Janice Sich

24" x 30"

Oil on Canvas

CAN$1,400.00
Available for Sale

The concept for this painting came to me upon entering the gallery (Art Gallery of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta). To the left was a large, tall, and almost cavernous lounge where three young lads of Asian descent were lounging on a settee with their eyes fixed on their cell phones. The image was humorous as they were in a gallery supposedly viewing art! It raised some questions: were these supposedly international students texting their kin and friends back home showing that they were studying art? Were they in the gallery warming up on a cold, winter day? Or were they just killing time? I was inspired by these numerous questions and decided to paint this picture to let the viewers question the image and make their own opinions. I painted the canvas to depict the sizeable room and the composition to enhance the largeness by means of including the window reflections. The focus is grand, yet diminished down to three cell phones. Because of their dark clothing, the boys belong in this room. The brushwork goes from a fluid blending to a rhythmic clothing pattern to bold knife work. My paintings (not including landscapes) are often thought-provoking and depict humour.