Goward House

Maureen Ness

My paintings are my stories, visual stories inspired by the breath-taking beauty of the west coast of Vancouver Island. I hope as well, they are visceral stories which evoke awe, even a sense of disbelief at what lies on our doorstep.

For much of my life I have lived in this place, explored its nooks and crannies, drawn into my soul the waves, wind, sand, rocks and trees and given my all to somehow express those experiences in oil-on-canvas. It is a hopeless exercise, of course, but if what you see in my paintings does for you what it does for me, then I will have done my job — empower you to go to these places if you can, experience the specialness of them and be inspired to protect them.

I utilize many different techniques to produce my oil- on-canvas paintings — photography, paint sketching, negative painting, layering many thin colours, thin lines, contrast, lots of shades of paint and blending all into place. In every painting, I strive to combine realism with a touch of fantasy.

Each painting requires several stages, but by far the most exciting stage is when I am near completion, putting on the final highlights and details that make each painting ‘sing.’

At the end of every project, I am unfailingly amazed by how connected I feel to that painting and to nature. I hope you experience the same.

My oil paint of choice is Winsor & Newton Professional.

Maureen Ness, Artist      www.facebook.com/maureennessart     www.maureenness.com   250-413-7584