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Nature and my place in it are a constant theme found in my work. In my images,nature becomes a metaphor for hope and sanctuary. It can be seen as anagent of metamorphosis.
I have spent the last nineteen summers in the White Mountains. My large format landscape oil paintings and small oil pastels are inspired by my experiences hiking the peaks of New Hampshire. The forests and views close up or at a distance from the summit peaks are used as the springboards for my imagery.
Each morning in Waterville Valley, I would wake up to the beautiful view of Snow’s Mountain. A series of oil pastels inspired by this view has been a constant fifteen-year record of my emotional attachment to this place. I would draw thissingular view daily; the slightest physical shift of my position and the passage of time would drastically affect the light, the colour, and the composition of the work. Many images start with certain coloursdepicting a particular time of day only to be layered later with a completely different palette as day turns to night or clouds lift over the mountains. Part of my process is to leave visible traces and evidence of colours and marks used in building up the imagesuggesting the passage of time. Many of these small, 8” x 10” drawings later inform larger oil paintings done in my Montreal studio. Both observation and the memory of a place and time are important elements in my artwork.
These quotes by Margaret Attwood from her novel, Surfacing, resonate with me anddescribe the basic theme of nature found in my work:
“The wind starts again, brushing over us, the air warm-cool and fluid, the trees behind us moving their leaves, the sound ripples… each hair on my body lifting with a shiver; the echoes deflect on all sides, surrounding us, here everything echoes.”
“ I lean against a tree, I am a tree leaning
I am not an animal or a tree, I am the thing in which the trees and animals move and grow, I am a place. (p. 210)
My work remains inspired by my visceral reaction to nature. The painters who continue to teach me through their work are Matisse, Bonnard, Vuillard, the Fauves, Milton Avery, Tom Thomson and Wolf Khan. I approach my subject with the idea that colour, form and mark lead the way. Each is dependent upon the other forming a tapestry of vibrating colour. The play between figure and ground can be seen in all my work. By placing the importance equally on the background as the foreground the viewer’s perception is challenged and tension is created.My wish is that the observer can immerse themselves in the images and gain a sense of spiritual renewal.
Cynthia van Frank
References
Elisabeth Galante,
Kathryn Gabinet-Kroo,
Nikola Reford, or
List of Submitted Work
1.Red Forest Floor. 36” x 48”, oil painting on canvas,
2. Yellow Tree, Yellow Grasses, 36 “x 48, oil painting on canvas
3.Lake and Mountain, 40” x 40”, oil painting on canvas
4. Reflection at Water’s Edge 40” x 80”, diptych, oil painting on canvas
Cynthia van Frank C.V.4393 St Ambroise Montreal, Quebec, H4C 2E5
T: 514-241-6165 E:
cynthiavanfrank.tumblr.com
Exhibitions
& Collections
/Centre D’ArtVoland 2015
Hermitage Club 2013, 2011, 2010
The Rey Center 2010
The Gallery at Victoria Hall 2009
The McClure Gallery 2003
Java U 2003
Gallery De Ormeaux Cultural Center 1999, 2000
Gallery Dizier 1999
Concordia Art Gallery 1991
Barbara Silverberg Gallery 1991, 2003
Musée du Quebec/ Pretd’Oeuvresd’Arts, Quebec City 1987
Private and Corporate Collections du QuebecGrants
/Fonds pour la Formation Chercheurs et l’Aide a La Recherche, John Fox mentor 1985, 1986
Commission de FormationProfessionalle Montreal Métropolitaine et L’Institut de Métier Arts 1992
Education
/Concordia University BFA with distinction
New York Studio SchoolEmployment
/ The Study School, Westmount, Quebec: Art Teacher (Grade 3-11) 2010 - PresentThe Visual Arts Center 1990 - Present