Look & See: Jillian Holmes + Annie McLaughlin

March 11 – 20, 2016

The first exhibition of the brand-new Look & See program is a double-header featuring Jillian Holmes and Annie McLaughlin

Artist Conversation & Reception
Saturday, March 19 from 1:00 - 2:00 pm

Jillian and Annie will be at the gallery to share their stories and insights while answering all of your questions! Join us for an afternoon of friendly conversation and refreshments.

Jillian Holmes: Miniatures

Exposed to art, architecture and art history at an early age, it was while in London, UK that the passion for miniatures was ignited in Jillian after seeing Queen Mary's Doll House at Windsor Castle. From there, her imagination and talents exploded. Never satisfied with working from kits or pre-fabricated items, Jillian took numerous workshops and began making her own furniture, luggage, clothing, and footwear—repurposing new, old and found material.

Each miniature is built around a story and awakens a nostalgic, almost childlike curiosity in the viewer. As your imagination begins to take over, the sheer joy in building your own story, prompted by these imagined miniature worlds, will entertain and intrigue.

Jillian Holmes was born in Chatham ON and has resided in Sarnia most of her life.

Annie McLaughlin: Paintings

Annie, a self-taught artist, has been painting for over thirty five years. Many of her delightful paintings take their subject matter directly from life in rural Lambton County, having spent 47 years living on the McLaughlin family farm on Petrolia Line—a farm that had been in the McLaughlin family since 1846 when they immigrated from Ireland during the potato famine. Trips to the farmers market, family gatherings with lots of space for the children to toboggan and skate, and the joy when the family dog has a new litter of pups, are the source of Annie's inspiration.

Falling into the broad genre of folk art, Annie's paintings do not rely on traditional forms of proportion and perspective but rather, rely on her intuitive sense of space, place and composition to express and convey shared community stories and experiences. Her paintings generate a nostalgic response in the viewer and her use of colour is a feast for the eye.

About Look & See

The Look & See project is an opportunity for artists from across Lambton County to submit their work for a small, short term exhibition at the Judith & Norman Alix Art Gallery (JNAAG). This project is in addition to the regular exhibition cycles at JNAAG which typically include artists from the region. JNAAG received over 23 Look & See applications from which the curatorial team selected five artists for studio visits. From these, three artists were selected for the 2016Look & See project.

The miniatures of Jillian Holmes and Annie McLaughlin's paintings work wonderfully together. The subject matter, whether imagined or based on memory, resonate in the viewer and elicit feelings of nostalgia, curiosity and delight. This exhibition runs from March 11 - 20, 2016.

Look & See provides a wonderful opportunity to place the current work of Gary Nixon, a well-known local artist, next to some of his earlier work. The exhibition will draw on earlier work by Nixon as well as relevant work from the JNAAG permanent collection, including those by Nixon. This exhibition runs from July 15 - 24, 2016.