VIBRANT FLOURISHES
PLEASE NOTE: New Date for the Artist pARTy is Saturday, October 26, 6 - 8 pm
Lauren Morris, Mary Brown & Ania Salmina have a joint art exhibit at the Hearth.
October 16 - Nov. 4, with an Artist pARTy Saturday, Oct. 26 from 6 to 8 pm
Read the Bowen Island Undercurrent article HERE
VIBRANT FLOURISHES: Exploring Color, Form, and Light
Mary Brown, Lauren Morris, Ania Salmina
Show Dates: October 16th to November 4th
Artist pARTy: Saturday October 26th from 6 to 8 pm. Facebook Event
MARY BROWN
BIO: I am an emerging glass artist working in soft glass, flame working, and fusing. I am passionate about creating, by hand, beautiful, usable and wearable glass art.
ARTIST STATEMENT: Glass has mesmerized humans since the first piece of volcanically made obsidian was picked up out of the dirt by an ancient hand. Beads were the first known glass objects that were intentionally made by humans and date back to mid-2000 BCE. They were prized and coveted as luxury objects, as they are still today.
Now, glass beads are still created by hand, bead by bead, over propane or natural gas/oxygen torches that bring coloured glass rods to molten at about 900 degrees Celsius. The wonder and beauty of these beads is as primordial as the elements that create obsidian. Art of Fire and Glass is an extension of an ancient natural phenomenon, bringing the light catching quality and unique beauty of glass to today’s discerning collector.
I was captivated by hand made glass creations as a child growing up in Europe and began collecting small handmade glass animals. Later, as a researcher in a science lab, I made specialized glassware for specific experiments. Later still, I was introduced to coloured glass rods that could be brought to molten in the flame of a torch, and shaped into a myriad of styles, colour combinations and sizes. My science brain and my artistic brain were now on common ground! I began to make glass beads using the primordial shaper of the world, fire, and the modern techniques of soft glass sculpting which incorporates chemistry, physics and artistic imagination. It is my hope that discerning art collectors will fall in love with the light catching wonder and uniqueness of my glass creations.
LAUREN MORRIS
BIO: Lauren Morris is a Fine Artist born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa. After completing 4 years of Graphic Design she worked and traveled to America. It was there she had the opportunity to attend classes at the Corcoran School of Art in Arlington, Virginia and was introduced to the world of Fine Art. She developed a signature style characterized by her brushstrokes and bold color palette. Her compositions often feature a harmonious balance between realism and abstraction, inviting viewers to explore the delicate nuances and emotions hidden within each piece. Drawing inspiration from the beauty and intricacies of the floral world, Lauren creates pieces that evoke a sense of wonder and introspection. Painting predominantly with Acrylic on Canvas she creates a symphony of light, shadow and depth. She hopes to inspire thought and to evoke the viewers’ emotions through visual imagery”.
ARTIST STATEMENT: As a Floral Artist working primarily with Acrylic on Canvas I am captivated by the vibrant beauty and intricate details found within the realm of flowers. My artistic journey is fueled by a deep passion for color and its ability to evoke emotions and create visual harmony. The medium of acrylics allows me to explore and experiment with a wide range of colors, brush strokes and layering. I believe that color is a language of its own, capable of transcending barriers and stirring deep emotions within the viewer. I draw inspiration from the world around me and believe that art is a conversation and has the power to inspire, heal, and transform our lives. I invite viewers to slow down, reconnect and find solace in the breathtaking symphony of colors and forms that flourish in the natural world around us and to experience an emotional and sensory experience forever captured on the canvas.
My work can be viewed at: lmdesignsstudio.com
ANIA SALMINA
BIO: Ania is a mixed-media artist who incorporates unique strokes and a variety of vibrant colours to her figurative and abstract work. The most interesting part of Ania’s art career is happening right now as she is on a quest to discover her artistic identity.
Ania’s journey as an artist began at the young age of 11 when she started art classes. Gouache still lifes, nature paintings, clay practice, and engraving prints were the things around her for the 6 years of this stage of education. Later, when Ania reached high school, her interest shifted to Architecture. During the next 8 years, she mastered graphic skills by drawing human anatomy, advanced geometric shapes compositions, and architecture drawings.
After graduating with a Master of Architecture Ania stand by her skills in visual art for long 8 years. She was an Architect, a wife, an immigrant, and a mom.
In 2020 while the world went crazy with the pandemic Ania was in the middle of sweet motherhood time. Calmly drawing every day in a living room studio between her mother’s chores she used her time to develop a unique way to capture people with huge hands and tiny heads. Ania names them “drawing jokes”.
ARTIST STATEMENT: People keep saying that my style of visual art is highly recognizable by its shapes and vivid colours. This allows me to experiment with mediums including watercolours, acrylics, graphics and digital still saving my authenticity. After years of practice to keep realistic proportions and follow the law of perspective, I finally reached the stage of self-discovery.
“The Girls” series speaks about women’s power, body positivity, self-care and fashion. It was a search for personal ambitions after losing myself in a fairytale of motherhood. It was an attempt to discover myself as a woman again in a new to me Canadian environment. It was my way to find new life goals during the changeable time.
I see the human bodies through my lenses with overwhelmed proportions. On my canvases, you find vivid colour combinations, sometimes even neon. My strokes are wild. The way I draw is a spontaneous process of my trained brain-hand connection. So, like anyone of you, I have no guess of how a sketch will look on paper. I laugh while drawing because girls make me happy.
My work and art classes can be viewed at: https://www.aniasalmina.com/