Gallery Opening at the Arts Station by Peggy Black

Opening the latest gallery exhibit: Essence of Landscapes by Peggy Black

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 May. 

Artist Bio

Peggy Black, an artist residing in Fernie for the past decade embarked on her creative journey after retirement. She had co-owned an exclusive women’s wear store for over thirty years and her background in fashion, graphic design, interior design and crafting provided her with the creative tools she needed. An outdoor lifestyle was the draw for retirement in Fernie. Skiing, snowshoeing, mountain biking and hiking constantly provide opportunities for her to experience Fernie’s beautiful surroundings and strongly influence her art.

Inspired by modern art and simple, clean images framed in a contemporary style, she started experimenting with black and white abstract art. This led to her first show “Abstract Thoughts” at the Arts Station. Continuing her artistic exploration, Peggy ventured into experimenting with colour, moving from abstracts and adding mediums such as pen and ink, watercolour, alcohol ink, mixed media and acrylic on canvass. Her second show “Abstracts and Outdoor Thoughts” featured an eclectic mix of artwork and was very successful.

Peggy credits her artistic confidence and success to the supportive art community and the Arts Station. Being a member and volunteering in its various activities and workshops have fed her creative interests. These include the Lantern Festivals, Dumpster Projects and Wednesday Night Socials. Being a member of the Gallery Hanging Committee for many years certainly influences her knowledge of putting together a cohesive exhibition.

Artist Statement

Inspiration for this exhibit stems from the natural beauty surrounding Fernie; the mountains, forests, lakes and trees all speak to me. Add to that my love of contemporary art and graphic design and you will understand the influence for my latest artistic journey.

I am drawn to the horizontal line and find that recreating landscape images in a simplified, more abstract way create compelling pieces of art. I am also constantly distracted by trees. Elegant branches, textured bark, and how snow gathers on them have inspired works on canvass. In other pieces of art I have subtly incorporated abstract trees into landscapes.

I constantly experiment with a variety of mediums. Sometimes ripping paper on which I have painted adds depth and interest to skies and mountain scenes. The addition of graphic lines, dots and other shapes in pen and ink give a more contemporary feel and are repeated throughout my works. Cutting, ripping and piecing together layers to create a scene often result in a unique collage. Subtle colour and modern framing give the collection a more current aesthetic. A few canvasses painted with acrylics add an unexpected twist to the mostly neutral collection.

My pieces are created with the intention of showcasing my unique artistic perspective of our inspiring surroundings in a contemporary way. Visitors will be invited to experience the profound connection I share with Fernie’s natural environment in order to create scenes from nature and the essence of landscapes.