The Colborne Art Gallery Presents:
“Women of a Certain Age”
April 15 to May 21, 2017
Opening Reception: Saturday, April 15, 2:00 – 4:00 pm
‘Brenda’ by Nancy Simmons Smith
After middle age, women in our society can tend to feel invisible unless they do something dramatic or outlandish to draw attention to themselves.
This show of paintings and drawings celebrates the natural vitality and beauty of older women as seen and captured by artists who are their contemporaries. It invites viewers to recalibrate how they measure attractiveness – and to look more closely at women of a certain age.
The artists are women hailing from Lakefield, Peterborough, Port Hope, Selwyn and Warkworth. They are part of a larger group that has been getting together every week since 2009 to work from the model in sustained poses.
Women of a Certain Age has been nearly three years in the making. The concept was developed in the summer of 2014 and later that year the Colborne Art Gallery agreed to mount the show in 2017. Since then, the artists have worked independently to interpret the theme.
The participating artists are: Suzanne Moreau (Peterborough), Nancy Simmons Smith (Peterborough), Ellee Sturgeon (Bridgenorth), Jana Thompson (Lakefield), Judi Waymark (Port Hope), and Evelyn van Hoekelen (Warkworth).
Suzanne Moreau says of the exhibit, “My paintings show ladies whom I admire for their positive outlook and life accomplishments. The backgrounds both enhance their individual personalities and complement their beauty. They are done in oil paint on canvas.”
For this show, Nancy Simmons Smith focused on faces, “the part of us that the world sees. Longtime friends were my subjects and the show’s theme offered a singular opportunity to celebrate their joie de vivre.” Her portraits are in charcoal on canvas.
In planning for this exhibition, Ellee Sturgeon says she “began adding to a word wall in my studio that described women of a certain age. These adjectives grew to well over 100 as I began the charcoal drawings. These words found their way into my work as I saw and felt the Divine Feminine in each model. As a woman of a certain age, entering my 70th year, these words also appear in my self portrait. As Jackson Pollock said, ‘Painting is self discovery. Every good artist paints what he is’.”
According to Jana Thompson, “The ladies I have painted have had careers, raised families, and are now active grandparents. I see them give to their families and communities but also develop their own hobbies and take time for themselves. They have a zest for life that is an inspiration to others.” Her paintings are oil on canvas.
Painter Judi Waymark proclaims, “Women of a Certain Age are MY age! I discovered a love and affinity for my models. My paintings try to express the years of experience behind their eyes and the anticipation of the future on their faces.”
And artist Evelyn van Hoekelen sums up the spirit of the show when she says, “My paintings are done to show the beauty of older women, who have the same life, dignity and enthusiasm as any other age. Women of a certain age are people too.”
Women of a Certain Age opens on Saturday, April 15, with a reception from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. All are welcome to attend and meet with the artists and gallery members. Admission is free and the gallery is wheelchair accessible. The Colborne Art Gallery is located at 51 King St. East, Colborne. Regular gallery hours are Thursday through Sunday, 12 noon to 4:00 pm, and the show runs from April 15 to May 21. For more information, please visit www.thecolborneartgallery.ca or phone 905-355-1798.
Article submitted by Lorelyn Morgan
Press
Northumberland Today
See Women of a Certain Age at Colborne Art Gallery
