Elaine Funnell (watercolors)
Nature’s abundance is accurately detailed in Elaine Funnell’s botanical watercolours. Funnell works mainly from live specimens, in particular native Alberta plant life, reminiscent of early 18th century botanical illustrators. While her paintings are from a personal perspective, for Funnell they must be scientifically precise to be true to the origins of the genre.
The artist’s passion for flora is evidenced in luscious unpicked apples, fresh bursting pussy willows, and delicious verdant broccoli. The addition of small insects further enlivens the imagery and illustrates the environmental connection between the beneficial insects and the plants upon which they thrive. There is playfulness to Funnell’s watercolours as she encourages the viewer to find the ladybugs hiding amongst the leaves or the darting dragonflies in the cattails. Enjoy being transported out of the busy hospital, over a grassy meadow, and into the nearby gardens, forests, and kitchens.
Amanda McCavour (embroidered installation)
Stand-In For Home is a thread rendering based on part of McCavour’s kitchen in her previous house. The piece is a recreation of home, a concept which has particular resonance in the hospital where patients are displaced from their homes for a period of time. McCavour explains: “I am interested in the vulnerability of thread in relation to the home as both things feel temporary and fragile. Making this piece required me to re-visit, remember and re-create a space that I called home but is no longer mine. This piece is a stand in, a synthetic, re-created version of home. The objects act as a trace or record of a space that used to exist. Part shrine or monument, the thread drawings act as tribute to a room that once was. This piece is meant to draw attention to the fragile nature and the memories of the spaces we call ‘home’.”
