Gillian Redwood presents

The Triumph of Light
at Xchanges Gallery, April 3-18, 2021.

Detail: The Apple Tree, acrylic on canvas, 44x48 in, 2020

Gillian Redwood continues her experimental dance with universal energies in The Triumph of Light. This new series of expansive acrylic paintings illuminate Xchanges in early April. After our cloistered time under Covid restrictions, Redwood dares to dream of warmth, light and human connection. ​In this show, Redwood offers important insights into her artistic process and inspirations. She does this by including the original sketches with the finished paintings, side by side. These chalk pastel sketches are always completed en plein air. They give a visual snapshot of the place, time and experiences. More important, they convey the emotional milieu that accompanied the settings.

Triumph of Light, chalk pastel sketch 11x14 in.

Triumph of Light, acrylic on canvas, 44x48 in, 2020

​In The Triumph of Light, Redwood recalls a blustery ferry ride across Lake Huron to Manitoulin Island. Instead of retreating indoors, Redwood retrieved her sketch book. “I was moved by the darkness of the water,” she says,  “it looked very deep and almost black.” Looking to the sky, she saw rays of light coming through the clouds. Sea birds called and patches of light danced across the surface of the water.​ She captured this dramatic scene, with its choppy water, in an 11x14 inch sketch. In contrast, the finished painting appears balanced and serene. The lake is calmed by aqua-blue flowing tones. Redwood’s signature curving lines and splashes of white paint enliven the surface. Soft white clouds in a blue sky complete the luminous vista.

​Redwood is a world traveller and life-time learner. Her adventures include renting a studio/gallery in St Ives, facilitating community art projects in Wales and studying Polynesian culture in Hawaii. She travelled alone in Southern China and the central desert in Australia. Before moving to Victoria in 2012, she operated a studio/gallery in Nakusp, north of Nelson BC with her husband. A full-time professional artist since 2003, Gillian paints at Xchanges Gallery & Studios in Victoria. She is a gifted teacher offering group and individual classes. Skilled at engaging with community, Redwood participates in the Moss St Paint-In,  ARTISHOW and painted a piano for Arts Alive Oak Bay. She’s mounted five solo shows in Victoria, including an exhibit and Residency at the Union Club in 2020.

Sintesi, chalk pastel sketch, 14x17 in.

Sintesi, acrylic on canvas, 44x48 in, 2020

One of Carr’s famous paintings mentions a beach in Cadboro Bay, frequented by the iconic artist. Playing detective, Redwood discovered Carr’s beach and went there to picnic and sketch with a friend. They spent time pondering how and where Carr painted. “Carr captured the spiritual essence of a place,” says Redwood, “I love the dynamic energy in her paintings.”

​In Sintesi (meaning synthesis) we see the reorganization of different elements in the natural world: shore, sea and sky. In the sketch, boulders are visible in the foreground, and the sea defined by striated bands of strong colour. Distant islands float on the horizon line. In the finished painting, all reference points are merged by sweeping overlays of subtle colour. Redwood used sponges to create the textured washes of blue, green and gray. In the foreground she masked out the boulders to give a subtle impression of shapes. “My creativity is inspired by being physically present in a place,” she says. “My plein air sketches remind me why I was moved and motivated.”

Grain of Mustard Seed, chalk pastel 9x12 in.

Grain of Mustard Seed, acrylic on canvas, 44x48 in, 2021

“Throughout my life I have always searched for the very essence," she says "the hidden energy of stone and soil.” Now, she has returned to her Christian roots, as evidenced in the title Grain of Mustard Seed. This newfound faith in the world as God’s creation can be viewed in the robust forms and deeply rich colours of the painting. This rocky outcrop in Beacon Hill Park appears to be a vibrant and harmonious place, forms flowing one into the other. A lake sparkles in the distance, grasses soften the scene, and the rock face glows with emerald greens, sunny yellows, and liquid blue-gray hues.

Seagull, chalk pastel sketch, 14x17 in.

Seagull, acrylic on canvas, 44x48 in, 2020

Seagull recalls a summer visit to Gonzales Bay beach in late afternoon. The painting has a warm ochre ground that Redwood refers to as “the mother colour”. Her style involves painting quickly to cover large areas of her canvas. Redwood’s background in dance can be seen as she applies the pigment in swooping rhythms. By centering her energy, she gives the painting freedom to take on shape and form. On this initial ground, paint layers add tonal depth. Finally, smaller brushes add details.

The Apple Tree, chalk pastel 9x12 in.

The Apple Tree, acrylic on canvas, 44x48 in, 2020

The Apple Tree is a memory from Redwood’s garden were she lived in Wales. The colours of spring predominate with warm pinks and sharp green foliage in both the sketch and final painting. The finished painting brings alive the entire composition with light imbued spaces and rapidly moving linework. “Swirling lines around the windows suggest the vibrant energy of people inside,” she says,

Gillian Redwood was born in Wales and graduated from the Cardiff College of Art. She left Wales in 2004 and often returns to visit family and friends. “Wales is a mysterious and beautiful country,” she says. “I have walked the land to discover the ancient stories and sacred sites.” Perhaps, in the whimsical and wanderlust aspects of Redwood’s artwork, we can glimpse her heritage. But the artist is not easily defined by place and time as she spreads her worldly wings across these majestic canvases.

Gillian Redwood in her studio at Xchanges on March 8, 2021.

Gillian Redwood's email: [email protected];    Visit her website at gillianredwood.com. ​

​Zoom Artist Talk and Tour of the Exhibit:
Saturday, April 10th at 3:30pm
https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEkduirrDgpHNXOp2712OjCSM9g8qDe-OZb

Xchanges Gallery & Studios is located at 2333 Government St, Victoria, BC V8T 4P4
Artist in attendance Sat & Sun 11am-4pm during exhibition.

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Arts writer published in Focus on Victoria, Yam and Boulevard. 
History in Art degree and Public Relations certificate from 
​the University of Victoria
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