The Kanata Civic Art Gallery’s newest exhibition celebrates the spring season.
“Spring Song” features Stittsville’s Daniel Morales and Beaverbrook’s Dorothy Hayter and Judi Miller until April 19.
“We’d like it to reflect the way everyone is feeling,” said Miller about the changing of the seasons.
The artists chose works depicting the melting snow, buds growing and the bright colours of the coming spring.
Morales, a five-year member of the gallery, uses oils to capture the intensity.
“I find that the colours, you can get nicer, brighter colours (using oils),” he said.
Many of his paintings depict urban landscapes, at home and abroad. One is of the water tower in Stittsville.
“It’s unique,” he said of his painting. “It’s representative of Stittsville. It’s part of the older (community).”
Other paintings feature areas of Newfoundland, France and Spain.
Morales said he finds his inspiration for painting while travelling with his wife Stephanie Amos, often working from photographs.
Born in Chile, he moved to California to study at Stanford University, before transferring to the University of Toronto to finish his PhD in international education. From there, he moved to Ottawa, first settling in Kanata, and finally putting down roots in Stittsville.
He began painting in his 20s and took it up seriously after moving to Ottawa.
“I like to do things with my hands,” he said. “I like to design, I like to draw.”
He said a friend suggested he join the gallery.
“It’s such a nice group of people,” he said.
OPEN WATER
An original member of the gallery, Hayter has been painting all her life.
“I just always liked to colour,” she said. “The effect of light on things always fascinates me.”
Hayter doesn’t often work from photographs; instead she prefers to do her painting on site. In the winter months she can spend up to three hours in her snowsuit capturing natural landscapes on canvas.
“I really like being near open water, rushing water,” she said. “I like being near woods.”
One of her paintings, Rushing By, depicts the Gull River in Haliburton, Ont. during the spring thaw.
“It’s an absolute need to do it,” she said of painting. “You just go into your own little world.”
Hayter has taught a number of workshops and classes at St. Lawrence College. She first painted with oils, moved to watercolour, and in the last few years has enjoyed working with acrylics and mixed media.
“The medium doesn’t matter,” said Hayter, who has three children with her husband Roy. “It’s whatever suits the subjects. It’s nice when you get to that point.”
The Kanata Civic Art Gallery is located in the Mlacak Centre at 2500 Campeau Dr. For more information and hours of operation, visit kanatagallery.ca.