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Lemonade: A Show of Resolve, by Pam Mackenzie
View Pam’s works at your leisure Monday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. (Note that the gallery may be closed on occasion for events.)
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Artist Statement Last year, on September 28th, I fell down a flight of ten cement stairs and began a journey that had unexpected results. It began with six casts, three resets and one surgery. Then, there followed two splints and many, many months of physiotherapy. When both of your arms and hands are encased in casts your ability to do anything is very limited. I was able to physically cope with the help of many amazing friends–they did everything… from bringing food and cooking, helping me bathe, and shopping for me, to making seemingly endless trips to Soldiers Memorial Hospital in Orillia. As well, I was fortunate in having a husband who dressed, sponge bathed, brushed hair, the list just goes on… But, mentally, I was stretched. Accustomed to being very independent and able to accomplish what I wanted, I found myself up the proverbial creek without a paddle. My “normal” artistic endeavours were portraiture and landscapes, but I was not able even to hold a paintbrush. So, I had to explore what I could do if I put my mind to it–with just the tips of four fingers on my left hand and the tips of my thumb and first two fingers on my right, and not weight bearing all the while! Thus began my explorations of pouring paint on little 6” x 6” frames. I learned about mixing the paints to affect the results and I also experimented with adding different solutions to thin the paint. As it was fall then winter, I did not have the ventilation needed for using the chemicals employed in this process, though I did try; I stopped out of concern about the chemical effects. The result is the body of work before you, as I worked my way from splints and through physiotherapy until I was able to work on the larger pieces you see here. This process of doing something so very different brought me, peace, joy, laughter, and a sense of being in control. If you look closely at the work, you will find surprising effects that I hope will bring a smile. So, when life hands you lemons, make lemonade! |