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Bio

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Valerie Spence Hounsell AFCA, ASCA

 

Valerie is a full-time landscape painter residing in Kingston Ontario, she is also an avid kayaker with a fascination for the geology of the Canadian Shield. Many of her paintings reflect her experiences on the water as she unapologetically exploits the unique beauty of all seasons using colour, contrast, and composition. By applying acrylics to the canvas, using fine brushwork and interpretive realism, she creates a colourful and unique perspective of her subject matter.

 

Most of Valerie’s artistic journey has taken place in the rural areas of southern and southeastern Ontario, however, in 2021 she took a one-year hiatus from these familiar landscapes to visit the province of Alberta where she became fascinated with the turquoise waters of glacial-fed lakes and rivers and the grandeur of the majestic Canadian Rockies. These experiences plus the challenges of painting different geography have helped her grow as she continues her artistic journey.

 

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Artist's Statement

 

Though I have painted since I was a child, I launched my full-time career as an artist in the fall of 2019 while successfully curating an outdoor art show featuring over 20 exhibitors, including myself.

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As a kayak enthusiast, my view from the water as I paddle through the wetlands has been the primary source of inspiration. Granite shores, quiet inlets, and the rushing waters of the glacial melt are my signature subject matter. I imagine the divine aroma of the pine needles on the forest floor, the warmth of the sun on my face, or the soothing sounds of water lapping up onto the shore as I paint. I savour these sensory moments and draw upon them as I portray these memories onto the canvas.

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My fascination with water as an agent of geological change is represented in many of my pieces.  With each brushstroke of acrylic paint on the canvas, I create the suggestion of the landscape adding more detail as I immerse myself in the subject matter.

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In 2021 I took a one-year hiatus from the landscapes of Southeastern Ontario, while visiting the province of Alberta. I enjoyed the challenges of painting the different geography from a new point of view while I created the series “From the Land”, a depiction of waterways of Jasper National Park. Seventeen of these paintings were featured in a solo exhibit at the Grant Berg Gallery in Grande Prairie Alberta April to May 2022

RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

GalleriY Representation

  • Grant Berg Gallery, Grande Prairie AB

  • Katherine Muir-Miller Gallery, Perth ON

  • Martello Alley and Martello on Brock, Kingston ON

  • Cooperative member and exhibitor VAGA Art Gallery, Gananoque ON

 

2022

  • Successful at jury 9th Annual Juried Art Show Colborne Art Gallery, September 16 to November 6

  • Successful at jury 54th International Open Juried Exhibition, Papermill Gallery Toronto Aug, 4-27

  • Successful at jury for Active Status with the Federation of Canadian Artists.

  • Successful at Jury 2022, Kingston Square Foot Show, TETT Centre for Creativity and Learning, Kingston ON

  • Participant in the 2nd Annual Small Works Event, Katherine Muir-Miller Gallery

  • Active Status member of the Peace River and Toronto Chapters of the Federation of Canadian Artists.

  • Successful at jury for Associate Member status with the Society of Canadian Artists.

  • Solo exhibition at Grant Berg Gallery April 21-May 14, 2022

 

2021

  • Participant by invitation to the Kingston Square Foot Show, TETT Centre for Creativity and Learning, Kingston ON.

  • Successful at jury for the Society of Canadian Artists Open International Online Exhibition 2021

  • Featured artist in The Belleville Local, an online newspaper, February 11, 2021

  • Solo Exhibition at the Township Office of Leeds and the Thousand Islands, February

 

2020

  • Martello Alley, Kingston ON - Feature Artist October & November 2020

  • Solo Exhibition at the Township Office of Leeds and the Thousand Islands, February

  • Member Rideau Lakes Artist’s Association - assisted the marketing team with two social media promotions, and redesigned/built a new website using website design software.

  • Successful at jury for Kingston School of Art Juried Exhibition (3rd place award), Kingston ON

  • Successful at jury for the RE:MEMBER Show, hosted by Modern Fuel, Kingston ON

  • Exhibitor Arts & Cultural Tour in Southeastern Ontario

 

2019

  • Successfully curated, and participated, in The Artist’s Studio Show, an outdoor art event that included over 20 exhibitors, Lyndhurst ON

 

EDUCATION

Centennial College, Scarborough ON Diploma: Communications with a focus on design and marketing

 

Facebook: The Artist's Studio - Valerie Spence Hounsell

Instagram: @val_spence_hounsell

Email: vhounsell2@gmail.com

The Artist's Studio

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