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| Pamela Lakin Simone with Pearl, 2011; Photo credit: Karen Thiessen, 2012 |
This is one of those awkward posts where words are inadequate. Normally portraiture doesn't speak to me, so I was surprised that the paintings of Pamela Lakin hit me like a Mack truck. I was trying to understand what quality draws me to the portraits. A painter friend told me that Pamela does not paint from photographs. She uses oil paints and a live model. Maybe the combination of an historic material (oils) and approach (live model) with contemporary models is the key to what draws me so strongly to the work. All I know is that Simone with Pearl grabbed me the first time that I saw it, and it has stayed with me. I met Pamela at the exhibition opening at the Dundas Valley School of Art Gallery and she told me that Simone with Pearl practically painted itself. Maybe I unconsciously sense the flow and spirit embedded in the painting.
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| Pamela Lakin Simone I, 2010; Photo credit: Karen Thiessen, 2012 |
The lighting in the gallery made it difficult to photograph the work. Oil paint has a slight sheen. My photos do not do justice to the work and the paintings are best seen in person which you can do until October 13, 2012. See the DVSA website for gallery hours and location. Pamela's work is part of a four-person exhibit titled Connecting with Life.
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| Pamela Lakin; Photo credit: Karen Thiessen, 2012 |
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| Pamela Lakin Micaela, 2010; Photo credit: Karen Thiessen, 2012 |
Simone with Pearl and Micaela are my favourite paintings in the show. I like the simple backgrounds, the rich colour, and that the models look three-dimensional. Pamela has two beautiful adult daughters and I'd love to see their likenesses in oil one day.
* Photographed with permission from Pamela Lakin.
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