Editor's note: A number of Colchester County artists will share their talents and stories during a visual arts show that begins in Truro next weekend. This Is Me will be launched Friday at the McCarthy Hall Gallery in the Nova Scotia Community College. The show is hosted by the Truro Art Society and will kick off with a reception that night from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Leading up to the show, the Truro Daily News will highlight local artists who will be featured in the month-long show:
Jenny Gilmore
TRURO -Life experiences and emotion often dictate what Jenny Gilmore paints.
"I paint because I have something to say. My emotions run deep from my own life experiences and I draw on these as I work on each new piece," said the self-taught artist from North River, who is one of the featured artists in This Is Me.
"I use my work as a release, resulting in a multitude of subjects explored from suggested realism to abstract."
Gilmore has been sharing her artist insight in the local area for 20 years. She previously worked in Charlottetown and Kentville.
Since living in Colchester County, Gilmore has exhibited work with the Truro Art Society, Gallery 215 and local businesses. She has had two solo shows in 2005 and 2007. In addition, the artist operated her own frame shop and gallery from 2006 to 2010.
Marilyn Whalen
A Truro artist who excels in a number of art mediums will be featured in This Is Me.
Marilyn Whalen began her artistic journey first in photography, then in watercolour, and now paints in a variety of styles from impressionistic to abstract in oil, acrylic and ink. Much of her current work focuses on landscapes and florals in large formats and her desire is to connect with others who appreciate art.
"My goal is for you, the viewer, to feel the excitement and to become inspired by the subjects which have inspired me," said Whalen, a self-taught artist.
"Painting has become a way in which I express my fascination with the ever-changing light and seasons here in the Maritimes ... I want my passion for what I see and feel to come through and provoke the same kind of enthusiastic response in the viewer," said Whalen.
The artist is the director of art&jules gallery and has taught painting in her studios in Truro and Halifax.
She is a past-president of the Truro Art Society and a member of a number of local art groups.
Whalen's work can be found in private and corporate collections across Canada and has been featured in From Land and Sea Nova: Scotia's Contemporary Landscape Artists.
Heather Lawson
A stone sculptor from Bass River has made an impression on art lovers throughout North America.
Described as a master of stone sculpting, Heather Lawson has been honing her skills for about 30 years. She trained as a restoration stone mason in the British style and then began her career restoring historic architecture in the Halifax area.
Lawson's work can be found throughout North America in private collections as well as provincial and national sites. Lawson's sculptures are created for both interior and exterior spaces, some particularly for gardens, which is another of the artist's great passions.
Lawson is looking forward to being a part of the This Is Me art show and meeting art lovers who attend the exhibit.
