2 LEFT: Brent Laycock, Lighting The Way, 24” x 24”, acrylic on canvas
front page images: RIGHT: Diana Zasadny, Cypress Hills Glow, 24”x 24”, acrylic on canvas
Brent Laycock
Diana Zasadny
What both artists use the Alberta landscape subject matter as a springboard to the creation of art that has the power to evoke new emotional reactions within the viewer.
Laycock is interested in defining a specific spot with its vivid memories. These paintings become meaningful and beautiful snap shots of personal moments in the natural world.
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Zasadny, while also captivated by places she hikes and frequents, is more interested in captivating the fundamental essence of a location rather than exactly defining a specific location. Hence, her work is more ethereal in feel and nature, and the location is implied; an emotional response is experienced.
DOUBLE VISION brings together two exciting and distinctive approaches to Alberta Landscape.
a little about Brent Laycock
Brent R. Laycock was born in Lethbridge, Alberta, in 1947, received BFA and MFA degrees at Brigham Young University in Utah, and now lives in Calgary where they raised their five children. His artwork has always been inspired by the diverse landscape of southern Alberta, continually seeking to express the spirit of the places he depicts. For most of Laycock’s career, he has worked in watercolor or in acrylic using a fluid, spontaneous style in which the paint is applied in bold direct strokes rather than conforming to a preliminary drawing. In his painting, communicating an emotional response is more important than detailed representation.
Laycock has held many solo exhibitions across Canada and in the USA and has participated in numerous juried group shows that have toured Canada, the USA , Mexico, Europe and Japan. He is a member of the Alberta Society of Artists, the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour, the Society of Canadian Artists, and the Royal Canadian Academy of Art. His work is represented in the collection of Canadian watercolours that was presented to Her Majesty’s Royal Collection at Windsor Castle in 1986. In 1991, the Albert Government presented one of his water colors to Queen Margrethe of Denmark. He has received a variety of awards for acrylic and watercolour painting. In 2006, the Province of Alberta awarded Laycock the Alberta Centennial Medal for contribu tion in the arts.
Diana Rae Zasadny was born in Lethbridge, Alberta in 1968, she attended the Alberta University of the Arts (formerly ACAD) in Calgary graduating in 1991. She lives in Lethbridge with her husband, where they enjoy exploring the prairies and mountains through hiking and kayaking. Zasadny’s life and art are informed by her passion for the outdoors. Her early years were spent on family fishing trips to Waterton and the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains. Many excursions along the Chief Mountain Highway and in Crowsnest Pass have embedded their essence into her mind and heart.
Much of her adult life was spent in Calgary. Zasadny remarks, “I’ve always enjoyed the bike paths and parks right outside my door. On these excursions, I discovered a small pockets of nature following the river’s edge, hillsides and valleys. I never thought of it as a retreat from the world, more like expanding the senses and seeing the dimension, color and beauty right where I lived. I have always loved Calgary for its easy access to these places.”
Diana Zasadny’s artwork has been exhibited in many solo and group shows and is widely collected in North America and internationally.
This bend in the Bow River along the Bow Valley Parkway in Banff National Park is a beautiful spot to explore, even in winter. When most of the mountain landscape wears sombre blue tones, Nature manages to supply a much-needed splash of gold to liven things up.
12” x 16” acrylic on canvas
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Brent Laycock Gold at Mule Shoe Lake
Mountain,
1Waterton: Brush + Pen: Paintings by Brent R. Laycock, Prose by Fred Stenson. 2008. Fitzhenry & Whiteside Company.
“Once in a while a painting just seems to paint itself. Everything falls into place in an effortless way - the fluidity and expressiveness of the paint are fresh and Vibrant and the colours all luminous” - Brent Laycock1
Brent Laycock, Johnston Canyon - Lower Falls, 16” x 12”, acrylic on canvas
Brent Laycock, Twin Pines by the Pond, 12” x 16”, acrylic on canvas
“Sometimes, it’s profitable to look around to see what else is interesting besides the main attraction. This subtle rock feature lies just above Elbow falls.” - Laycock
Brent Laycock
“Throughout my career as a landscape painter, I have developed an affinity for the open prairie landscape where the earth is dominated by the sky where everything is constantly changing. My wife’s aunt Anna, who loved the prairies, used to say that, “Staying in the mountains is like being indoors. When you go onto the prairie, it’s like walking outside.” - Brent Laycock
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