A Kawartha Art Gallery Juried Exhibit
November 14, 2023 to January 27, 2024
ABOUT RADICAL FEATHERS
Kawartha Art Gallery, Fleming College Frost Campus, Fleming College Haliburton Campus, and the City of Kawartha Lakes co-present this open exploration of avian beauty, diversity, and conservation. With over 10,000 different species recognized globally, birds represent an astonishing level of diversity. They occupy habitats on every continent and are a perfect study in adaptations to a range of extreme conditions and highly specialized ecological niches. From the elegant stillness of a heron to the frantic flitting of a hummingbird, these feathered wonders have inspired generations of artists around the world for as long as we have made art.
Unfortunately, the same marvellous variety that makes avian species so fascinating also makes them more vulnerable to human impacts. Climate change, habitat destruction, introduced species, pollution, and many other pressures are putting more and more birds at risk of extinction. Species like the Dodo, Passenger Pigeon, and Great Auk all stand out as ghostly reminders of our past conservation transgressions.
THE WINNERS
HIGHEST ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
Twilight Rendezvous, Broňa Wingell, Acrylic on canvas
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“Love is the most amazing artist creating all things beautiful”, Broňa Wingell.
In the sparkling light of the moon, floating on the ripples of pure joy they meet to seal their promise of love. Locked in a lifelong bond, swans are a worldwide symbol of love, devotion, partnership and peace. Their long necks flowing in elegant courtship dance, their feathers of pure bridal white, they truly are Nature’s ambassadors of magical romance and the ultimate icon of soulmates.
In the Summer of 2013 Broňa met Ritchie, her twin flame, her forever best friend, her partner in love and art.
“In my heart our growing friendship becomes the noble core to our bond. I would speak no words of possession to anyone in the universe. We are close friends exploring our unconditional and exclusive friendship. We fly freer of the mundane and profane by the moment.”
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Broňa Wingell was born in Nové Mesto nad Váhom, Slovakia, and currently resides in Haliburton, Ontario.
Painter and Apparel Designer (Lovescapes Art: Fine Art Fashions)
Self-discovered artist creating visionary paintings that celebrate love, life and femininity.
As a former professional dancer and dance teacher Broňa Wingell’s stunning paintings are intricately choreographed with beautifully fluent form and razor-sharp lines. Her artistic medium of choice is acrylic paint applied to canvas.
Broňa’s art invokes a sense of the inter-connection between all life forms.
Simply put; her paintings celebrate love while exploring various aspects of life, death, femininity, motherhood, freedom, relationships, and the sanctity of sexuality. Broňa’s paintings offer joy, peace, and harmony, sparking the imagination to dream dreams and create anew.
JUROR’S CHOICE AWARD
Wings of Endurance, Erin Roundsky, Ceramic
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In the marriage of clay and creativity, I, Erin Roundsky, a young indigenous woman, discover my artistic sanctuary. My work is a fusion of heritage and resilience, where the enduring spirit of birds and the delicate beauty of flora intertwine.
My affinity for clay is grounded in its simplicity and versatility. It's more than a medium; it’s raw and allows me to convey the depth of my creativity. The tactile nature of clay, its earthy texture beneath my fingertips, is both grounding and inspiring. In its unassuming form, I discover endless possibilities, each shape and curve a testament to the silent dialogue between my hands and the material.
Clay helps me translate the complexities of my thoughts and emotions into tangible, artful creations.
The birds in my sculptures take flight, their wings becoming outstretched in a testament to resilience and strength. As they soar, they symbolize the enduring spirit, adapting and thriving despite the ever-changing environment surrounding them. Much like these birds, Indigenous communities have faced challenges, yet they continue to rise above adversity, demonstrating remarkable resilience. The upward movement of the birds represents not just flight, but also the ability to transcend obstacles, reminding us all of the incredible strength that can be found within, even amidst the shifting winds of change.
In this quiet dialogue between clay, creativity, and the resilience of birds, I have found my sanctuary and my voice. Each creation echos the timeless story of survival and the enduring beauty of life's transformative journey. Clay, with its humble essence, remains my faithful companion, grounding me in the midst of life's complexities.
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Being raised in the small town of Lindsay, Erin Roundsky’s art is influenced by a childhood surrounded by the joys of nature. Erins clay journey began at Sheridan College, where she received her BA in Craft and Design, specializing in ceramics. This is where Erin learned the ins and outs of the clay world and truly fell in love with the medium. After graduation, Erin fulfilled her childhood dreams and spent two years exploring Scotland. There, she continued to pursue her passion for art through painting and collage.
Having returned to Canada, Erin is rekindling her love of clay, and is connecting to her heritage as an Indigenous women and artist. She is currently working as a full time potter in Picton Ontario, spending her free time exploring clay and art in different forms.
JUROR’S CHOICE AWARD
Brightwater Fisher, Greg Gillespie, Black walnut
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I have always been fascinated by kingfishers and their close association with the aquatic environment. My sculptures regularly depict the often spectacular meeting of bird and water as they hunt or “fish” for food. Kingfishers have a worldwide distribution, so they are susceptible to virtually every environmental stress known to humankind. While most of the approximately 90 species live in tropical habitats, we in Canada are very fortunate to be home to the Belted Kingfisher.
Black walnut is the choice of wood for my interpretive wildfowl sculptures. For ‘Brightwater Fisher’ I wanted the water to shimmer and reflect light back to the observer’s eye. To achieve this effect, I applied silver nitrate to the carved walnut surface and added luster with an acrylic finish.
But why is the water so bright? Is this the reflection of a healthy environment, or is it something much more ominous? Humans, like kingfishers, have a connection to water, the life blood of our planet. Take a moment to reflect on your efforts to ensure healthy and sustainable ecosystems for all of Earth’s wildlife, represented in the sculpture by this small bird.
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Greg Gillespie is a world class fine art wood artist who has been creating wildfowl sculpture for the past 40 years. He has won numerous awards at major carving shows, including the Ward World Wildfowl Carving Championship and the Canadian National Wildfowl Carving Championship.
Greg’s art includes realistically carved and painted songbirds, decorative paddles, and interpretive sculpture. In 2016, he became a “Master Carver" by placing third in the World Interpretive Wildfowl Wood Sculpture division at the Ward Championship with his carving “Startled”. In 2015, he won Second in Show for the People's Choice Award in this same category with his first world level interpretive entry “Out for a Paddle”. His work can be found in collections in Europe, United States, and Canada.
The inspiration for Greg’s art comes from his love of the outdoors. He has always enjoyed canoe tripping, camping, and observing wildlife. Birds, in all their diversity and beauty, offer un-limited ideas for creativity.
Greg has a degree in Forestry from the University of Toronto, and is retired from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources after a 30-year career. He currently lives in the beautiful Haliburton Highlands.
AWARD OF MERIT
Fragile Flight, Elayne Windsor, Decollage on birch panel
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As a birder, I am always thrilled to catch a glimpse into the world of birds. Birds are some of the most beautiful creatures on earth. From their bright feathers to their striking beaks, each species is unique. Bird behaviour is fascinating as well. They can be observed performing fascinating courtship rituals, singing beautiful melodies or executing spectacular aerial displays. Birds are always on the move making it difficult to catch a glimpse of this world, sometimes all you glimpse is a wing, a tail or a head. My work celebrates the beauty and diversity of birds, and at the same time the decollage technique highlights the many threats to our bird population. Loss of habitat, light pollution, agriculture, invasive species, pesticides, windows – are drastically reducing our bird numbers.
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Elayne Windsor is a collage artist based in the Kawartha Lakes. She is the Meeting and Events chair of our local “Kawartha Arts Network “as well as an elected member of the “Ontario Society of Artists” and the New Membership chair for the “Colour and Form Society”.
Elayne views collage as the ideal medium for taking an existing image, removing its original context, thereby altering the visual connotation. With her collage and decollage work Elayne seeks to further deconstruct the original imagery into fundamental scraps and bits of formal elements such as colour, value and line. She reassembles these elements into new images. Although this is essentially ‘painting’ with paper, she enjoys reflecting on the history and provenance inherent in each paper scrap. Each scrap carries some of its former meaning and contributes to the depth and meaning of the new image. Elayne enjoys watching viewers reach that ‘aha moment’ where they discover that her work is made from paper, and then excitedly point out and identify the various paper sources.
Elayne might say that she is always creating, when not in her studio she can be found hiking with her camera, working in her garden, reading or observing the habits of the many birds the Kawarthas.
AWARD OF MERIT
Within the Herd, Kaitlin Brough, Acrylic on pine
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I work exclusively from my own experiences, so I spend a lot of time hiking, birding and exploring. During spring and fall migration I am out trying to spot and photograph as many birds as I can, keeping my reference library fully stocked. On these adventures I feel extremely lucky to come across deer, coyotes, foxes and other wildlife. These one-on-one experiences really fuel my love of nature, every animal is different and reacts to me and my camera in a different way.
In 2018, I got the incredible opportunity to travel to South Africa to spend two weeks on a game reserve, collecting biodiversity data. During my stay, we saw incredible wildlife, including four of the big five! We also did frequent bird surveys. On our drives through the reserve, we would stop and watch the wildlife. One morning we found ourselves in the middle of a huge herd of Impala, Zebra and Wildebeest. While photographing the herd, I spotted a small flock of Crowned Lapwing darting around, foraging from the ground. They have a gorgeous white ‘crown’ on top of their heads, and are a decent sized bird, but get dwarfed within the herd. I think many people miss gorgeous birds like these ones, because larger more impressive animals steal the show.
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Kaitlin Brough graduated from the Visual Arts program at Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts in 2012, with awards for Drawing and Painting. During 2010, she got the opportunity to attend the Robert Bateman Masters Artists Seminar held at Hollyhock Educational Retreat Centre, on Cortez Island, BC.
This included educational seminars, painting demonstrations and critique. Kaitlin has completed both a diploma in Fine Arts from Centennial College as well as her Bachelor of Science for Wildlife Biology and Conservation from the University of Guelph.
Kaitlin spends her free time going for walks with her camera, photographing birds, plants and other wildlife. Her love for birds grew immensely through her volunteer and work position with FLAP Canada where she rescues birds and works to reduce bird building collisions.
OUR JURORS
The Simon Combes Conservation Award 2023 Recipient: Michael Dumas
Michael Dumas, a highly regarded realist painter, is celebrated for his contributions to wildlife art and conservation. His lifelong dedication to nature and his artistic talent have earned him the Simon Combes Conservation Artist Award from Artists for Conservation (AFC). This prestigious award recognizes his decades of work and support for conservation causes. Michael's art often highlights the welfare of the natural world, benefiting organizations like the World Wildlife Fund, Ducks Unlimited, and others. Over the years, he's received accolades and worked with notable figures in the conservation field. His works focus on endangered species, particularly birds, and have been featured in various exhibitions. In 2022, Michael participated in "On the Brink," a fundraiser for threatened species. He continues to champion environmental causes and remains an active member of AFC, sharing his passion and values through his art. Michael's art has been exhibited in prestigious venues worldwide and has been featured in numerous publications. At 72, he continues to be a dedicated advocate for Earth's habitats and their wildlife, residing in Lakehurst, Canada, with his wife Ellen. Michael has been an Artists for Conservation Signature Member since the organization's inception in 1998.
Vincent Luk is a visual storyteller based out of Toronto, Canada. He is the Co-Founder of Hello Studios and part owner of Northern Contemporary Gallery. His photography and video work have taken him across the globe, documenting conservation initiatives and the heroic people behind them. He has worked with numerous local communities and organizations in sharing their stories through different visual mediums. As the Program Coordinator and instructor for the Fleming College Environmental Visual Communications Program based at the Royal Ontario Museum, Vincent mentors future wildlife photographers and videographers who are passionate about environmental issues.
Xavier Massé, Dean of Fleming College's Haliburton School of Art and Design since May 2023, is an international creative industries expert with a focus on digital interactive media. His career reflects a commitment to fostering innovation and knowledge exchange. Xavier has received awards from prestigious organizations, including the ADCC, Horizon Interactive Awards, D&AD, and the EDF "Sharing Energy 2030" Challenge. In 2016, he served as Interim Dean of ECV Creative Schools & Community Paris campuses and Director of International Curriculum Development, where he also initiated a design school in partnership with Whistling Woods International in Mumbai. His journey includes teaching, curriculum development, and involvement in research at George Brown College. Xavier champions work-integrated learning and has collaborated with diverse industry partners. He has a rich history of creating memorable moments for companies like Apple, Disney, and Ernst & Young. In 2021, he founded Bocage, a cheese importing and retail business in Toronto, and enjoys spending his free time with family, exploring nature, and expressing his creativity through art.
