Boreal Art Tour Aug. 17
Having embarked on many creative adventures together, painters Jane and Roger Gateson will have their work featured in this year’s Boreal Shores Art Tour, which stretches across eastern Manitoba from Sandy Bay to Falcon Lake.
Born and raised in Winnipeg, Jane spent much of her childhood drawing. She took many art courses at university, online classes, and in-person workshops. When she reached her 40s, she set aside time to paint several days each week.
Jane met Roger at the school they were both teaching about 50 years ago. The two now share their life painting and taking in nature from their Victoria Beach cottage or the Assiniboine River. Roger, too, spends several days a week painting.
Roger began his journey in acrylics upon retiring from teaching at the age of 61 and soon discovered a new way to view the world. He had longed to paint for years, and Jane encouraged him to enroll in classes at the Forum Institute in 2003.
“It was a great experience and I’ve never looked back,” said Roger. “I admit to a great satisfaction when a painting is purchased or just when someone expresses appreciation for it.”
Design and colour are the two aspects of painting that he enjoys most. Recently, he has been taking a more organized approach to his work, and the biggest change for him has been the transitions between realistic, impressionistic, and abstract paintings.
“I love the freedom to design and colour without reference to reality,” he shared. “I have learned to appreciate the microcosm of our environment from Jane as well as the enjoyment of mixing unusual colours.”
The two make the most of their respective roles as painters. They support each other’s love for art and can critique each other’s work freely in a receptive and understanding space. They spent their childhoods at family cottages on Lake Winnipeg, greatly influencing their work.
“Our styles are quite different,” said Jane. “It is wonderful to each understand how to think and do art, whether it is mixing a certain colour, hanging and transporting our art, attending galleries and shows or realizing the need for lots of quiet space to create.”
Jane creates large and small works of art in many different mediums, including oil and cold wax, acrylics, resists, fabric, and collage on paper, canvas, or wood panels.
“Whether it is heading in an abstract or representational direction, I enjoy the process of making art,” shared Jane. “Not all days are satisfying and many days feel just like another day at the office, but the desire to express continues to beckon.”
Both are inspired by elements of everyday life and the natural world, including trees, wildflowers, animals, insects, birds, bodies of water, buildings, family pets, and people.
Jane and Roger have studios in Winnipeg and Victoria Beach. Both have websites and social media that display their work, and each sells their work in various Manitoba galleries, including Poor Michael’s Emporium in Onanole.
The Boreal Shores Art Tour organizers have invited Jane and Roger to participate in their fifth year on tour, which will take place on Aug. 17 and 18. First founded in 2017, it is the largest in Manitoba. It also features beautiful art, including wood carvings, pottery, photography, beading, paintings, sketches, and more. More information about the tour, featured artists, and its history can be found online at borealshoresarttour.ca.
