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WakeRobin
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About Wakerobin studio
Original Art by Cheryl Ann Beillard
I am a visual artist who is focused primarily on printmaking. My Studio is located on the farm in the upper Ottawa valley that we have owned since 1985. Here, for 20 years, we raised Norwegian Fjord horses, with the help of a series of beloved Australian Shepherd dogs. Over the years, the farm has evolved and the horses are now gone, but there’s always a dog in residence. Hours spent in the barn and driving the horses on the many kilometres of back roads have been replaced by a different sort of work, on my art, in the Studio. It’s been a sort of rebirth. Over the years I took, and continue to take, countless pictures of the birds, animals and wildflowers that we live amongst. In a way, for me, they come to life again on paper or canvas. I like to think that my passion for nature, and the need for its preservation, is catching!
Studio Updates
Work in progress
One would think, with Covid restrictions, that this would be an ideal time for creating new work. This has not always been the case for me, but I try to always have one or two projects underway. To start the new year, I completed a six layer reduction print of the marshy borders of a wilderness lake I paddled last fall. Here is the black and white print I made before embarking on introducing colour, as well as one of the final prints. It’s a variable edition, meaning I experimented with each layer and the results, no surprise, vary.
I have also completed some prints of a spaniel named Missy who lives in the UK. First I drew the image on the plate which I coated with yellow acrylic to make it easier to see where to cut. Not sure I’m finished with Missy. I’m considering a coloured version, she has such lovely blonde and caramel fur.
At the moment, I’m working on the fourth layer of another reduction, this time a square plate. A Barred Owl spotted in the lower branches of a tree not far from the house. I never know how many layers will be required. It evolves almost on its own, and I stop when instinct tells me it’s done. Here’s the third layer. I’m a long way from done.
About Me
Some background
Art has been a lifelong interest, but printmaking is a passion discovered when I put aside three decades of work in international environmental policy and turned my attention to my initial career choice, fine art. In my teens, I was a student at the Montreal Museum School of Art in Montreal and, for a short time, a junior in a commercial art studio. That early interest in painting and drawing was put aside in favour of political science and a career in public administration, where for many years I had no time to cultivate the joy that art in many forms brings me. For decades, photography was my only artistic outlet. In 2019, I took my first course at the Ottawa School of Art, in printmaking. It was like breathing again, after a long period of holding my breath. Since then I have taken several more courses, but consider myself primarily self-taught. I have always had an inner drive to in some way capture images that strike me from the natural world. My focus is largely on the wildlife, plants and birds outside my door. My camera is always with me, to capture the changing seasons, plants and trees that provide the start point for my work. I hope that by sharing my work, I am communicating the importance I believe we should all attach to the preservation of wild spaces, the habitat for the ever-increasing number of species at risk in eastern Canada, and globally.
All my work is available for sale. Please contact me if you wish to discuss or purchase any pieces.
Exhibitions and Events
Studio News
Here’s a record of past and upcoming exhibitions I’ve been involved with, through my membership in the Pontiac Artists Association (PAA) and the Ottawa Gatineau Printmakers Connective (OGPC), and on my own.
Renfrew Art Fair (July 30, Aug 14)
In 2021, as restrictions began to lift, I signed up for the second Renfrew Art Fair, hosted by the ever generous owner of the Art Factory in Renfrew. This was my first art show in an outdoor setting. Happily, I was able to transform the booth I used in the past for the sale of horse-drawn carriages, to the display of art work. Up at dawn, with the help of family and my friend Cathy Gretzky, I spent an enjoyable day, greeting a surprising number of people, and talking about printmaking. (and day, explaining printmaking to those who stopped at the booth. On the second day, in August, I shared my booth with neighbour and fellow artist Joyce Buck. Her work proved quite popular as well. I’ll be sure to sign up for the same event, if conditions permit again in 2022.
Melange – Stone Gallery, Portage du Fort
I joined ArtPontiac in 2019, to be able to exhibit work in the space they manage at the Stone School in Portage du Fort. My first showing there was as part of a group show, Melange , which invited artists to present work which involved multiple media. In my case, it was acrylics added to printed images, and collages using previously printed images over a variable edition of multicoloured reduction print. The vernissage was well attended, with great music, and I really enjoyed the opportunity to the other artists in the group, as well as the volunteers behind the organization that have contributed to what is a lovely space for member artists and and workshops in a variety of media.
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Get in touch!
Here’s how to get in touch if you have questions or would like to purchase any of my work.