May 20 – June 18, 2022

Journey Towards Abstraction

Cindy Riach

Artist Talk: Friday May 20th, 5-7PM

Journey Toward Abstraction is an exhibition of new work by Cindy Riach.

The impetus for this journey came from a painting trip to Alert Bay where instead of painting I was “gobsmacked” by the colour, texture and abstract quality of the aged and weathered fishing boats. I took copious photos and then wondered what to do with them. The second push came from finding cold wax medium. This is a paste that can be added 50:50 with oil paint to give it volume and help the surface dry faster. It can then be put on with a pallet knife, scraped back and textured to imitate the textural patina and history of aged wooden boat hulls.

The rest of the creative journey was experimenting with ideas and materials … often unsuccessfully! Beyond the technique of art making, true creativity is about making decisions … what to keep and what to change. These choices are what make the artist unique.

As a formally trained artist, Cindy has found freedom in the abstraction of her previous style and formal training.

Cindy Riach was born in Tillsonburg, Ontario and now lives in Gibsons, British Columbia. She is a graduate of Queens University (BA-BPHE ‘71, BEd ‘72, MSc ‘78) and University of Waterloo (PhD ‘85) and was a professor of Kinesiology at McMaster University for 25 years (‘78-‘03). While in the Hamilton area, Cindy attended many courses and workshops at the Dundas Valley School of Art. Her development and fascination for art was nurtured there by many excellent teachers.
Now, retired from her “day job” and living on the coast; Cindy is free to paint full time and develop her own style. Riach states, “Ironically, without instructors nearby, I feel I have developed faster and deeper. Having to solve my own problems I’m experimenting more and making some bad decisions but learning. By moving toward abstraction, my art is more personal. Inspiration has to come from within.”