Location Alder Street, Arena, Walking Track, Orangeville, ON
The concept of Becoming is all about the deeper conversation that we must have with ourselves. We work hard taking care of the outside, but what about the inside? Becoming, was created with many layers, just like all people. This design demonstrates my engagement and expression about becoming beautiful on the inside, involving body, mind and spirit and to encourage us all to do the same!
If this work poses some questions, and ideas to the viewer, it has achieved my intentions. How do we work on the inside of us? By consciously trying to be thoughtful, kind, helping others, demonstrating good citizenship, diversity and understanding and acceptance of all peoples.
On the canvas of Becoming I used vivid colours and layers of a variety of acrylic and oil paint to describe and develop the work. Liquid rills and fluid pools of colour have been added to create interesting lines, textures and marks, this makes Becoming the record of my interactions and dance in mixed media and creates a new context.To have this work adorn the walls of the walking track as a Mural is an honour. Becoming as a highly contrasted image and is not tied to any particular season, adding mystery and intrigue. Beauty, the figurative female, is looking right at you, which draws you into the painting she invites you to look back and contemplate.
To participate in art, one can create art, or appreciate it in many different ways! Beautifying our town with unique works promotes support and recognition for artists, and beautifies our world and keeps our town in the contemporary art scene, all while encouraging and promoting community engagement.
It is my belief that analytical minds want to support the artistic minds to create a better world, one that is better understood and supported by Communities that can be encouraged to come together in art, to secure a solid basis of positive communication and wide engagement of all people to ensure our eco resources and longevity, with creative solutions, and compassion for world issues, which can promote produce good health and harmony of the human and natural world, all working together to secure a bright future!
Location Sherbourne & Broadway corner Orangeville, ON
Not only is Dufferin Bovines an up-close encounter with an interesting herd of Dufferin Bovines, but it is also about the synergy of the cows and the dance with my energy. The paint is my action, my energy, and the experimental paint handling, and colours chosen are part of the action and presence of the Bovines, and together they create a tension, and the painting is the record of it. The layers and spatters are a way for me to keep in the painting, enjoying the moment, and the result is a fascinating and bright painting! The colourful cows are looking right at you, and you will find yourself in the moment while gazing back at them, offering the mind and soul a break from whatever you are thinking about, all while enjoying the artwork.
Dufferin Bovines is a contemporary acrylic painting depicting and celebrating our agricultural roots in Orangeville and Headwaters country, and also compliments our contemporary art scene. The concept of the work is to appreciate, and interact with our animals whatever they may be, with kindness and compassion, and understanding. That Bovine stare is a connection, an invitation to enjoy our vast countryside and its offerings. It’s good to be encouraged to engage in the great outdoors, and it’s fun and healthy for the body, mind and soul to go on outdoor adventures.
This particular herd, Dufferin Bovines, demonstrated some funny animated components that captured and inspired me. I was able to capture that in the painting. In the Headwaters region we don’t have to go far for inspiration as it is so vast and beautiful. As an animal lover it’s so neat to walk up to a herd of cows, they actually will look at you and approach you! I find that so funny. I am so surprised at how much like us they are! They have friends, they love the outdoors and get very excited to go outside after confinement (we can all relate to that because of Covid -19, and lockdowns). They are also colour blind to red and green colours, and like to do things together!
As a local artist I teach and volunteer in our community. I visit Orangeville’s elementary schools through the artists in the schools program through Dufferin Arts Council to teach painting. Having the Orangeville Public Art Program promote local artists by adorning community spaces and utility boxes encourages not only the artists that create them but also the budding artists and students of any age. It encourages them in their own art practice and allows them opportunities to take classes from artists who learned very much like them, from community artists. I can remember this very same feeling and it was very encouraging in my art journey and enjoy passing this on!
Location Kaycee Gardens, Orangeville, On
This contemporary watercolour media portrait is one of my grandson Archie. He was so cute that day playing on a tractor, I knew instantly I wanted savour the moment and to paint it! There are so many things I love about this painting. It has ties to our country side and our rural roots. Play is so important to learn and have fun. We have so many opportunities in Dufferin to do just that!
When I was painting this portrait, it was painted in many layers and sittings. There is a vibe of positive energy that can be felt by the viewer. I used watercolour and mixed media. It was very satisfying and fun to get into the media and use my energy, material and vibes to celebrate The Ride. This is also a work to celebrate our rural roots and the fun of a child play!
This painting became all it was for me in the moment, and I am proud to present it to you frozen in time. During these tough Covid times, we must all concentrate on the good things and celebrate what we do have. We must draw ourselves to the good, and know that by doing that we will soon be rid of the Pandemic.
Children, how fast they grow and change. In this painting I was wanting to celebrate this playful interaction of my Grandson Archie pretending to drive a real tractor. What is it about little boys that gives them the urge to play drive? It was a special moment, in fact it’s also about being in the moment. During these tough Covid times we need to draw into moments like these. It can offer us much relief from our Pandemic pressures and grief.
Our headwaters country is so beautiful and vast, filled to the brim with inspirations of all kinds. For me to see these treasured moments and be able to show them to viewers to see through my eyes is very rewarding. It’s very enjoyable to hear people talk about sentimental moments with children, these moments can bring our community together on common ground. Concentrating on our connections, helping others, creating art spaces for all to enjoy helps to create a cohesive strong community.
Location Alder Street Arena, Walking Track, Orangeville, ON
Not only is Dufferin Funny Farm Chickens my up-close encounter with my son’s family’s chickens, it is also reminiscent of other Dufferin families that are doing the very same thing! I found the concept of the chickens and our current condition (Covid) was a positive activity. It is really nice that people have embraced the idea of urban chickens in our town environments. There is a funny vibe and synergy of the subject and the dance with my energy. This contemporary watercolour media painting was perfect for the chickens, it was fun to also add a new medium to the mix, because of Covid! During a pandemic lock down, with an art call, and deadlines, I had to improvise. What is interesting is that because of that, my limits were pushed and it resulted in artistic growth and I created something very unique, and added to my skill set! You can see the results when you view the animated Dufferin Funny Farm Chickens jjiving on the Mural. This is a work to celebrate our rural roots and cultural connections, and resilience!
It was fun making this playful, expressive, animated painting of Dufferin Chickens. It is particularly interesting to have an opportunity to have an up close view of chickens, some peering back at you and some busy with their heads down eating. Our town and country folks like to have chickens at their property. Pets with a purpose, something interesting and engaging to enjoy.
Our headwaters country is so beautiful and vast, filled to the brim with inspirations of all kinds. Chickens have become part of our urban lifestyle. Chickens have very interesting personalities and vary just like us and our canine friends. Chickens are also very humorous and people who have them think of them as pets! Of course this unique pet can also provide us with healthy wholesome eggs! My son and his family have easter egg chickens,which produce lovely blue coloured eggs! Eggs are not only good for you, they are an excellent source of energy, and protein!
Chickens are intellectual and they actually communicate with their babies while in the shell, by clucking and the babies imitate them! Chickens are like people as they like to socailize together, eat together and enjoy strong friendships!
It’s my distinct pleasure and honor to have this Mural at the walking track for the public to enjoy while exercising, playing sports, watching sports, or coming to see the great art!
Location Ontario War Memorial – Alexandria Park, Orangeville, ON
Contemporary Legacy Leaves is a multi layered painting featuring our expressly Canadian Maple Leaves. It was created by a design idea that I had to layer the leaves and use vibrant colours. This work honors the veterans and sacrifices made, to ensure our freedom and expressions. The vibrant use of reds and purples draw you into the work, the layers, experimental paint handeling layers create excitement and mood. We are indeed very thankful for our country and those who contributed in any way to ensure our freedom! We are actually fighting a fight right now with Covid for our freedom. This painting helps us to meditate on the good things we have to celebrate, and to honour the past.
Distinctly the Canadian Maple leaf, is symbolic for Canada, good citizenship, abundance, and yummy maple syrup, and the feeling of home rich with meaning and connection.
I can’t imagine how tough it is to leave home to fight for the freedom of your country, at any age. It means everything to see home or reminders of home, when you are fighting a war, to feel connected and to have a good sense of belonging. It is not enough for us to be thankful, it also means we must keep these sacred spaces of remembrance and keep spaces adorned with art and encourage visitors to come and be a part of the ongoing conversation about the sacrifices made for Canadians, to demonstrate just how grateful we are for these huge sacrifices that were made for us.There is nothing as beautiful to me as someone giving their life so that their country and people could be free. So many lives lost, so many families devastated, so many people were injured. Such sacrifices will always be remembered and we are ever so thankful for them.
Concentrating on our connections, helping others, creating art spaces for all to enjoy helps to create a cohesive community and remembrance. It’s very important to remember where we have been in the past as a country fighting for freedom. Not only is it so important to be thankful but we want to remember how devastating war is for everyone.
Watercolour is a luminous medium in which I like to layer, and make many hard and soft edges. Is it tricky? Why yes it is, and perhaps that’s what keeps me coming back to this media, it’s my first love when it comes to painting, and yet I do paint and draw in all media. I chose the colours to be vibrant and symbolic. Red for love and bloodshed, purple for bravery and honour. Yellow represents the future and memory. Blue is for planning, remembering, and commitment. The layers refer to the history of war, and the soldiers and countries affected. Lest We Forget.
Location – Online Exhibition, HeArt of HealthCARE Exhibition, Canada,
Enter the exhibition and search artists, click on Wendy Lea Reid
It is my distinct pleasure, to share with you my sculpture, ” Where There Is Life There Is Love”, 5”x3.5×5.5” 2020 – Clay, Hydrocal plaster, paint, tinted wax, sculpture which is featured in this juried, online Exhibition “HeArt of HealthCARE”, which is, celebrating and bringing awareness to the themes of “World Patient Safety Day 2021”,for “Safe and Respectful Maternal Newborn Care”, by Health Care Canada Excellence, Exhibiting – September 17th, 2021 until September 17th, 2023.
For me, Art and Anatomy form an intersection, in which I feel motivated and inspired to create, for I am not only an Artist, I am also a Nurse. I have attained many Nursing specialties, including Maternal and Newborn Care, Lactation Instructor, and Neonatal Resuscitation. During my time in Obstetrics I assisted in many types of maternal and newborn care, labour and delivery, neonatal care, postpartum care, and provided in depth education to families. It was my absolute pleasure to give newborns their first bath, demonstrating to families, on how to care and plan for their precious newborns. Perhaps giving more than a thousand baby baths would seem to be too many for some, however for me each and every time, I found it to be a complete joy. My experience with newborns at the hospital, combined with having four of my own children, and two Grandchildren, are permanently etched in my memory, mind, and spirit. For me, and my art practice, and nursing practice, have always intertwined and encouraged me to help and engage with others, and to also follow my artistic passions.
So when I found out about the upcoming birth of my Granddaughter, I was inspired to create this tribute sculpture from my imagination to show my true feelings about this exciting momentous event!
I was drawn to use clay, so I added tinting to the clay while kneading it, until I felt the colour and consistency was just right. I then used a small wire to form and retain the shape of her, and to hold the weight of the clay. Then I worked the sculpture in the round and kept turning and working it. Each angle of manipulation of the sculpture leads to another, with clay being reduced or added back to the sculpture. I also used some small handmade tools that I made specifically for this sculpture. As I worked on her sculpture, I was completely in the moment, and I felt I was infusing the sculpture with my love and anticipation. When she felt real to me, at each angle, I knew she was finished. I also anticipated and daydreamed about the wonderment of being present at her birth, holding her and bathing her for her very first bath. I then began the second part of the sculpture, “Where there is Life there is Love”. I wanted to use the symbolic feature of my hands, cradling her, holding, and protecting her. This demonstrates the love I had for her, even from the very first moment I knew about her! For the last step I added coloured wax infused with honey.
I had no idea that my granddaughter would be born during the Covid 19 Pandemic. Due to the restrictions caused by COVID-19 my first glimpse of my granddaughter was actually outside of the hospital, Peering through the window in the wee hours of the morning, along with my Husband, and son. It was an epic moment, and a little different than what we had planned, or wanted. Even though we were separated by the glass, and the Pandemic, I felt overcome with love, joy and connection, which ignited our forever bond!
