Watercolours by Olga Philip

Train 73, 2023, Watercolour, 12″ x 9″

Watercolours by Olga Philip

May 17 – June 4, 2023
Opening Reception: Saturday, May 20, 3-6 pm
Olga will be present on May 21, 28 and June 3 from 2-4 pm
Gerrard Art Space, Toronto

Artist Statement

As a papermaking artist, I used to enjoy the fluidity of working with water, pulp and colour to develop an image. A basic method was to lay down a base sheet and while it was still damp, I used coloured pulp with stencils to develop the image. The stencils were used to control the positive and negative areas of each composition. I made many works this way and they were presented in the exhibitions I had after retirement.

For this exhibition, I am making new work as I learn to paint with watercolours. These experiences mirror the pleasures I had working with water, pulp and colour. With watercolour, I can be as tight and detailed as I want or enjoy the freedom of standing and painting as I go. The two constants for these paintings have been painting with a limited colour pallet with no earth colours. My photographs were used as reference material—this new way of working suits my needs as an artist.

Images (left to right): Surviving, 2023, Watercolour, 13.50″ x 9.50″. Saturated Earth, 2023, Watercolour, 16.50″ x 10.50″.

About the Artist

Olga Philip is a senior artist living and working in Toronto. In 1976, she graduated with a major in printmaking, from the then, Ontario College of Art. For twenty years, she taught courses in printmaking, papermaking and foundational drawing at OCA and she retired in 2004. During that time, she made new work for each of the papermaking exhibitions she had with Wendy Cain, Joyce Honsberger and Joanne Ross. She had, for three decades, practiced the art of print and paper-making to explore her feelings, ideas and perceptions. Having retired from those endeavours she is now transitioning into becoming a watercolour artist. She continues to work out of a humanistic understanding of herself in the world.

Gerrard Art Space / GAS INC.
1475 Gerrard St. East,
Toronto, ON M4L 2A1
www.gerrardartspace.com
gerrardartspace@gmail.com
1-416-778-0923

Gallery Hours: Wednesday to Sunday, 2-7 pm

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