Opening the latest gallery exhibit: Lands Far Away by Abby Wilson
Opening night features a cash bar and complimentary nibbles, and a chance to chat with the artist about their work. All welcome. The exhibit will be on display in the gallery through October.
Artist Bio
Abby Wilson paints her love of the mountains into bright, bold acrylic landscapes. Her work explores how geometry aligns with natural geology. Abby is an Active Member of the Federation of Canadian Artists (FCA) and has participated in numerous group exhibitions. Abby combines art and adventure with plein air painting- hiking studies down from the mountains into her home studio. Abby’s work is held in private collections in Canada, the US, and Europe.
Artist Statement
“Lands Far Away'' pushes the boundaries between imagination and reality, stretching familiar Kootenay landscapes into deeper fantasy worlds. Nelson artist Abby Wilson gathers reference material while hiking in the mountains, focusing on capturing local landscapes that remind her of JRR Tolkein’s poetic place descriptions of Middle Earth. Wilson’s photos and Tolkein’s phrases are used to prompt Midjourney Artificial Intelligence, creating unique landscapes fed by multiple imaginations. Wilson revises the generated landscapes, and then paints them in her own style. The resulting paintings work as portals, where nature's grandeur mingles with Tolkein’s mythical narratives, bringing the familiar into the fantastic.