Opening March 14th at the Colborne Art Gallery – “An Illustrative Life”, Jirina Marton & gallery artists
The Colborne Art Gallery invites you to “An Illustrative Life”, an exhibition of work by Jirina Marton & gallery artists. Please join us for the opening and to meet Jirina on Saturday, March 14th, 2009, from 2 – 4 pm at the Gallery. The show will be on through April 26th, 2009. Our winter hours (until the end of March) are Saturdays and Sundays, noon to 4 pm. Starting on April 1st, we are open until 5 pm on Saturdays and Sundays, and we are also open on Thursdays and Fridays, noon to 5 pm. Hope to see you there!
Jirina has been illustrating books for more than twenty years. They have been published in France, Switzerland, Spain, Japan, China, Korea, and Canada. The illustrations, shown for the first time at this exhibition, are from the book Marja’s Skis, text by Jean E. Pendziwol, Groundwood Books, Toronto. They have been described by critics as “ravishing,” as “having a softly focused, ethereal quality” and as “rich and beautiful. Her layered technique creates such subtlety and depth that there is a sculptural quality to the art work. She imbues her illustrations with light that seems to emanate from beyond the page.”
In this busy world, any object must get the viewer’s immediate attention. If not, it’s doomed. In spite of it Jirina’s work is serene. She asks you to stop. She asks you to take a deep breath, and observe quietly each illustration. Who knows, while contemplating it, you might find your childhood memories of happiness, safety, and love…
