Evelyn Kirkaldy’s large, luscious acrylic paintings are like the marriage of a wildflower meadow to a beautifully decorated cake. Big buttery swirls, true colour, and surprising lifelike detail all come together in a visual synergy that is a feast for the eyes.
Evelyn’s extensive training in the arts includes attending the Banff School of Fine Arts and the Ontario College of Art, where she attained a diploma in Communication and Design. Evelyn’s westward migration took her to Calgary and then eventually to Vancouver. There she forged a successful career as a graphic designer, illustrator and art director in the world of print and advertising. Some projects involved researching environmental issues. This opened up a world of activism that would inform the direction of her creativity in the years to come.
Evelyn began taking on more socially responsible clients. Her advertising background and illustration skills served her well when she created an image for the Western Canada Wilderness Committee that was exhibited in Vancouver and chosen for promotional items for one of the Committee’s campaigns. More environmentally focused art and activism followed. Evelyn has been especially passionate about bear conservation efforts. The interface between bears and humans has long been uneasy, and the resulting bear mortality rate unacceptable. Evelyn works on many fronts to raise awareness of this issue.
Evelyn has traversed a lot of breathtakingly beautiful territory in Western Canada that is simply ‘home’ to wildlife. Her work reflects an intimacy with wild spaces and an empathy with wild creatures. In the artist’s words:
“My wildflower, tree, mountain, and wildlife paintings are almost all inspired from my own photos, taken in the wilderness. Whether I am painting on a mountaintop, in my garden, or at my studio, my foremost passion lies in nature and the wild animals that live there.”
Evelyn paints in 3D. Using flat sticks instead of brushes and piling the paint on in thick layers, she defies gravity and builds the image. It takes patience because of the extra time needed for drying: “I use big buckets of acrylic paint and work on them flat, using only painters’ stir sticks.”
The result, when seen from far away, is a realistic rendering of a wild scene. Up close, we see dips, waves, peaks, and swirls. The effect is sensual and borders on the abstract. Evelyn’s work has been displayed and sold in numerous galleries in BC and Alberta and hangs in homes around the world. Her home studio/gallery is in the Wildwood area of Powell River.
