‘Colour at Work’ on show in Thornhill

“Colour at Work”, on display May 12-15 at Thoreau MacDonald House in Thornhill, explores emotions and sensations we all experience.

By TRISTAN CARTER

The world isn’t simply black and white. It’s full of an entire spectrum of shades and colours.

Artist and educator Elaine Hoffman will be showing her true colours at the Thoreau MacDonald House  at 121 Centre St. in Thornhill May 12-15 as part of her new show “Colour at Work”.

The exhibit will feature 25 paintings and drawings focused on Hoffman’s exploration of the emotions evoked by the use of colour. Anger, frustration, contentment and hope are a few of the sensations depicted in her works.

“The process of creating paintings is very seductive for me,” Hoffman said in a prepared statement. “Using bold shapes and saturated colours, I feel a strong impulse to capture illusive emotions.”

Hoffman is manager of education at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinburg, which this month unveiled a new exhibition of its own: Ivan Eyre’s exhibit, displaying some of his most renowned drawings, paintings and sculptures of the past 30 years. The sculptures can be seen starting July 1, which is the grand opening of the collection’s outdoor sculpture garden.

Hoffman said working in the gallery, surrounded by art, made the desire to paint almost too hard to resist.

“I was always tempted to bolt up to my garret and dedicate my life to painting, but the reality of daily living interfered,” she said. “Once my career path was established and home responsibilities lessened, I was able to process experiences and focus my creative energy.”

The location for the event is named after the son of an original member of the Group of Seven. James Edward Hervery MacDonald purchased the property in 1916 and it is where he painted the canvas “The Tangled Garden” which is now displayed at the Natioanl Gallery in Ottawa.