Loch Gallery continues its mandate of presenting the finest in Canadian realism. We are delighted to feature a selection of new paintings by Valerie Palmer, W. David Ward, Roberto Rosenman, and John Hansen, along with recent works by Leon Belsky, D.P. Brown, John Hall, Bogdan Molea, and Tony Luciani. We invite you to explore the plurality of realism in this exhibition.

In their own words, Palmer, Hansen, Ward and Rosenman have interpreted their influences, concepts, and ideas:

Valerie Palmer on "Interlude":

"My painting process is a synthesis over time. With the painting 'Interlude', it began with life drawings of the figure. Although the figure in 'Interlude' is in repose she is not passive. She is not waiting or watchful, but contemplative. Because of her strong presence and bearing I envisioned her in this passionate setting. I painted the landscape in front of where I live on Lake Superior in the aftermath of a storm. When the ship crossed the horizon through intervals of light and rain, the image resonated with the figure for me. It seemed an open layered metaphor for her thoughts and her reflections. It conveyed a sense of the passage of time and the nature of memory."

W. David Ward on "Western Prospect":

'Western Prospect', a scene from near Tofino, Vancouver Island, reflects in both name and form, the values of the perennial realist movement. A light reminiscent of the Romantics bathes a lofty prominence, with a commanding view. Regionalism in art is born of the Age of Reason - the Age of Enlightenment - and embodies still, the high ideals and aspirations of Western Civilization; it speaks to an objective reality, in a deconstructed, relativistic, postmodern world.

Roberto Rosenman on "Still Life":

This painting is about the conflict of opposites: order and chaos, survival and extinction. All the objects represent the delicate balance of these opposing states. Loosely, the painting is a response to our environmental crisis and the reality that human and animal extinction is a potential reality in the near future. The painting grapples with what climate scientists call the 'tipping point'- the point where a chain of events would cause the crisis to spiral out of control and we would not be bale to maintain the balance.

John Hansen on "Candles and Rose":

Starting with a symbolic theme I then gather and arrange the supportive objects. When paint is employed, initially the aim is to keep true to how light describes the forms. In doing so, and as the painting develops, the intent is to explore a tactile and atmospheric reality, created from my choice of colours and tonal values while preserving the designed relationships. With the completion of a work I hope to give hint to a renewed realism, potentially conveying more than the evident artifact of candles and a rose.