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BoldBrush Recommends: Monica Gewurz
Biography
Thank you for stopping by to learn more about me and my journey as a fine artist. Originally from Peru, born to Polish parents, I moved to Canada to go to university at the age of 17. After a successful multi-disciplinary career in the Environmental field spanning 30 years, I have now established myself as a Canadian international artist making art that evokes emotion and welcomes viewers into tranquil and calming spaces.
My muse is the ocean. My artwork draws on the exceptional seascapes and sublime sunsets of the Pacific West Coast, and from my travels around the world.
“My paintings are described as ethereal -luminous textured seascapes- landscapes that are beautifully imperfect and welcome viewers into tranquil and calming spaces. They mostly have a seascape feel. Each work of art takes the viewer on a journey that requires contemplation and introspection resulting in an amazing rewarding inner discovery.”
How did it start?
I have a BSc. and a Master’s in Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning. I have worked in both large-scale commercial real estate development and sales; eco and cultural tourism planning and marketing; environmental assessment, and for the Canadian Federal Government dealing with Aboriginal issues in several capacities which included negotiating treaties with Aboriginal people.
My professional background in environmental science and art taught me how to truly see the beauty and essence of nature, appreciating what a great gift nature is to all of us.
Throughout my childhood and my adult life, I enjoyed nature photography and silver jewelry as hobbies. While I was working full-time, I decided to get an art degree by taking courses and workshops in Art. In 2016 I graduated from the Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Vancouver with an Advanced Painting Certificate which was my turning point to embark on a new career as a professional artist by showcasing in public and commercial galleries.
Emotional Art
I find it amazing and exciting the connection that some of my abstracted ethereal-like paintings illicit viewers that I have never met.
I aim to chanel my creativity to explore beauty, peace and serenity. My art has been described as tranquil and having a sense of serenity and mindfulness. Mindfulness is a state of being calm , peaceful and untroubled. Achieving this positive state of mind means you will not feel troubled by life’s up and downs. Mindfulness will keep you stay calm and serene, inviting peace to your soul. I find it humbling when viewers immerse themselves in the layers, shades, and texture of my paintings and they share with me how they are seduced into a visual tactile, and emotional experience ranging from serenity to energy, inspiring self-discovery, empathy, meditation and mindfulness.
When this connection is made, I feel my mission is accomplished as I inspired self-discovery, self-healing, and created a connection, an encounter- a meeting of minds and souls between the viewer and myself.
“Working with texture and layers in my mixed media paintings gives me an opportunity to express nature in an abstract way, to encourage the viewer to be moved by its beauty, be touchable, and to create a mood that will seduce the eye and inspire the spirit”
Environmental Commitment
My artistic practice is fueled by my scientific and artistic backgrounds. For me nature is more than an inspiration, it influences the very nature of the purpose of art and how it is created. That purpose is to use art as a vehicle to highlight how humanity has changed the environment.
My efforts to minimize my impact on the environment started long ago and continue in my artmaking as I choose environmentally friendly products, minimize waste, be careful to not add contaminants to the water supply, and use sustainably sourced packing materials when sending paintings to purchasers.
The use of man-made and natural materials is associated with my deep concern about environmental degradation and waste, so in many respects, I think of my work as functioning in the realm of recycling as I use reusable materials, the connection to nature is important and continuous.
In addition, I often message through my art key environmental issues such as climate change and plastic pollution to invite dialogue and discussion.
“I believe that art can and must play an important role in conveying the environmental action narrative”. MG
I am a philanthropist who regularly donates artwork or a percentage of my sales to not-for-profit organizations supporting environmental conservation and protection, such as;
the Nature Trust of BC which is dedicated to conserving biological diversity through the securement and management of ecologically significant lands;
the Pacific Salmon Foundation which is engaged in multiple projects to protect Pacific West Coast salmon from the effects of climate change in participation with First Nations;
Artists for Conservation, the world’s leading artist group supporting the environment, represents 500 of the world’s leading nature/wildlife artists.
One of my paintings “Ebbing” was used by 40 Knots Winery in 2019 as the label for their fortified wine used to fundraise for Salmon habitat restoration.
My Muse
My Muse is water the ocean a universal icon across cultures and countries. The beauty, force, and energy of water and its associated reflective light and the interplay of light, shadow, and colour in the landscape, have always drawn me in as a scientist and as an artist.
My art is a recollection of the seascapes and landscapes I experienced while living on the east and west coasts of Canada, Peru, and my travels abroad.
The compositions are not based on particular place but rather imagined images of serene vistas, aiming to evoke a contemporary portrayal of the vastness of nature. I eliminate non-essential details and lack man-made objects and living creatures, heightening the vastness of the scenes, and creating serene compositions which reward long contemplation
I am inspired by the beauty, and colours of the ocean; the ethereal beauty of moody coastal skies during dawn-dusk, the aesthetic reflections in water, and the atmospheric colours and cloud shapes moving through the imagined atmosphere. I find painting seascapes to be a meditative and sometimes, cathartic process.
One of my seascapes named “A Blissful Moment” measuring seven feet by four feet was commissioned for the Gold City Nobel Hotel a five-star venue located in Shanwei City, Guandon China.
Process
My process has also evolved in a number of ways, from the preconceived and planned to growing out of a process. From faithful reproduction to expressive abstraction, and from conventional materials used traditionally to unconventional mixed media using upcycled materials. I am constantly exploring new mediums and techniques to incorporate as part of my dynamic canvases, which create nuanced textured surfaces that are often inspired by natural elements.
I’ve learned to trust the unconscious and my intuition, which is a far cry from how the scientist I once was engaged with the world.
I paint from the heart and intuitively.
Working with texture and multi-layers in my mixed media paintings and in my jewelry gives me an opportunity to express nature and culture in an abstract way, to communicate what is deep inside me and to encourage the viewer to be moved by its beauty, and to create a mood that will seduce their eyes and inspire their spirits. My art can be described as being between abstraction that nears representation, and representation that nears abstraction.
I begin to paint from one of my photographs or memories and then respond to the painting as it reveals itself. For my abstracted works, I paint intuitively and expressively, from feelings and emotions.
The abstraction of the constant changing of shapes colours and patterns of light in the reflected water and changing skies and the patinas of precious minerals mesmerize me and are a source of my inspiration. I am fascinated with the contrasting nature of the organic and how that can provide an escape to a dream-like place.
Texture and luminosity are my trademarks
My work is unique in the way I combine texture and thin washes. I apply multiple layers of coloured gel mediums, mixed with textural elements, each partially revealed to create a 3D effect. I use texture to blur the line between painting and sculpture, inviting the viewer to touch them. I use multiple glazes of colour to produce contrast and harmony, creating lightness, fluidity, and ephemeral atmospheric effects.
Texture is integral to my work and I enjoy freely evolving this through the layering of materials. I paint with both oils and “natural acrylic” which is plant-based and combine them with a variety of other media such as real gold and silver metal leaf, sand, mediums, glazes, and inks.
I enjoy the process of developing areas as they emerge, rubbing back and building up, scratching into the surface, and working with palette knives, fingers, and a variety of drawing implements as well as brushes to create diversity in my mark-making.
I strive to create vibrant creative mixed media paintings by learning new techniques that I can incorporate in my paintings that challenge me to be more creative, and unique amongst my piers and that will take me to the next level.
Learn More About Monica Gewurz
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So beautiful! So luminous!