Myrtle Winchester’s magical, potent creations stay with you for a long time. Something in these images gives the viewer just what s/he craves. Take that bee on the hyacinth, for instance. Winchester’s artful enhancement of the veins in the translucent wings, the heightening of the surface of the petals, and the attention to the “fur” on the bee itself . . . these are the astounding details of nature that we so easily miss and are delighted to discover.
A lifelong background in photography and film processing lets Winchester use her keen eye, discernment, and mastery of Photoshop to do something really special.
“I developed this style over the past few years using a combination of Photoshop techniques on original images. I assumed people wouldn’t like them, so did them just for my own pleasure. On a friend’s advice, I tentatively offered a couple for sale on Facebook, along with a few traditional pieces. Testing the water, so to speak. The response was spectacular, and it’s now my most popular work.”
Winchester came to Pender Harbour in 1986, and her work reveals how firmly her roots have taken hold. Her forests, boats, seas, and skies dance with a remarkable life that brings to mind Emily Carr’s quintessentially West Coast work.
“Some people are reminded of Emily Carr paintings, but I see more a mashup of Carr’s and traditional Mi’qmak styles; the Mi’qmak is typically bright and colourful, with detailed lines and strong shapes, quite different from native art here. Being from New Brunswick and having a bit of Mi’qmak blood from my mother, I’m drawn to it.”
While Winchester says that some of her friends give her “grief” about using Photoshop, there is no arguing the popularity of her images and the mastery required to capture and transform them.
“The learning curve is steep, but (Photoshop) is amazingly powerful. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can simply ‘push a button’ to get the result you want; you have to know what you’re doing, and it takes time to accomplish the magic.”
Winchester’s work can be viewed at myrwinphotography.com and at the Java Docks in Madeira Park.
Words | Nancy Pincombe
