Alberta’s new artist in residence turns heritage houses into impressionistic paintings
Thank you Edmonton Journal reporter, Fish Griwkowsky did a phone interview with me after I was announced the New Artist in Residence / Alberta Art Ambassador in Alberta. His article was also posted in Calgary Herald as well, click here to read the original post.
Fish’s passionates to report local art news, especially he admires the ideas of my Alberta Old Building project focus on art and heritage is very rewardable!
View the original post of Edmonton Journal post click here.
“Alberta has its third provincial artist-in-residence and arts ambassador, Aeris Osborne, an Edmonton impressionistic painter of local architecture, landscapes, still lifes and animals who held the position of McLuhan House artist in residence last year.
“As a Hong Kong Canadian immigrant artist who moved to multicultural Alberta in 2007,” Osborne said in a statement released by the province, “I am honoured and grateful.
“Alberta has a special place in my heart as it has witnessed the transformation of who I am, from an international traveler to a Canadian and true visual artist.
“I want to promote the rich and charming history of this province,” she notes, “and how important it is to preserve historical buildings.”
Over the phone, she says her interest in Alberta’s older buildings naturally comes into play considering what she grew up with in Asia. She’s drawn the history — and the space.
“It’s such a cultural difference from where I come from,” Osborne says, “the high-rises today in Hong Kong have such density compared to here, where there are more individual dwellings, showing more influence from the past 100 years or more.
“I like the history, and the stories, and how that gives me a chance to do research and know more about the buildings.”
Her new position as arts ambassador, effective immediately, ends Sept. 30, at the tail end of the province’s annual Month of the Artist.
She has one year to finish her residency project, where she’ll paint 10 architectural portraits from around the province, intended to show off a range of local history and human-habitat styles.
She’s already picked them, and they include Government House, the Information Centre in Jasper, the Multicultural Heritage Centre in Stony Plain cultural centre and Art Gallery of St. Albert, which she likes because it’s had more than one life.
“It was actually an old bank that became an art gallery, but I think this is quite interesting, how they preserved the heritage with a new idea.”
She looks at her painting in much the same way. “This is old history from the past,” she explains, “but in the meantime, I’m painting it in the present and can reach the future people.”
The self-taught Osborne, a registered social worker, has been a painter for 12 years, starting soon after she moved to Edmonton.
“My visual art is a journey of self-exploration,” she says in her artist statement. “They are representing the integration between my inner peacefulness and passion.
“My paintings and drawings were taken from the essence of the landscapes and surrounding objects. I redefined them and gave them a new identity, while keeping the soul of the land and surrounding object.”
Twice winning the Open Art Competition held by the Allied Art Council Spruce Grove, her first solo show was YEG Old Houses – Discover 11 Edmonton Home Architectural Styles at the McLuhan House Artist Studio last fall, which highlighted various local architectural templates including Victorian, Spanish Colonial, Tudor Revival and Arts & Crafts exemplified by familiar local residences.
In addition, her painting of the Muttart pyramids was up on the wall in the group show A Century of Mark Making, downstairs in the Ledcor Theatre Gallery at Art Gallery of Alberta, part of the recent 100 Years of the Edmonton Art Club exhibition.
She’s also having a show at Little Brick in Riverdale starting March 1 through the end of April.
On the side, Osborne does paint and ink commissioned house portraits, and you can see her work or hire her at aerisosborne.com.
The maximum eligible grant amount for the provincial program is $50,000, of which Osborne will be using half for expenses.
The two previous artists-in-residence in the program initiated by the Notley government are Blackfoot Dene painter and illustrator Lauren Crazybull, who’s had work on the cover of Time magazine, and “self-taught” southern Alberta singer-songwriter Joal Kamps.”- fgriwowsky@postmedia.com @fisheyefoto , Edmonton Jounral
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