Roxanne Dyer
..... about the artist

Roxanne Dyer in her studio

Montreal has been my home for the last twenty-nine years; my love of this city grew as I discovered it. Our country has many remarkable places, and growing up in St. John’s, Newfoundland, I had the pleasure to know one of the oldest, most beautiful, rugged, and mystical of them all.

While completing a course in commercial art at just seventeen, & still living with my family in Newfoundland, I began painting & quickly sold several small oil works. However, I decided to study fashion design in hopes of becoming a fashion illustrator; that appealed to me as a more lucrative way to make a living, at the time. At twenty-one I graduated from George Brown College in Toronto with a Diploma in Fashion Design & headed to Montreal. During the following eight years I designed for various manufacturing companies & began teaching part-time at Lasalle College in 1984. Throughout the following six years I continued as a freelance designer until I became a full time instructor teaching mainly pattern design to senior graduating students as well as juniors; and maintain my position this day.

During my transition from designer to teacher I completed a Teaching Certification from McGill University & a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Concordia University in 1998, majoring in painting & drawing.

My first professional group exhibition was in 2000 at Arts NDG in Montreal. Since then I have exhibited in numerous group & solo exhibitions at The Arts Club in Montreal & The Gallery at Victoria Hall in Westmount, among other venues. A member of The Arts Club since February 2002 I served on the club council from May 2003 to April 2004. I won first prize in the Arts Club 2003 Annual Spring Exhibition, and third prize in International Artist’s Favorite Subjects challenge No. 28. My artwork hangs in private collections throughout Canada.

Winter 2006 I had the pleasure to prepare an article for International Artist .com Magazine, June / July issue #49, which is available through www.internationalartist.com.

 

Working on the image for International Artist .com magazine...

Artist's Statement

The underlying concept of my artwork relates to growth and evolution. While growth often appears most obvious and immediate in the symbolism of flowers, personal growth is often less tangible and measured or recognized long after it has manifest an evolution.
Currently, my research focus is on the figure, images inspired from my day-to-day life, most particularly elements from my teaching career, and exemplify, through a series of dress rehearsal vignettes from a college fashion show, individuals approaching graduation. The energy of the vignettes relates to that of the fresh bloom, full of life, intense and dynamic; a moment in a cycle but moving beyond at the same time, growing and evolving. These images describe a type of "going through the gate", a moment connecting an ending and a beginning, a point of anticipation, excitement and sadness, a departure and a personal moment shared .

Regarding my floral paintings and their environments, the gardens & parks research includes those in: Westmount, Montreal, Vancouver, St. John's, Gros Mourn National Park, Boston, New York, and various cities & villages in England, France and Italy.

 

 

 

Exhibitions

2010	Art Benefit for Schools in Haiti, Westmount Square, June 17th
2010	Victoria Village Art Walk, Westmount, June 12th & 13th
2009	10th Anniversary of the Gallery at Victoria Hall, Westmount, Sept. 10th to Oct. 3rd
2008	Art Westmount 2008, The Campbell Gallery, 4916 Sherbrooke, Westmount, Que. Oct. 18 & 19
2008	"Works", Place Adajio , The Delta Hotel, Montréal Qc. Sept 18th - Oct. 18th
2008	"mŌmentum", Club Saint-James, 1145 avenue Union, Montréal Qc. June 20 to Aug. 16
2008	The Arts Club Juried Spring Exhibition , Avenue Art, 10 King, Montreal, Que. May 8th - 23rd
2007	Small Format Exhibition, The Arts Club, Donati Art Gallery, Montreal, Que. December 12 th to 20 th
2007	24e Gala International des Arts Visuels Son et Lumière 2007, Le Cercle des Artiste Peintres et Sculpteurs du Québec, Centre Culturel Popescu, 8060 Christophe-Colomb, Montreal, Que. November 1st to 4th
2007	Annual Fall Exhibition, The Arts Club, Donati Art Gallery, Montreal, Que.
2006	Art Westmount 2006: 25 Somerville , Westmount, Que. Oct. 21 st & 22 nd
2006	2006 Annual Fall Exhibition, The Arts Club, Montreal, Que. October 18th to 28th
2006	Tandem, The Arts Club, Montreal, Que. May 23rd to 28th
2005	Continuum, The Gallery at Victoria Hall, Westmount, Que. June 16th to July.20th
2004	Small Format Exhibition, The Arts Club, Montreal, Que. December
2004	Annual Fall Exhibition, The Arts Club, Montreal, Que.
2004	Large Format Exhibition, The Arts Club, Montreal, Que. June 15th to 20th
2003	Small Format Exhibition, The Arts Club, Montreal, Que. Dec. 4th to 13th
2003	Small Format Exhibition, The Arts Club, Montreal, Que. Dec. 4th to 13th
2003	Travelling Exhibition, Concordia University's Homecoming Arts Festival, Concordia University, Montreal, Que. Sept. 29th to Oct.6th
2003	2003 Annual Juried Spring Exhibition, The Arts Club, Montreal, Que. April 1st to13th
2002	2002 Annual Fall Exhibition, The Arts Club, Montreal, Que. October 2nd to 12th
2002	2002 Annual Juried Spring Exhibition, The Arts Club, Montreal, Que. March 7th to 17th
2001	Art WORKS for literacy, Literacy Unlimited, Dorval Cultural Center, Que. March 11th to 18th
2000	Nature: insight & inspiration, The Gallery at Victoria Hall, Westmount, Que.Aug.24th to Sept.21st
2000	Emerging Artists' Exhibition, Arts NDG, Montreal, Que. Jan.13 to Feb.6th
1996	Student Exhibition, Concordia University, Montreal, Que.
1996	Faculty Art Exhibition, Lasalle College, Montreal, Que.

Upcomming Exhibitions:

2010	Art Westmount, Oct. 2nd & 3rd 2010 (details to be announced)
2012	"EVOLO" (to rise, soar...) (details to be announced)

 

Prizes & Publications:

The Artist's Magazine, " Competition Spotlight" column , November 2009 issue

Featuring: L'Habilleuse

The Artist's Magazine, 25th Annual Art Competition, May, 2008

Finalist: L'Habilleuse

The Arts Club Juried Spring Exhibition , Avenue Art, May 8th - 23rd, 2008

3rd Prize: Sunflowers in a Blue Pitcher

Le Cercle des Artiste Peintres et Sculpteurs du Québec, 24e Gala International des Arts Visuels Son et Lumière 2007

1er Grand Prix en réalité figurative: L'Attente

International Artist .com Magazine June / July2006 / issue 49

“Excite the Eye and the Emotions”

International Artist .com Magazine favorite subjects challenge No. 2 , August / September 2005, issue 44

Third Prize Award: The Dress Rehearsal 3

2003 Annual Juried Spring Exhibition, The Arts Club, Montreal, Que. April 1st to13th 2003

First Prize Award: Many Thoughts

Lecture:

Inspiration, Influences & Techniques , The Lakeshore Artist Association , St Marks Church on Lakeshore Road in Dorval, Dorval, Que. Nov. 14 th. 2006 at 7:30pm

 

 

Additional info...

24e Gala International des Arts Visuels Son et Lumière 2007, Le Cercle des Artiste Peintres et Sculpteurs du Québec,

Centre Culturel Popescu, 8060 Christophe-Colomb, Montreal, Que. November 1st to 4th , 2007

1st prize: L'Attente

L'Habilleuse (also exhibited)

L'Attente 1st PRIZE

 

Postcard for momentum

ON NOW ...

 

mŌmentum, about the Exhibition... ( français à suivre )

The collection of painted images in “ mŌmentum” marks the beginning of my journey through an understanding of the essential features of emotion.

During the past five years my focus has been on the figure within its environment, the relationships inherent in each circumstance and the resulting interactions. Through the observation of human emotion in this context and the study of the consequential dynamics regarding the concept of growth & evolution, I have begun to understand the fundamental and ethereal characteristics of emotion and it’s controlling influence.

The title for this exhibition “momentum” was inspired from the Latin context regarding time that refers to “an instant in time”or "short space"; the definition of the word “momentum”, however, from Oxford University Press dictionary, is “impetus gained by movement or progress” and “(in physics) the quality of motion of a moving body...” I like the idea that while painted images are still, an instant in time, what they convey is alive & moving; with the energy of an idea and existence of a relationship embodied in emotion, they can be timeless, eternal.

In previous artwork I have often employed colour to stimulate the emotions. The works presented in this exhibition demonstrate a gradual de-saturation of colour in order to emphasize shape, space, and implied relationships, and draw out emotions of the viewer where they might perceive a relationship to the work or the idea presented.

Emotional research was more of a by-product of my exploration. The discovery that things I experienced most profoundly relate to the emotional dynamic during reminiscence of events, allowed a space to divert my focus. There was a shift & I began to see things differently. Through the research to galleries, museums and gardens, I discovered that the emotional stimulation when observing an object is of the greatest fundamental significance. Essentially it didn’t matter what I looked at, objects are wonderful, the shapes & the way they reflect light, colours, transparency, textures, and tones. The essence of a “thing” is, for me, what makes it live and when that essence stimulates a response a relationship is created. What matters mostly is how I respond and what is gleaned from the experience, the moment, regardless of how brief, or seemingly unrelated to my work, the encounter.

Cathartic results of my travels have left me with a great measure of faith I had not known possible. There are many photographic images to recall the details of “things” & “places” but most of all I remember particularly profound and emotional moments, like sublime contentment and resolute joy.

The ingredients in my work include memories and circumstances; images are created from moments which emerged with a significant emotion quality. Sometimes the intensity and contrast of emotions met with extraordinary results; I understood why I could put forth in a single image an abstract impression that was frequently experienced in a catalogue of thoughts or words.

I anticipate that the pursuit of this idea will provide many exploratory opportunities.

 

mŌmentum, présentation de l'exposition

La série de tableaux qui composent "m Ō mentum " marque le début du cheminement qui m'a permis de comprendre les caractéristiques essentielles des émotions.

Depuis cinq ans, je me concentre sur la forme dans son environnement et sur les relations inhérentes à chaque circonstance, ainsi que les interactions induites. Par le biais d'une observation des émotions humaines dans ce contexte et d'une étude de la dynamique résultante au niveau de la croissance et de l'évolution, j'ai commencé à comprendre le caractère fondamental et éthéré des émotions et de leurs influences en termes de contrôle.

L'exposition s'intitule "momentum". L'origine de ce mot vient du latin qui fait référence à un instant. Cependant, en anglais, le terme "momentum" indique l'énergie emmagasinée lors du mouvement. Il est également employé en physique pour désigner la quantité de mouvement d'un corps mobile. J'apprécie le contraste entre le caractère figé des scènes illustrées et la vivacité ainsi que la mobilité de l'objet qu'elles représentent. Ce phénomène s'apparente à un instantané. Toute l'énergie d'une idée ainsi que l'existence d'une relation imbriquée dans l'émotion confèrent à l'ensemble des attributs intemporels et éternels.

Dans mes œuvres précédentes, j'ai souvent employé les couleurs pour représenter les émotions. En revanche, les œuvres figurant dans cette exposition témoignent d'une atténuation progressive de l'impact chromatique afin de privilégier les formes, l'espace et les relations sous-entendues. Ce processus permet également de susciter les émotions du public, à partir du moment où il perçoit un lien avec l'œuvre ou l'idée observée.

Les recherches sur le champ des émotions n'étaient pas l'objectif principal de mes expériences. J'ai été en mesure de découvrir que les émotions que je ressentais avec le plus d'intensité correspondaient à la dynamique émotionnelle associée au souvenir de certains évènements, ce qui m'a ouvert de nouvelles perspectives. Un glissement s'est alors opéré et j'ai commencé à voir les choses différemment. Par le biais de recherches dans des galeries d'art, des musées et des jardins, j'ai découvert que les stimuli émotionnels suscités par l'observation d'une œuvre représentaient des éléments fondamentaux. Quelle que soit la nature de l'objet observé, j'y trouvais une source d'émerveillement provenant des formes et du traitement des couleurs, des transparences, des textures et des tons. Selon moi, l'essence d'une "chose" lui confère son caractère vivant. Quand cette essence provoque une réaction, une relation s'établit. L'essentiel se situe au niveau de la réaction et de l'apport que l'on peut retirer de l'expérience et du moment. L'efficacité de ce processus ne perd pas en intensité lorsque l'échange est bref ou qu'il n'a aucun rapport apparent avec mon travail.

Mes ingrédients sont composés de souvenirs et de circonstances. Les images proviennent de moments qui se sont manifestés avec une qualité émotionnelle particulière. Il arrive que l'intensité véhiculée par les émotions et leur contraste se télescopent pour donner des résultats hors du commun. J'ai compris pourquoi les impressions abstraites sont si souvent exprimées par une série de pensées ou de mots.

La catharsis engendrée par mes voyages a fait naître en moi une foi que je n'aurais jamais pu soupçonner. De nombreux clichés peuvent servir à se remémorer les "lieux" et les "objets" mais je me souviens surtout des émotions instantanées et profondes, telles que le contentement suprême, le désespoir ou la joie inébranlable. Ce kaléidoscope d'émotions peut ensuite se décliner en moment unique.

Je pense que ces sources d'inspirations m'ouvriront de nombreux horizons inédits.

Roxanne Dyer,

20  juin 2008

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Postcard for Tandem