Sophia Podryhula Shaw

 

"By the Creek"
24 x 30" oil/bd

 

"Towers of Pincher Creek"
9 x 12" oil/bd

 
  Born in Ukraine, raised in Sydney, Australia, and have settled in Edmonton since 1976. Education: Trained Nurse. Gained Triple Certificate - General, Obstetrics and Tresillian. While pursuing a career in Nursing, I attended the Sydney Technical College, Australia, to study Composition and Design. Other Art related studies were conducted at the Edmonton Art Gallery, Grant MacEwan Community College, and at the Alberta Culture Art Series in Red Deer.

Artist’s Statement
Nature Landscapes
To be a landscape painter is to allow oneself the opportunity to explore and experience the natural habitat and it’s surroundings. To paint a landscape is to allow for emotional and philosophical essence of nature.

Monotype
What is a Monotype?
A monotype is a print produced in an edition of one. It is made by drawing or painting on a nonabsorbent such as Plexiglas, glass or metal. Oil paints, etching inks, or watercolours are used by the artist to create the image. The artist then places a sheet of paper on the painted glass, and proceeds to transfer the image by either rubbing or by using a printmaking press to apply an even pressure. The resulting artwork is a one-of-a-kind print which combines the inherent pleasures of painting and drawing with the finish of printmaking.

Artists, like Shaw, will often use the monotype as the beginning for a work that will be finished using a variety of media from paint and pastels to charcoal.

Edgar Degas, the French painter, did numerous monotypes using black etching ink during his career. His definition of the media sums it up quite nicely too; he called monotypes “greasy black drawings done with ink and printed.”

The spontaneous nature of the monotype printing method allows painterly expressiveness and freedom thus making it a useful process when exploring facets of primitive forms, which are of particular interest to me. The images of masks, human and animal form etc., are mainly influenced by Aboriginal Cave Paintings of Australia. When creating these images one experiences concepts that are widespread and endlessly varies within all cultures.

Masks
I have always taken a particular interest in the subject of masks. The creation of masks is, itself a psychological experience. Probing into the various forms of masks one finds that there exists a vast complex of concepts, wide spread and endlessly varied, but surprisingly enough, common denominators emerge to unite them all. In conclusion masks are a fascinating comparative study.