• Latcham Art Centre opened its Annual Juried Exhibition this week, spotlighting artists from across Ontario.
  • Three jurors meticulously reviewed a record-breaking 308 submissions for this year’s exhibition, selecting 32 artists for the final show.
  • Their 34 pieces, crafted using a variety of artistic mediums and styles, are currently showcased in the Latcham Gallery.
  • Stouffville artist Brittany Lane’s Flying Underwater, a dynamic chalk pastel depiction of a swimming loon against negative space, was chosen as one of the three Juror’s Award winners.
  • Six other Stouffville artists are also featured, including Annalyn Pallant-Boyachek, Kate Greenway, Diane Jupp, Avery Lawrance, Pasi Paltanen, and David Wright.
  • The artworks of the three Juror’s Award winners, as well as those from participating Stouffville artists, are available for viewing in the image gallery below.
  • The 2024 Juried Exhibition will remain on display at the Latcham Gallery, situated in the Leisure Centre at 2 Park Drive, until Saturday, April 27, 2024.

 

Brittany Lane, a self-trained artist and illustrator born and raised in Stouffville, draws inspiration from her experiences studying biology at the University of Guelph. Her work in that field spanned nearly a decade, during which she explored and researched habitats and wildlife across North America.

Much of her fine art, including Flying Underwater, is rooted in natural elements. “I wanted to share those experiences and insights with other people, and I have always had a passion for the arts,” Lane told Bullet Point News in a recent interview. “So I quit my regular biology day job and jumped into art full-time.”

Lane’s professional art career began in Toronto, where she exhibited at the One of a Kind show and launched her business. She now works in a range of creative fields and is a published children’s book illustrator. However, Stouffville eventually called her back home.

“We ended up moving back to the country, which has been a wonderful experience… It has also been very inspiring to be in a more natural environment,” Lane explained. “I need that, the wild space and the space for solitude, as it lets your brain and creativity expand.”

According to lane, a trip to cottage country last year was the catalyst for Flying Underwater. “I was taking in the scenery and wildlife up there, and seeing the loons got me thinking,” she recalled. “We see loons on the surface of a lake, and we’re so admiring of their beauty and their peace and solitude.”

While watching loons dive, Lane began considering their activity below the surface: “Loons also go underwater, and they spend the majority of their time there. It’s this neat mystery, this whole other realm they exist in, and I thought it would make a really interesting piece to try and capture that.”

When looking at Lane’s pastel works, the dynamism of Flying Underwater stands out. “I pushed myself to really evolve into showing more movement in my work,” Lane said of her process. “It’s a neat way to indicate and show what’s happening in the animal’s world and helps bring the viewer in closer.”

Lane heard about Latcham’s 2024 Juried Exhibition through connections at Newmarket Group of Artists. Throwing caution to the wind, she decided to enter Flying Underwater. While initially unsure whether her work would even make the show, she was pleased to find it prominently displayed at the start of the exhibition.

“It seemed like such a great local opportunity, and Latcham is so wonderful,” Lane added. “I have had this great opportunity to meet staff and other artists at the Gallery, and friends and family get a chance to explore the local art community and help support my career.”

This was Lane’s first entry into Latcham’s Juried Exhibition, and winning a Juror’s Award made everything that much sweeter. “I just went for it, and the win was the icing on the cake,” she concluded.

Flying Underwater, along with work from 31 other artists, is on display at Latcham’s 2024 Juried Exhibition until April 27, 2024.