ARTIST STATEMENT:
"For me, the process of art making is as personal as it is mysterious. It is an action of surrender through paint, to a world where time is suspended and layers of newly found realities are discovered.
Traveling has always been a large part of my existence, often leaving me with deeply felt impressions. The experience has translated itself into landscapes that I feel on both a physical and emotional level. This has led me to fully understand that I am a creature of belonging. Through paint and form I discover my place in the world in a deeper sense.
The last couple of years have found me uprooted from my home of 20 years. I am now split my time between two disparate worlds. A city with its brutal force with exciting contagious vitality and an island, fragile and beautiful yet limited with watery boundaries. Two halves of a whole. My life seems very complete, and I am putting down new roots.
In turn I strive for balance in my paintings as well. The challenge is of an intention of expression and the spontaneous act of physical painting. Initially I loose myself in the exploration and colour and form and all the surprises it brings. It's my time of decadence and pure play. Then comes a time of patience, waiting for a magic moment. I work through elements of colour, value and form until a road sign appears. Then the journey begins. The trust is in the unfolding. What is simple in its essence is never easy.
The mystery and beauty of all this is why I paint..."
Nicola Morgan was born in Victoria, BC and now lives on Salt Spring Island. Primarily, she studied painting at Emily Carr CAD, Langara College and the Banff School of Fine Arts and has continued to seek professional development. She has exhibited in numerous shows over the last decade and been active in the arts community as an instructor and in arts administration and has published several books as writer/illustrator.
