Two diverse artists encourage viewers to take a closer look – Winnipeg Free Press

At Soul Gallery Inc., art doesn’t just hang on walls; it whispers, shouts and stirs something deep within.

The latest exhibit at 65 Albert St., Look Closer, curated by Julie Walsh, perfectly exemplifies this in the works of Ann-Marie Brown and Bette Woodland. This duo show offers an evocative exploration of human experience through painting.

Sharing the gallery with Woodland is a particular honour for Brown. “I’ve admired Bette’s work for a long time,” she says, attributing the collaboration to Walsh’s sensitive curatorial approach.

“It’s a joy to be showing alongside Bette, and I really wish I could be there,” adds Brown, who is based in British Columbia.

Brown’s journey into the art world was anything but typical. Her introduction to painting came during a period of profound personal searching.

“I was in Europe, attending a seminary, when a crisis of faith led me on a hitchhiking journey through the Middle East,” she recalls.

This path eventually brought her back to Canada, where a university elective in painting opened up a new way of thinking.

“I found a way to work through ideas that didn’t require words,” Brown says.

Particularly compelling is Brown’s fascination with encaustic painting, also known as hot wax painting. “I was drawn to encaustic for its sculptural quality,” she explains.

“The process can’t be fully controlled — you can have a plan for a painting, but the unpredictability disrupts your intention and opens a dialogue with the emerging image.”

Brown says this dynamic process allows for a deeper engagement with the work. “It becomes a kind of call-and-response thing.”

Brown’s works have graced galleries across Canada and the U.S., and she’s been featured in literary journals and films. Her last six-month residency in Helsinki, Finland, infused her work with fresh inspiration.

“The light everywhere is different,” she says. “Being present in a different place sharpens your sensory apparatus and influences your work.”

In Look Closer, Brown’s paintings present a delicate balance between clarity and ambiguity, with sharp brushstrokes juxtaposed against the soft, blurred edges created by encaustic layers.

“The paintings invite the viewer to co-create,” Brown says. “They are figurative, but function like Rorschach tests, containing contradictory elements within their singularity.”

She is currently exploring new creative frontiers, collaborating with perfumer Rohanna Goodwin Smith to combine scent with her paintings.

“Rohanna provides me with numbered vials of perfume. I inhale them and find colours that correspond to the notes, then paint using that palette,” she says.

Bette Woodland, the other half of this compelling duo, brings more than 40 years of experience to the show. Her roots in rural Southern Ontario have profoundly influenced her work.

“Growing up on a farm, surrounded by cows, pigs and chickens, made animals a big part of my world,” Woodland says.

Woodland’s journey to becoming an artist was shaped by early, impactful experiences.

“I was the only painter in my family, but from a young age, the mere mention of art made me feel warm inside,” she says. Her artistic talent was nurtured by a local artist, Jim, who not only taught her but also played a role in choosing her art supplies.

“My parents were supportive but didn’t always know what to get, so they would give Jim money, and he’d pick out my Christmas presents,” she recalls.

Woodland’s practice primarily focuses on oil paintings and printmaking, and her work for Look Closer is organized into three sections: rural landscapes, animals within those landscapes and close-up portraits of domestic animals.

This structure reflects her deep connection to the pastoral life of her youth. “The paintings in the exhibit explore the transformative properties of light,”says the Winnipeg-based artist.

Her landscapes resonate with the rich hues of Prairie sunsets. One piece, depicting a farm at dusk, serves as a base for a larger work, encapsulating the light she wanted to portray. “The light articulates the particular beauty of the familiar,” she says.

Woodland’s detailed animal portraits bring a personal touch to the exhibit, particularly in a piece featuring Ruby the cow, a favourite subject from her childhood.

“Ruby had such personality,” Woodland recalls. “When I showed this portrait to my stepfather, he cried. That’s always a sign of success for me.”

Her portraits often depict domestic animals with a sensitivity that highlights their sentience. “Anyone who has lived with animals knows that they’re sentient creatures. They feel, they need companionship and they suffer,” Woodland says.

For Woodland, each show is a turning point.