Elizabeth Allen and Carmen Mongeau at tyhe Gallery at Mattick's Farm

Elizabeth Allen:

Elizabeth Allen’s bold acrylics on canvas depict light and movement through the use of vivid colour and abstract design. Based on landscape, the images vibrate with energy. Broken colour and lost and found edges hint of the artist’s vision while allowing viewers the opportunity to “complete” the images for themselves.

Carmen Mongeau:

A native of Montreal, Carmen had a successful career in Information Technology in Ontario. She subsequently re-directed her focus to art with formal studies at the Ontario College of Art and Design. In 1997, she relocated to Vancouver Island where she established her studio. Carmen has studied with well-known artists in Canada and the USA. She has had several solo and group exhibitions in Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia and is the recipient of several merit awards.

June 1st - 28th
Public Reception June 6th 1-4

The Gallery at The Mattick's Farm 

 109-5325 Cordova Bay Rd.

Linda Molloy,Elizabeth Allen,Elma Tankink and more at the 4th Annual Christmas Show

Elizabeth Allen - November 2010 - Artist of the Month

After years of “dabbling” with various mediums, I tried acrylic on canvas about fifteen years ago and was immediately hooked. I love the springy feel of canvas under brush or palette knife, the scumbling broken lines that can be created with a light hand and a bit of paint, and the soft blending of colour over a broad expanse.
My paintings contain primarily big sky, inspired by my prairie roots, and the play of light on water inspired by the west coast where I have lived for over twenty years.  I aspire to evoke a mood or memory of time or place that will resonate with the viewer and create an enduring dialogue.
Website : www.elizabethallen.ca

Molloy,Allen & Rawson at Framing and Art

Elizabeth Allen at The Gallery at Mattick's Farm

Elizabeth Allen
Jul. 1 to 31, 2010

The Gallery at Mattick's Farm
109-5325 Cordova Bay
Victoria, BC
Phone: 250- 658-8333

Elizabeth Allen in " Question Period "

-What is your artistic background?
I have always had an interest in art and experimented for many years with various art forms, watercolours, pastels, sculpture, glass work, etc, but it was not until I tried acrylics on canvas that I felt I had finally found "my" medium. I found the best books I could on the subject and started to paint without really knowing what I was doing. In hindsight, it might have sped things up a bit if I had taken a couple of courses or workshops but I continued to experiment and made lots of mistakes until I really got a feel for what could be done with acrylics.

-How do you describe your work?
The main focus of my work is the play of light on the subject. Most of my paintings are abstracts "based in landscape" but even the pure abstracts will have some sense of light to create visual interest. Colour and composition, of course, are paramount and I do love some texture to pull it all together, using the palette knife to leave small hits of colour which add to the depth of an image.

-Who are the artists you find more interesting?
I greatly admire the work of Turner and Rothko. The colour vibration that both artists achieved by utilizing complementary colours next to each other sets up a visual treat for the eyes. Tanaka's works are always inspiring, I love the feeling of distance and the simplicity of his compositions. He is able to say so much with so little, something that I try to achieve in my paintings. Another contemporary artist I much admire is Edward Betts. His work is so free and fluid, it never fails to inspire me when I am feeling tight or blocked in my own work.

-Should art have a social/political message?
For myself, I do not believe art should necessarily have a social or political message. I am satisfied if I can create something that is visually pleasing to the eye, and perhaps something that stimulates some thought or discussion. I love it when a painting is ambiguous enough that viewers can provide their own interpretation of "what it is".

-Why do you do art?
I paint because, I can not "be" without the act of creating, whether it be a large landscape on canvas or a tiny abstract on an art card, it speaks to the essence of who I am as a person. I can not imagine my life without some sort of creative endeavor and I am very grateful for the ability to share my vision.



www.elizabethallen.ca