IRINA LEVCHENKO
GRAEME SWANSON
Russian born artist Irina Levchen-ko values color most, and feels it is the innate duty of the artist to communicate ones expressions clearly, thus offering a window to the past. Her artwork is riddled with an informational and emo­tional charge and thus, by virtue of exploration offers the viewer a sort of simplicity, reaffirming the beauty and firmness in our world. Her paintings manifest themselves in two forms: those that are com-
It is his love for the act of painting that drives Graeme Swan-son. Swanson trained at Gray’s School of Art, where an empha­sis was laid on formal life painting, color palette, and drawing technique. Swanson became disenchanted with this approach,
leaving it for a more abstract style in which he found the ability to freely express emotion. His abstract landscapes do not draw on one tradition in particular, instead he allows the landscapes he paints to influence his technique. A dominant characteristic to his style is his love of color. Each piece’s color palette is influenced by his chosen subject; for instance, a holiday to the Mediterra­nean yielded a pastel color palette. And although his works are more abstract, relying on the colors to elicit the emotion and not the form, his figurative training grounds his work, giving him a springboard from which to launch his emotions in a field of brush strokes and color.
Website: www.graeme-swanson-art.com
prised of two-dimensional planes, and those that utilize a more sculptural approach, constructed in the third-dimension, resem­bling objects by which the pieces are titled. Levchenko’s paint­ing style, albeit influenced by cubism, Russian constructivism, and American pop-art, is reminiscent of pre-renaissance religious paintings with its flat modeling of subject matter, usage of line and pattern, as well as the utilization of scenes within scenes. On the contrary, her paintings are not stiff. Levchenko’s images are dreamy and swirling with color, allowing the viewer to reflect, perhaps finding a bit of clarity in her depictions of the world.
Website: www.irinalevchenkoart.com
L’OR
SALLY WEST
An exotic world awaits audiences in the art of Louise P. Rouleau, also known as L’OR. Beautiful dancers, tribal masks and groups of meditat­ing holy men inhabit her visionary works. Though L’OR has studied art and design since the 70’s, and is adept at any number of mediums, her specialty is stunning figural work done in pastels. Her imagery is powerful and absorbing using a psychedelic palette and meticulous hand to render every curve and nu­ance of the human form. The variety
Sally West’s artwork begins in the same place she did: the earth of the Australian outback, where West’s first pieces were drawn in the dirt of her family’s ranch in Un-garie, NSW Australia. Here, at the edge of the outback, West developed a close rela­tionship with the land, seen through her earthy color pal­ette and landscapes. Not only does she draw on her native land but also on the natives of
of textures is impressive, with heavy painterly strokes of black, airy fabrics, brilliant flesh colors while allowing the edges of the image to melt away. “I want my art to provoke emotions, she explains. “I hope that when people look at it they question them­selves.” Born in Montreal, L’OR grew up in a privileged life to parents with a firm love of the arts, infusing a passion for human life that she would carry throughout life. Her work has been ex­hibited frequently in Canada and the United States.
Website: www.lorpastelart.com
Australia. Most known through their Dream paintings, the aes­thetic of the Aboriginals has influenced West’s organic linearity, textured canvases, and use of a flat perspective in her paintings.
To her softly curvacious figures, an air of ease is added with these techniques while in her landscapes they create an energy and playfulness, enhancing the already vibrant patchwork quilt­like scenes. Most importantly, West’s love for and commitment to painting comes through in her work, an aspect that endears viewers to it.
Website: www.sallywestart.com