GORE BAY—The Gore Bay Museum has the fabulous works of two different artists, the late Donald Moorcroft, whose show presents natural geometry-wild physics photography; and Confluence painting, poetry and calligraphy from artist Lynne Gerard.
“My works for this show are all pieces I did over the winter,” said Ms. Gerard of her stunning show. “I am a procrastinator at heart,” she quipped “but I found the energy from somewhere this winter to finish everything for this show.”
Ms. Gerard has operated her own art studio, Ravenseyrie in the Gore Bay Harbour Centre for the past 13 years. Her works cover a wide variety of subjects from ‘Sandhill Crane,’ to the ‘Seasoned Skipper,’ to ‘Twin Ravens/A ‘60s Scoop Survivor,’ ‘Scotland Road/Almost Home,’ which tells the story of her going home every evening from her studio. “I never tire of making the trip on the road home,” she said.
“I use the collective mediums of painting, poetry and calligraphy to inspire, encourage, elevate and transcend the human condition,” said Ms. Gerard. “I have from a very young age created, with words and images, inspirational maxims-first engaging in these expressions as ‘self-medication’ for youthful angst. Then later, recognizing that others were touched by the healing power of this combined medium, I began sharing my work with a wider audience. Since the age of 24 I have made a career of this collective medium (which in ancient China was known as ‘The Three Perfections’).”
“I feel now, more than ever before, the human world needs this form of ‘medicine’ and I am thankful to feel sufficiently energized to carry on with new creations that assist us all in making our lives as beautiful as they are meant to be.”
This is Ms. Gerard’s second exhibit at the Gore Bay Museum, the first in 2010. “For this exhibition, (museum curator Nicole Weppler) asked if I could create large scale works that would be suitable for the main gallery,” she said. “After some research and careful consideration, I agreed to rise to the challenge. And what a marvelous challenge it has been stretching my capabilities as a painter/writer/calligrapher in ways that have provided surprising growth in my confidence and sense of doing something meaningful for others.”
Ms. Gerard explained, “the most difficult challenge was framing these new works, as all are on paper and many quite oversized. I had to be very creative with matting the oversized paintings but am delighted with the way they turned out and believe they will create the sense for the viewer of a sort of immersion into both the painting and the calligraphy. I want viewer to get wonderfully lost in drama of the artwork and the meditative element of the calligraphic view.”
“I chose the word, Confluence, for the title of the exhibition because I feel the new works showcase not just the way that that the combination of painting, poetry and calligraphy flow together, but also because I have made my paintings with a comingling of Japanese sumi ink and Chinese watercolours in traditional and non-traditional ways with a variety of subjects, ranging from portraiture of landscape, free from the human construct of cultural boundaries. And it all works! Like tributaries flowing into one overall rush of transcendental beauty. There is a creative energy within all of us…it is our birthright, I believe, and I hope those who view this exhibition will walk away with a desire to express themselves in their own unique, meaningful ways.”
Editor’s Note: A review of Mr. Moorcroft’s exhibition will be featured in a future edition of the Recorder.
