Frances Obie
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Frances Obie
Frances grew up in West Vancouver, B.C., lived for years in Ontario and now calls Fort St John B.C., home. At an early age she gained an interest in drawing from her father who was a cartographer and her mother, an art teacher. Apart from these early influences, she is largely self taught.
She has traveled extensively across Canada and the US collecting material for her work enroute, often from the back of a motorcycle. These photos have been used, along with drawings, recollections and imagination to create paintings in pastel or acrylics. Since COVID she has not done any cross border travel, but instead has headed north for inspiration, exploring by truck and boat instead of the motorcycle. Her current series, "Confluence" focuses on ideas which emerged after a trip to Atlin Lake, BC.
Frances has won numerous awards for her work including, most recently, The Distinguished Representational Award in the 2021 Peace Liard Regional Art Exhibition. She has participated in group and solo shows locally and nationally. Her work is enjoyed by private collectors throughout the country.
Artist Statement
Currently my focus is on exploring ideas related to our intrinsic connection with nature and the landscape.
These ideas have come about following trips to locations in Northern BC and along the Pacific Coast that hold a mystic, ethereal quality .
The human psyche is a powerful creative force which is interconnected with the physical world. Like the sky, water and landforms, thoughts, hopes, dreams and fears are in constant motion forming, breaking down and transforming in an ongoing act of creation towards ever-changing realities.This quality of impermanence makes for an intangible idea of reality but there is strength and beauty in the ability to change and evolve.
We tend to think of ourselves as existing outside of nature, being separate from it. I would like to invite the viewer to think of their environment from a different perspective, finding power and balance in the mutable, transformational qualities which are as much a part of us as they are in the natural world we observe.
Curriculum Vitae
Selected Solo and Group Exhibitions
2022 Peace Gallery North, Confluence (solo show), Fort St John, BC.
2021 Peace Liard Regional Juried Exhibition, Online Show.
2020 Peace Gallery North, Sky High (solo show), Fort St John, BC.
2019 Peace Liard Regional Juried Exhibition - Fort St John, BC.
2018 The Centre for Creative Arts, A Sense of Place, (solo show) GrandePrairie, AB.
Art Gallery of Grande Prairie, Featured Member, Grande Prairie, AB.
2017 Dawson Creek Art Gallery, Working on the Land, 70 Years of Oil and Gas.
Federation Gallery, Purely Pastel, Vancouver, BC.
2016 Pastel Artists Canada Online Juried Show.
2015 Peace Liard Regional Juried Show, Tumbler Ridge, BC.
Dawson Creek Art Gallery, Surface Tension, Views on Water, Dawson Creek, BC. 2014 Pastel Artists Canada Juried Show, Brampton, ON.
2013 The Harbour House Restaurant, Solo Show, Lefroy, ON.
The Red Pine Inn & Conference Centre, Solo Show, Alliston, ON. 2012 The Papermill Gallery, SCA* National Juried Exhibition, Toronto, ON.
Lambton Heritage Museum, Paint Ontario Open Juried Show, Grand Bend, ON. Carrier Villa Gallery, Purely Pastel, Open Juried
Exhibition, Toronto, ON.
*SCA - Society of Canadian Artists
Awards
2021 Distinguished Representational Award, Peace Liard Regional Juried Art Exhibit. 2021 Honorable Mention - Semi Pro Class, BoldBrush Painting
Competition, February. 2020 3rd Place - Abstract, BoldBrush Painting Competition, October.
2019 Chosen Award, Peace Liard Regional Juried Art Exhibit.
2015 Master Pastelist Signature Designation, Pastel Artists Canada.
2015 Honorable Mention, Peace Liard Regional Juried Art Exhibit.
2014 & 2012 Honorable Mentions, Pastel Artists Canada On-line Juried Exhibition. 2012 Honorable Mention, Paint Ontario Open Juried Exhibition.
Galleries
Peace Gallery North, Fort St John, BC,
Gallery Odin, Silver Star Mtn. Vernon, BC
She has traveled extensively across Canada and the US collecting material for her work enroute, often from the back of a motorcycle. These photos have been used, along with drawings, recollections and imagination to create paintings in pastel or acrylics. Since COVID she has not done any cross border travel, but instead has headed north for inspiration, exploring by truck and boat instead of the motorcycle. Her current series, "Confluence" focuses on ideas which emerged after a trip to Atlin Lake, BC.
Frances has won numerous awards for her work including, most recently, The Distinguished Representational Award in the 2021 Peace Liard Regional Art Exhibition. She has participated in group and solo shows locally and nationally. Her work is enjoyed by private collectors throughout the country.
Artist Statement
Currently my focus is on exploring ideas related to our intrinsic connection with nature and the landscape.
These ideas have come about following trips to locations in Northern BC and along the Pacific Coast that hold a mystic, ethereal quality .
The human psyche is a powerful creative force which is interconnected with the physical world. Like the sky, water and landforms, thoughts, hopes, dreams and fears are in constant motion forming, breaking down and transforming in an ongoing act of creation towards ever-changing realities.This quality of impermanence makes for an intangible idea of reality but there is strength and beauty in the ability to change and evolve.
We tend to think of ourselves as existing outside of nature, being separate from it. I would like to invite the viewer to think of their environment from a different perspective, finding power and balance in the mutable, transformational qualities which are as much a part of us as they are in the natural world we observe.
Curriculum Vitae
Selected Solo and Group Exhibitions
2022 Peace Gallery North, Confluence (solo show), Fort St John, BC.
2021 Peace Liard Regional Juried Exhibition, Online Show.
2020 Peace Gallery North, Sky High (solo show), Fort St John, BC.
2019 Peace Liard Regional Juried Exhibition - Fort St John, BC.
2018 The Centre for Creative Arts, A Sense of Place, (solo show) GrandePrairie, AB.
Art Gallery of Grande Prairie, Featured Member, Grande Prairie, AB.
2017 Dawson Creek Art Gallery, Working on the Land, 70 Years of Oil and Gas.
Federation Gallery, Purely Pastel, Vancouver, BC.
2016 Pastel Artists Canada Online Juried Show.
2015 Peace Liard Regional Juried Show, Tumbler Ridge, BC.
Dawson Creek Art Gallery, Surface Tension, Views on Water, Dawson Creek, BC. 2014 Pastel Artists Canada Juried Show, Brampton, ON.
2013 The Harbour House Restaurant, Solo Show, Lefroy, ON.
The Red Pine Inn & Conference Centre, Solo Show, Alliston, ON. 2012 The Papermill Gallery, SCA* National Juried Exhibition, Toronto, ON.
Lambton Heritage Museum, Paint Ontario Open Juried Show, Grand Bend, ON. Carrier Villa Gallery, Purely Pastel, Open Juried
Exhibition, Toronto, ON.
*SCA - Society of Canadian Artists
Awards
2021 Distinguished Representational Award, Peace Liard Regional Juried Art Exhibit. 2021 Honorable Mention - Semi Pro Class, BoldBrush Painting
Competition, February. 2020 3rd Place - Abstract, BoldBrush Painting Competition, October.
2019 Chosen Award, Peace Liard Regional Juried Art Exhibit.
2015 Master Pastelist Signature Designation, Pastel Artists Canada.
2015 Honorable Mention, Peace Liard Regional Juried Art Exhibit.
2014 & 2012 Honorable Mentions, Pastel Artists Canada On-line Juried Exhibition. 2012 Honorable Mention, Paint Ontario Open Juried Exhibition.
Galleries
Peace Gallery North, Fort St John, BC,
Gallery Odin, Silver Star Mtn. Vernon, BC