CANMORE – Expressive, vibrant paintings that have been described as ‘painting from the soul’ have come to the Canmore Art Guild (CAG) gallery.
From a young age, Alice Conniff has always loved creating art and went on to earn a bachelor’s in applied arts.
“I've always loved art. I mean, people would joke I’d be born with a paintbrush in my hand,” said Conniff.
From working as a teacher for the past 13 years and being a mom of two children, she took a hiatus from painting but has recently got back into expressing her feelings on the canvas as of last year.
Conniff is a newer artist to the Bow Valley, but her work has been showcased to the public in the artsPlace emerging artist group showcase as well as through the Art in Nature Trail in Banff.
Her artwork now will be showcased in the CAG gallery where she will be the featured artist for the upcoming September exhibition.
There will be seven acrylic paintings displayed on the wall and five pen and ink illustrations.
Gallery visitors can expect to see vibrant pieces with a mix of expressionism and surrealism that emerge from Conniff’s feelings of connection to community and the environment.
“Sometimes, I just get inspired by feeling a sense of place, somewhere where I am, or moments in time that I tried to capture in my paintings,” said Conniff.
She has recently tried her hand at a tessellation-based piece inspired by M.C. Escher that signifies coming together after the COVID-19 pandemic and celebrating the vibrancy of the community and life in the mountains.
Although the inspiration comes from what she is feeling, Conniff knows the viewer might feel something different, but she wants to be true to herself and not paint what someone else might feel.
“What I feel as an artist when I put it down on canvas might be totally different from how another person interacts with my art. But I’m just going to be true to myself,” said Conniff.
“You can't anticipate how someone might interact with a certain piece you create.”
Conniff said she’s excited for her first featured artist show with CAG and is looking forward to sharing her creations.
“I’m really just excited to showcase more of my artwork in the valley and to get myself better known within the community and just hope that people will enjoy and appreciate my art as much as I enjoy making it,” said Conniff.
Coffi's art will be available for viewing from Aug. 31 to Sept. 24.
