Pigments of Our Imagination

While looking to find common ground in the diversity of their work, Jan Corcoran, Bridget Aitken and Miranda Jones came up with a playful title for their group exhibition. ‘Pigments of Our Imagination’ perfectly expresses the joyful approach each artist brings to her subject matter and a shared passion for colour.

Artist Statement- Bridget V. Aitken: I never really know what the end product of any particular painting will be. I am open to the possibilities – even abject failure! I am willing to live on the edge when it comes to art making.
Sometimes disappointment can be vanquished with a single stroke – that is so exciting, so surprising. I didn’t plan to paint an aqua ground with White Cows finished with a flourish of red line – it is as if it just happened. I didn’t plan for Siren to merge, muted with the prairie grasses, the lines of her back undulating with the swell of land. I may start out with an idea, decisions made and unmade, my mind wanting to be in charge, but when my body is unleashed and my subconscious becomes my eyes, well, that is where possibility lies. It all matters very much, and not at all.

Artist Statement- Jan Corcoran: I approach each painting with a sense of curiosity as to what will happen next. I start with a few gestural lines before deciding on colours. I use acrylic so I can spray my lines with water and watch patterns emerge. As an abstract artist I am looking for interesting patterns, shapes and movement in the paint to work with. Adding more colour and turning my canvas using shapers to pull the paint thick & thin and work it into the canvas. Using oil sticks to create lines and texture. And finally oil paint to add depth and edit my marks allowing viewers to see my process and bring their own story to the work through the ‘pigments of our imagination’.

Artist Statement- Miranda Jones: While my process may vary, my quest remains constant… how to embody my passion and respect for wildness in my art. The more we humans impinge on the delicate dance of life on earth the more precious each encounter with wildness becomes.
Whether in my back yard garden or in some remote and distant wilderness, while I can never hope to contain nature using mere pigments on paper, it is hugely rewarding to at least try. As I create a new and imagined reality I become lost in the layers of paint. This process of distilling my delight and awe and manipulating my materials brings me completely and absolutely into the present and teaches me patience and trust. This is why I paint..and this is what I experience when I catch a fleeting glimpse of a tiny bird half hidden in foliage, a bouquet of wild flowers, or a fox as it slinks back into the forest riveting me in time and space!