Darlene Gray, Artist

I've always known I want to paint people. If it's a nice summer landscape scene, it's more interesting for me if there are people in the scene. If I'm captured by a cityscape, you can bet people are milling about in it, or centre of it, or having a reaction to it. I enjoy paintings from the past that tell a story about what everyday folks were facing in their day to day lives. I feel connected to the past and to the future when I see paintings that tell a story about a moment in time in regular life. If I'm to have a legacy with my work, I hope it says what life was like when I was around.

It is a very long process for me to get exactly to where I want to be with my painting. I'm a big picture person and I get overwhelmed with the detail -- so much to do, so little time! Photography is a less stressful, more enjoyable activity for me.

With photography I am captured by the image at the beginning. With painting I react with ideas, thoughts, and emotions. I want to express those visually, but I get confused with where to start. In our photography club we have a term for images that capture scenes and tell a story about the people in it -- photojournalism. For my paintings, I'm calling that process "paint journalism".

Paint journalism has provided me with a satisfying path between photography and painting and has eased my dilemma over the two processes. I've been working on a series of paintings about my experience with the strikes in my city over the last few years. There have been a lot of them, affecting many people in various ways. I'm fascinated that this is happening when times are so good in Saskatchewan. For once we have the resources to do all things that people said couldn't be done because we simply couldn't afford it. I'm not a union member, but I'm attracted to the idea of people standing up for each other and for themselves. When I see picket lines I'm filled with admiration for the people who stick their neck out. I am curious about what the issues are, why a strike - the last resort - became necessary and why the individuals are taking the action they are. The media is filled with the positions of the employoers and of corporations.

With all the strikes going on, I visited the picket lines, met strikers, and took photos of the scenes I witnessed. With my camera I captured visuals of the consequences of the strikes. The first painting, "Staying the Course" was recently exhibited at the Members Show at the Art Gallery of Regina, Neil Balkwill Civic Arts Centre. This is one in a series of about 20 paintings.

Events like individual strikes in Regina are not huge historically, but they represent larger principles that reflect the human condition and hope. To me, that is the reason for my art, and paint journalism provides the vehicle to convey that purpose.

Other current showings of my work include:

A painting at the Aurora Art Guild Show, Joe Moran Gallery, Wascana Centre, Regina
Photography featuring pieces from the Prairie Postcard series and Portraits of Spain series at the Allied Health Centre, University of Regina for April, May and June
Photography at the Banbury Cross Gallery & Gift Shop, Fort Qu'Appelle (watch for the upcoming Sunflower display)
Paintings at the upcoming Wascana Art & Craft Show & Sale, Wascana Rehab Centre, Regina on May 10, 11 and 12th

If you have any wisdom or experience for me in regrds to my work in "paint journalism" or feedback on my website, please contact me. Again, I'll have a virtual door prize draw , this time for the featured photo, Sunflower.

The previous virtual door prize draw winner was Glenda MacFarlane French in Toronto. Thank you to everyone who wrote with your encouragement, personal insights and sharing of your opinions and experience regarding paintings vs. photography. It's all so valuable for someone who works alone (which I love!).
dg, April 2007