Today on the blog we're featuring emerging artist Anna Fiander. Anna grew up in Queens County, N.S., moving to Halifax for her education. She trained and worked as a professional librarian and researcher, but her heart has always been in the world of art. After retiring she fulfilled her lifelong dream in 2015 when she graduated from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a major in Painting.
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| Explore, Acrylic on Canvas, 32"x40" |
Anna's developed a practice that is very much her own. Her paintings involve the exploration of colour, line and form. She wants the
viewer to take pleasure in the multiplicities of the colour relationships while
exploring the intricacies of the layers of lines and geometric forms merging
and diverging over the surface of her pieces. The play between uniformity and
aberration creates an escape and an adventure for the viewer, making each
approach fresh and unique.
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| Bamboo, Acrylic on Canvas, 12"x24" |
"I sketch a layout, usually geometric, sometimes parallel lines and then envision a colour scheme. I have my favourites but other colours have to be brought in for contrast or startling effect. Next I sketch a secondary layer which will selectively cover the primary painting. For this step I use various widths, masks and/or other adhesives specifically cut to my specs using rotary cutters. After applying the adhesives I apply a sealer and then another layer of colour - it may be based on theory or what I feel will go well with my intentions overall. This is purely a mental thing based on feelings but not explained by colour charts."
"Then the hardest part - I cover the entire canvas with the colour I have mixed. Usually I have fallen in love with the primary painting, so that is why this step is difficult - painting over the exposed primary painting and the adhesive surfaces. I then let the layer dry and continue the process of applying adhesives and colour, always keeping in mind the orientation and colours of what lies beneath.Then comes the really fun part - carefully peeling off all the various adhesives to reveal parts of the primary original painting covered with layers (sometimes as many as a dozen) to reveal the finished piece. Always a surprise and a discovery of new ways to proceed with the next one."
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| Terracotta, Acrylic on Canvas, 18"x24" |
Anna is interested in creating more than just a visually appealing picture. “Our visual
perception system is the most complex of our senses. The eye provides the
mechanism of seeing, but the brain processes colour in two separate parts of
the brain - one deals with luminance perception and the other with hue
recognition. In addition, other parts of the brain provide memory, experience,
emotional response and contextual significance on a personal level. Thus, each
person's viewing of a painting is unique."
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| Linen Lines, Arylic on Canvas, 18"x24" |
"My paintings are not about world issues. They are a personal communication with
your views of colour. The quest is to flex your perception, illuminate and
relax your brain while stimulating your emotional connections to colour.
The ultimate aim is to bring colour enjoyment
and exploration pleasures to the viewer in an experience that opens an
interactive, fascinating portal to awareness of self.”
Thank you Anna for sharing your process and methods with us. Come see Anna's work in person to appreciate it's full visual effects and textures after you get back from the long weekend! Cheers!
