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About me
making your world come alive with the colours of nature
I have an abiding belief in the value of creative expression and our spiritual connection to the natural world. I seek to bring positivity, joy and healing to my work, my life and to the lives of those who enjoy my art.
I create mixed media, semi-abstract paintings and wheel thrown clay art that are expressions of our intimate relationship with nature and the oneness of all living things. My primary inspiration comes from the detailed and varied formations on the bark of trees and diverse plant life of the West Coast. These details are magnified with the use of harmonious colour, rich mark making and sensitivity of line, revealing the “feeling” of our heartfelt connection with nature and the emotion of becoming one with it. I also have a strong connection to my Scottish origins and am inspired by the beautiful sweeping landscapes of my heritage country.
The Artwork
There is a quiet spirit that is expressed through Ailsa’s paintings and pottery. It is derived from nature, evident in the decisive undulating lines, harmonious colours and finely crafted creations that seem to flow from her hands. Refined pottery emerges from an unshaped mass of clay, coaxed into form by hands sensitive to the essence of life contained within and the same sensitivity is applied to her paintings on canvas and paper. Organic formations on the bark of trees, driftwood, shells and plant life are the characters that step onto the stage of Ailsa’s canvas. With the use of engaging colour and her eye for detail, she reveals the strength, the fragility, the fleeting moment and the eternal nature of the world around us and the world within.
Where it all began
I embarked on my art studies attending the Chelsea School of Art in London, England where I was inspired by first hand exposure to the abundance of museums and galleries the city has to offer. After completing my first year abroad, I returned home to Vancouver, BC, earning my diploma at the Emily Carr College of Art and Design. It was there that I was able to further explore my two passions of painting and ceramics.
Following my formal education, I have participated in numerous painting and pottery workshops with celebrated international artists and have passed on my knowledge for the past 25 years teaching pottery wheel throwing and decorating workshops. My love for teaching has extended into more recent instruction for painting. Over the years, my work has been exhibited in several solo shows as well as many group exhibitions. Having taken time to raise a family and work outside the home, I appreciate the quality time I was able to carve out to create my artwork. I am now happy to focus fully on my creative endeavours working from my studio in Delta, BC.
Inspired Process
As a painter and a potter, I work in two mediums simultaneously, each referencing and relating to one another. My wheel thrown clay art is embellished with a painted surface creating a symphony of colour and form. I achieve this using underglaze stains and slips and clear and coloured glazes, often with a finishing touch of gold lustre or gilding. These surfaces are reflective of my mixed media two-dimensional work on paper or canvas.
My process begins with translucent washes painted in a loose but controlled, meditative manner and then layered with acrylic paint, charcoal, pastels, conte and pencils. The imagery for my work references the growing collection of sketches done while hiking, exploring and “being” in nature and when back in the studio I create from this spirit of “being”. Whether I am creating on canvas or on clay, I am constantly reminded of the feeling of connection we share with the outside world and when this outer world becomes present in my inner world, I know the work is complete.
