Challenge Three

Challenge number three was from Abstract artist Catherine Gutsche.

"Through the Gate", 20"h x 16"w, cold wax & oils, $645 framed
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This painting was created in May 2018 during my first artists' residency at Artscape Gibraltar on Toronto Island. I spent 2 weeks painting full time in relative isolation (who knew this would be my training for isolation in 2020). During my stay I traveled to the mainland for a day at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) with my artist friend who was also on the island at Artscape. It was a rainy spring day and as usual I took in my surroundings while we waited for the island ferry. The area where people line up for the trip over is surrounded by a grid style fence/gate. Everything beyond the fence was that beautiful spring gold green colour with a backdrop of the lake.

Naturally, when I returned to the studio I created this piece based on my observations of the colours and geometric characteristics of the fence/gate along with the yellow green planter on the pathway, without ignoring the rain.

7 WORKS COLLECTIVE PROJECT

Residency Replaced

Kathryn Bossy

"The Allotment"
6”h x 15"w, mixed media mosaic, created with stained glass, Italian and Mexican smalti, ceramic and upcycled china
SOLD, unframed, ready to hang

Inspired by Catherine’s wonderful bright colours and shapes from Through the Gate, I was reminded of allotment gardening in England. So many neighbourhoods in London have public gardens open for green thumbs of all caliber to work cooperatively and independently. I have a particular interest in allotments for food sharing and food bank use - an important commitment to communities in need.

Mario Cerroni

"Gates"
14"h x 11"w, cyanotype print on 140lb (300g) watercolor paper
$150, ready to frame

Gates can be seen as keeping something in, or keeping something out. This piece used the idea of gates to show the balance and struggle between nature and urban spaces.

Lynn Dubinsky

“Beyond the Gate”
36"h x 24"w, acrylic on canvas
$750, unframed, ready to hang

Inspired by Catherine Gutsche’s prompt I began to paint - colours were vivid and made me think of Greece.

Karen Wynne Mackay

"The Crying Garden"
40"h x 30"w, acrylic
$1200, unframed, ready to hang

This was another wonderful inspiration / challenge by an abstract artist. Looking at this challenge brought back a memory of about 9 years of age-down the road quite aways there was an old home with a long abandoned garden. I had to stand on tiptoe of the broken gate to see through and beyond to a yard full of wild flowers long forgotten and the colours were glistening in the soft summer rain.

COVID has me feeling like that standing at the gate waiting ...

Judi Miller

"Drizzle"
18"h x 14"w, free motion embroidery
$200, unframed, ready to hang

I used a log cabin quilt block to build blocks to mimic looking through a gate or grid. The stitches are the flora in the rain, mostly vertical stitches. I would like to try it again with smaller blocks and bolder stitches. I do like the effect and it feels lovely to the touch.

Jo-ann Zorzi

"on the other side"
16"h x 12"w, silk fiber drawing/fusion
$225, unframed, ready to hang

Using the background colors to imagine the beauty that lies in wait on the other side of the gate.

Challenge Four