caught the eye of a passing art teacher. He saw a fantastic potential in Gwen and
suggested that she expand her learning to delve into the world of fine art.
Over the next many years, while continuing to
live in other nearby communities, Gwen enrolled in as many evening classes as
she could find time for. Her studies
began at Fanshawe college and soon after, Gwen began seeking more classes
throughout the city. “This is when I
fell in love with the depth and texture that glazing techniques bring to the
canvas.” Gwen explained that glazing is
like creating a painting using thin layers of stained glass. Instead of using an orange paint, Gwen will
use glazes of red overlaid with subtle yellows to achieve, “the illusion of
depth and interesting colour shifts that allow me to create soft edges.”
Her skills as a commissioned portrait and even architectural painter have grown so dramatically that Gwen finds it very challenging to have enough of her more personal works ready for the several art exhibitions that she participates in, each year. This coming March (from the 10th until April 2nd), Gwen and many other local artists will be thrilling audiences at the annual Paint Ontario exhibition at the Lambton Heritage Museum and soon after, Gwen’s art will also be involved in Wortley Village’s ‘Square Foot’ exhibition at the Westland Gallery. But for those of you who feel the need to witness Gwen’s creations right away, simply take a moment to visit her website: www.thefrontporchartstudio.com
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