Connections is the title and essence of a new art exhibition by Marianne Enhörning, which opens this Sunday at Martine's Bistro in Comox.
Enhörning, who was born in Sweden and moved to Canada when she was 11, grew up surrounded by art. She is deeply influenced by her grandmother, a passionate and committed painter whose life was devoted to art.
Enhörning explored fine arts at university, then trained in architecture, and is currently a resident artist at Art Alchemy in Courtenay.
Marianne's evocative, dreamlike works are often figurative and nature-based, qualities that immediately engage the viewer.
Her architectural esthetic is seen in the depth and perception she transfers onto canvas and board utilizing oils. Richly coloured and flowing, her pieces speak to the emotions that lie at the heart of people's connection to each other and to nature.
“My paintings have become my emotional outlet, my place of pure expression and freedom. Most of the time, I start a painting without any knowledge of what it will become. I start by filling my palette with colours I am attracted to at that moment. Then I just begin.
"If I feel like painting yellow, I do. Then I add another colour and let the painting take off from there. I often turn the painting around a few times and may finish it upside down from where it started. It is extremely therapeutic and empowering to create art with such freedom."
The public is invited to the opening reception Dec. 15 from 3 to 5 p.m. at Martine's Bistro at 1754 Beaufort Ave. in Comox. The show will hang for three months, so you have until the middle of March to have a lovely meal at Martine's and enjoy the art as you dine.
— Marianne Enhörning