The wildlife and big skies of the rural West have inspired a solo exhibit of artworks by Gail Scheuring at The Gallery on Main in Lacombe.
Scheuring is a former Red Deer resident who now lives in High River.
Her oil paintings of Alberta, British Columbia and Montana will be shown starting from Saturday, Nov. 17, in the exhibit, Rural Travel . . . An Examination of Rural Environments and Wildlife.
Her paintings spring from personal snapshots and found images of landscapes, insects and wildlife. Scheuring’s works focus on colour and texture as they attempt to portray a sense of movement.
She said her landscapes “highlight the view from my car on trips and on walking excursions, and are often vague or lacking in detail of the land, primarily focusing on the ‘big sky’ skyline and patterns in cloud formations.”
Scheuring depicted animals and insects she came across in her urban neighbourhood, or in more rural settings by the sides of highways, or on farmland.
“Their static poses mimic images seen on postcards, travel brochures and other stock photos that are used to promote local travel,” said the artist, who graduated from the University of Lethbridge’s Art History and Museum Studies program and also studied fine arts at Red Deer College.
Scheuring’s art has been exhibited in solo and group shows in the U.S., Bulgaria and France. Her works are in the public collections of the Alberta Foundation of the Arts and the International Museum of Collage Art, and are in private collections in Japan and the U.K.
The exhibit runs to Friday, Dec. 7.