The iconic form of a rowboat in a wash of salmon-colour sits on a lake; the water and sky painted in the same hue is captured in this piece by Pat Service. The form is near abstraction as only the outline of the boat in black is visible. Service uses colour to great effect here with a touch of red and white detail on the boat, alongside yellow oars, providing contrast. This image was inspired by the rowboats that sat at the dock during the Professional Artist’s Workshops in Emma Lake Saskatchewan, which Service attended for 11 summers.

“The simple layout and near-abstraction allows me to set up unusual colour juxtapositions. Using glazes and layering the paint over and over again, I seek an intense colour experience.” Pat Service

She acquired a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of B.C. and later studied art at the Glasgow School of Art in Scotland. Service’s work is held in private collections in North America, Britain, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong.