- Born and raised on the west coast of Canada
- Attended Emily Carr with a BFA(Hon) from University of Victoria
- Trained in printmaking in the U.K.
- Painting residencies at the Banff Centre
- Collected by Canada Council and public galleries
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ARTIST STATEMENT
My work is about the earth. In particular the paintings focus on systems that appear in all living things. They explore movement and pattern from a variety of perspectives; from macro to microscopic, erupting islands to shifting land mass, germination to decay. Satellite imagery remains a fascination. A number of traditional as well as modern painting techniques are used. I explore contrasts and contradictions; exploitation versus sustainability.
Compositionally I include squares and rectangles in this work; a symbolic reference to the patterns of rice fields that underscore the design of the robes of Buddhist monks, in countries where I have studied.
Over the years I had the good fortune to be mentored by Jack Shadbolt and Don Jarvis, renowned B.C.artists with whom I shared my passion for colour and landscape. Jack Wise was a friend, and also great inspiration to my work. Currently I am inspired by the strong environmental and political message in the work of artists such as Marlene Creates (NFLD),and the materials and cultural references from outside the mainstream of modern art in the work of artists such as herman de vries(NL) and Andy Goldsworthy(UK). The later works of William Turner, permeated by golden light, remains a source of encouragement.
In the largest sense, my paintings, as with all life experiences, can be distilled down to interconnectedness.
Roberta Pyx Sutherland