Markham artist Judith Livingston’s works will be exhibited at the Varley Art Gallery in a show titled Weaving Leaves And Water until Nov. 9.
Markham
October 04, 2008 08:17 PM
By: Ross Arbour
For Judith Livingston, Markham was a great community in 1983, and still is today.
She moved here with her husband 25 years ago and hasn’t looked back since. “It’s a very inclusive community,” she said.
It is in this inclusive community where she has built a career as an artist.
A member of the Markham Group of Artists, recipient of the Town of Markham Achievement and Civic Recognition Award and recipient of the Government of Canada’s 125 Commemorative Medal for her contribution to community and her role in preserving the McKay Art Centre in Unionville, Mrs. Livingston has built a career embodying the Markham community she discovered a quarter century ago.
Her paintings aim to capture the beauty of Ontario parks. She documents scenery through sketching and a photograph, then returns to the studio and transforms these preliminary images into a finished painting.
She’s not afraid to explore the best of Ontario’s nature either. her motto, as posted on her website, is, “Nature seldom displays true splendor at the roadside. One needs to venture beyond the road’s edge and fences to uncover the riches within.”
As an honours graduate from London Teachers College, Mrs. Livingston began teaching art in 1990, inspiring others with her artistic wisdom, the way legendary Group of Seven artist A.Y. Jackson inspired her early in her career.
Varley Art Gallery, which Mrs. Livingston also helped establish, is hosting an exhibition of her art called Weaving Leaves and Water as a retrospective on her quarter-century of success here in Markham. Visitors can browse more than 35 of her works.
They take the form of collages, mixed media, watercolours and her specialty, acrylic on canvas.
While she may prefer the acrylic on canvas medium, she doesn’t pick individual favourites. “Each piece has special significance,” she said.
“When people ask me what my best painting is, I say the next one.” With her optimistic attitude, there also comes challenges. “Painting in a new format is always challenging — long, panoramic pieces are most difficult,” she admits.
The gallery she made significant contribution to establishing is now a cornerstone of Markham arts, attracting 4,000 visitors each month.
John Ryerson, director of culture for Markham, speaks fondly of Mrs. Livingston.
“Judy has been one of the founding volunteers for the Varley Art Gallery and continues to contribute to our cultural community as an art instructor at Varley.
“She has been exhibited in many shows.
This is the first retrospective recognizing her contribution and quality of her work. Judy has touched a lot people in our community.”
Varley Art Gallery is on Main Street Unionville, where the exhibition runs till Nov. 9. Up the street at McKay Art Centre, on Oct. 5, her works will be available for purchase. Call 905-477-9511 for more information on the exhibit.