Beverly MacRae

Artist Statement

"My passion for art is inspired by simple moments in nature." Using acrylic medium I created paintings with bold light, strong shadows and vibrant colours. My inner journey is revealed in my depictions of the world around me.

I am a Canadian artist who lives in the Kawartha region of north eastern Ontario. I credit my achievements to a few key instructors who taught me how to view the world in a uniquely creative and joyful manner. I picked up my brush for the first time in 2011, when I retired after 34 years as a teacher and school principal in Toronto.  I met Andrew Hamilton, whom I credit as being my mentor. Andrew Hamilton taught me how to feel and be an artist.  

"Art is about re-creating simple pleasures for others to see. If we do not stop to notice, we miss the joy."

I had the honour of meeting and learning from Gordon Harrison along with 14 other artists who went to paint en plein air in Provence France.

"Provence was an experience of a lifetime that changed me. When surrounded by the beauty, all of my senses came to life. I could feel the warm breeze on my face, smell the scents of an abundance of local wildflowers, hear the rustling of trees and all the while painted en plein air on a terrace, at a winery, patio, mountain, hilltop and village sidewalk. That is what it is like to be an artist. You exist and live in the moment. The gift of creativity flows when you are still, quiet and present."