Red Tree Gallery - Kathleen Lightman

"Since childhood I have been drawn to water media with their mischievous and surprising qualities. This fascination led me to study at Moore College of Art and Design in Philadelphia where I received a BFA in visual arts. After discovering silk fusion several years ago, I became interested in the painterly qualities that can be achieved by the melding of the unspun, dyed filaments. I’ve discovered that creating images with unspun silk fibre offers the same quality and challenge as water colour, as the air carries these gossamer materials just as water carries pigment. It seemed natural to apply this medium to the denizens of air and water, the Great Blue Herons that surround us here in coastal BC where I have lived a great deal of my life. As I move into less representational work, I continue to explore the possibilities of silk fusion and other media."

"A recurring process in my work is creating structure and breaking free, seeing how much intention can be imposed on myriad elements coming together under the influence of countless causes and circumstances. All of life is made up of interdependent elements merging, creating, dissolving and re-emerging as something new. Whether or not this idea is expressed directly in my subject matter, my involvement with the media is a constant encounter- both frustrating and wondrous - with this principle."

Contact Kathleen at
kathleenlightman@shaw.ca