Reverence for Life in new gallery at The Mount
Reverence for Life, a show by artists Ellen Cowie and Anne Cavanagh, is on display in the Heritage Room at the Mount Community Centre, 1545 Monaghan Rd. This new space for art will also be the home for future exhibits. Visitors can enter through the main door on the north end of the building, and go through the first door on the right.
Ellen Cowie has viewed the world through an artist’s eyes for most of her life. Her passion for painting was inspired by her maternal grandmother’s and paternal uncle’s oil paintings that hung in her childhood home. She has painted with oils since she was 17 years old and studied fine art at the University of Guelph.
“My paintings tell stories from my own experiences,” says Cowie. “My art is ever-changing, yet has a consistency that makes it identifiable. My inspiration for an image strikes in the first hour of laying down the colour and composition. My goal is to strengthen the image without losing that initial lively motivation that first attracted me. My paintings range from realism to more impressionism, depending on the demands of the subject and my mood.”
Anne Cavanagh is a visual artist whose expertise comes from her study of the human form. She studied visual art in the United States, France and England. Combining her love of art and science, she obtained a Bachelor of Art with a concentration in pre-medical illustration.
For the show, Cavanagh has selected art from the last 12 years, including a child’s portrait and a life-size drawing of the Madonna. Currently, she creates large-scale charcoal drawings on hardboard using dramatic lighting to capture a moment of movement and emotion.
“My life-size figure drawings take many hours to create, but the initial concept and final work are meant to capture an intimate, gut response to a moment in time,” says Cavanagh. “This moves it beyond the physical realm to render the complexity and energy of human essence; attempting to tap into what’s inside the body. Costume can hide some of what’s going on inside, covering up the emotions and that which is genuine. The visible form allows viewers to be exposed to the inner workings of the subject.”
The closing reception for the show takes place on Saturday, January 13 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., where visitors will have the opportunity to meet the artists and purchase the displayed artwork. The show continues until January 14. The next show will open on January 18, featuring local Peterborough artists Eddie LePage, Indi Miskolczi, and Silvia Ferreri.
“I invite artists to submit their art for the opportunity to take part in future exhibits in the Heritage Room,” says Ellen Cowie. Those wishing to be considered can contact her at 705-748-5880 or ellencowie@yahoo.ca.
Christmas services
Upcoming Christmas services in Otonabee churches are as follows:
Grace United Church, 581 Howden St. will be having a Christmas Eve family service at 6 p.m. and candlelight communion at 8 p.m., and their Christmas Day service will be at 10 a.m.
St. James United Church, 221 Romaine St., will be having two services on Christmas Eve, one at 10:30 a.m. and a family candlelight service at 7 p.m. with carols and the Christmas story at both, and no service on Christmas Day
St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, 1066 Western Ave, will have a family service on Christmas Eve at 4 p.m., as well as services at 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. On Christmas Day there will be a service at 10 a.m.
St. Giles Presbyterian Church, 785 Park St. S. will have two services on Christmas Eve, their regular service at 10:45 a.m. and their carol service at 7 p.m.
Westdale United Church, 1509 Sherbrooke St. W., will be having three services on Christmas Eve, their regular service at 10:30 a.m., then their family service at 7 p.m. and a candlelight communion service at 10 p.m. There will be no services on Christmas Day.