Sheila Davis

First attracted to the loose spontaneity of Watercolour, Sheila quickly learned to control this medium, capturing light, colour and essence in images to soothe the soul or lift the spirit, as the subject inspires. Further experimentation led her to include an array of other materials in her work. These mixed media pieces, complete with collages and textures are more playful and vividly colourful, almost naïve in nature.

Sheila has started working on larger pieces out of a desire to remove the ‘barrier’ of the glass (necessary in framing works on paper) that separates her work from the viewer. This developed into an experimentation of larger more abstract work that encourages one not to simply admire the work, but to truly experience it as another dimension.

Whichever medium she works in, Sheila is known for her bold use of colour to portray light, atmosphere and movement in paintings that are as dynamic and animated as her personality. She works out of her in home studio, in Beaverton Ontario. An elected member of the Society of Canadian Artists, Sheila’s work can be found in collections around the world.

“I paint the landscape as I see it– not as a physical likeness, but as an entire presence, involving the space of emotion, spirituality, temperature and the senses.

I find I am inspired by the energy and play of textures where surface planes meet. A joining of forces, where colour and temperature meld or clash for dominance. A battle of the elements, Earth, Sky, Water and all they encompass. I work quickly and vigorously laying in colour and value with large dynamic brushstrokes. I attempt to portray what first excites me, causes the rush of adrenalin and the urge to ‘get it down’ before the feeling dissipates.

I prefer to paint on large canvases, unhindered by the need for glass and space constraints. Where I can utilize movement and gesture to express the intense vitality and power I experience in the landscape.

I often paint in silence, the sounds associated with the subject becoming my background ‘music’, influencing the overall feeling of the finished piece.  The thunderous crashing of a shoreline or the roar of a waterfall will result in a powerful statement of texture, hard edges, and visual noise. The soft rustling of the wind or the hum of insects will evolve into a play of lost edges, a softer dance”