By Rosanne Dolan, Colborne Art Gallery artist and liaison
The Colborne Art Gallery is pleased to present its late spring exhibition ‘Spring Fever’ with guest artist Denice Bustraen. The show runs from May 8 to July 5. Denice will discuss her work with attendees at a reception on Saturday, May 9, from 2 to 4 p.m.
Denice is an acrylic and watercolour landscape painter. She states, “I am not a traditionally trained artist. No art school here.” Until 2020, she lived in Moosonee, Ontario without access to art schools and a diversity of art supplies. Her training has come from personal study of the Group of Seven works and social media. She declares, “Find art that you love and create!”
Denice is a member of the Moose Cree First Nation. Her initial introduction to the art world was through her family. “My grandmother taught me to fall in love with beads when I was young,” she says. Her mother and brother are also very creative.
As an outdoor enthusiast, Denice takes her subject matter for her painting from “some of the most beautiful settings in the province.” Her art “reflects bold coloured landscapes and forest escapes.”
Inspiration comes from “the beauty of the northern sky and Ontario’s outdoors”. She is an avid hiker, canoeist, and kayaker.
In childhood Denice “was always that kid, the one you could find sitting quietly drawing, colouring, creating…”. Bright colours punctuate her work. “I use all the colours I love and make it up as I go.”
The bright colours used in Moose Cree bead work have influenced Denice’s colour sense. She explains, “Colour theory applies to all forms of media. We have been using it for generations in beading.”
Turquoise and orange feature prominently in many of her works.
Philosophically, Denice believes that “art has the power to heal, inspire, and transform”. She specifies,
“My goal as an artist is to create work that not only looks beautiful, but also resonates with the viewer on a deeper level.”
Denice celebrates ‘Spring Fever’ with The Colborne Art Gallery members: photographers Ken Solilo and Ian Davis, mixed media painters Heather Stubbs and Rosanne Dolan, textile and mixed media painter Eileen Myers, watercolour painter Wrex Roth, painter Ed Hagedorn, collage and mixed media artist Margaret McDonald, and multi-media artist Helen Van Poorten.
The Colborne Art Gallery is located on the Apple Route at 51 King Street East, Colborne.
Gallery hours are 12 – 4 p.m. Friday and Sunday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday, or anytime by appointment.
All artworks are for sale and admission is free.
Further information about artists, gallery news and exhibitions can be found at http://thecolborneartgallery.ca
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
