Taiya Barss, Ann Hart, Deanie Cox, Claudia Gahlinger, and Carol Kennedy work in paint, clay, wool, photography. They are long time friends based in Cape Breton who have been working artists for many years. Last year Ann Hart had a 35 year retrospective for her 65th birthday celebration. She invited her four friends to join her in having a visual arts exhibition at the Inverness County Centre for the Arts in Inverness, Cape Breton.
The first Hart Songs proved to be so popular that the women have created a second Heart Songs show for Sydney. Ms. Hart lives in Pleasant Bay and practices Oriental brush painting and water color. She has recently begun experimenting with oil portraits.
" I have always been inspired with traditional fine arts," she says, "and the ancient simplicity and delicacy of the brush and ink techniques of China and Japan are beautiful and deeply meaningful to me. Now I'm studying Chinese Calligraphy which is a whole new world of excellence. My watercolors join an eastern flair and western environment in color landscapes."
Taiya Barss is an oil and mixed media painter. Her work is well known and respected by collectors and artists alike. She lives in Halifax and has a rural retreat in Aberdeen, Cape Breton. Her intricate work has numerous images of natural images overlaid in myriad colors. " My paintings represent fragments of nature. I was trained as a printmaker and my paintings have carried over the layering technique." Dragon flies, salamanders, crows, frogs all live harmoniously in her deep designs.
Carol Kennedy was a fashion photographer in Toronto before she moved to St. Ann's Cape Breton with her sculptor husband Gordon. She does photographic coloring by hand, produces portraits of families and of artists for music CD covers, invents visual dream worlds on the computer, has a Ph D in science, co-operates Iron Art Studio on the Cabot Trail and mounts frequent art exhibitions of her work.
" For me a photograph is like a story which stimulates the imagination and draws one's mind into a place filled with expectation and excitement. After years of living close to the forests and highlands I attempt to illustrate my personal myths and legends" Carol explains.
Claudia Gahlinger is an organic farmer, writer and wool hooking artist. She lives in the Aspy Bay area of Cape Breton, one of the most beautiful places on the island. Her small designs are worked in wool, in the tradition of French Cheticamp hooking. However, her use of scores of subtle colors gives an added depth and complexity to her visions of the land, sea and cloudscapes of her neighborhood. "The majority of my wools are hand dyed, some from plant materials collected locally. Each small tapestry is hooked from over thirty shades of wool, creating a watercolor-like effect."
Deanie Cox is the musician, potter, midwife, blacksmith of the group. Her raku spirit masks and porcelain "body pots" reflect her humor, irony, respect, organic impressions of animals and mankind. She lives in St. Ann's Bay, Cape Breton with Otis Tomas, string instrument maker. She built a barn, hosts friends from everywhere, plays music gigs, writes songs and has perfected the art of raku, a Japanese open air pottery firing technique. " My intent when making animal spirit masks is to pay homage to my deep love and respect for the animal kingdom and the wisdom they offer us." Deanie's masks and pottery can be found at Shape Shift Pottery in North River, CB.
Opening reception for Heart Songs is Sunday, November 2, 2008, from 2 until 4 pm. A closing party will be held to celebrate the holiday season and to offer additional art for sale of work not in the show. The closing will be Saturday, December 13 at 2 pm to 5 pm.
