Sunrise Is For Swimming

Sunrise Is For Swimming acrylic on wood panel MEET THE ARTIST: Laurie Martz "Increasingly I find that my art comes from the core that defines me and tells of my interior landscape. Often images comes up unexpectedly and lead me to places I didn’t plan to go. I believe that artists make a more colourful and complex world by bringing beauty into our visual dimension. Art can often reflect the themes and questions of the world around us: family, nature, social issues. Layered images are seen and interpreted with a personal filter. I believe people see what they need to see, and that enriches their world. I share my work with others to bring joy and beauty, and to let them see... the me inside." I am an abstract painter in the Comox Valley which became my home in 2015 after retiring from a long career as a Vancouver family doctor. I started painting in the 90’s and later art became my solace in the home stretch of medical practice. COVID and a recent health crisis worked together to intensify my creative life. I found a local supportive art community and dove in deep. My sunny Kin Beach studio allows me to work on large and small substrates while hearing the cry of the eagles and barking sea lions. As an abstract artist I paint with acrylic and mixed media. My subject matter is both intuitive and landscape inspired, influenced by the place I now live and love. The painting process has evolved over the last few years, with less recognisable landscape and more surprise as I work. Colour and texture are my visual language. I work in layers, using collage and markmaking tools, then I add and subtract, scraping away what’s not longer needed until the balance I'm looking for is achieved. I may start out with a concept or an investigation, but where it leads arises from the work itself: a realisation that the painting directs where I go. My art education happened through experience and by attending classes and workshops both live and on-line. I am a member of the Pearl Ellis Gallery, have organised art workshops and am a volunteer there. My work has been shown at both juried and community shows on Vancouver Island and is in private collections in BC and across Canada. I am a member of the Canadian Federation of Artists (Active Status) since 2022. Website: lauriemartz.ca Facebook: @lauriemartzart Instagram: @lauriemartzart