Isabel Mosseler

I’ve always loved the creative efforts of people around me, and was nurtured by a very artistic mother – so art has always been part of my life, right from the get-go. The bulk of my friends at university were in the Fine Arts department at York, or at the Ontario College of Art, or George Brown, - visual arts, dance, music, theatre, film.  I loved all of it, including the craziness, and a lot of very interesting people. In my perception, I am surrounded by art – much of it unintentional – like the theatre of living in a small unique town of interesting characters set on river leading to a beautiful lake in the midst of some iconic natural scenery (think of your window as a picture frame around living art). “Every created thing in the whole universe is but a door leading unto His knowledge.” I love art, from cave art to Marc Chagall to found art to spoken word, from representational to expressionist. I love art that is serious, that is funny, that is tongue-in-cheek, that is political, that is soothing, that is spiritual... and I just really like doing art. That probably makes me more of a gourmand than a gourmet. In my worldview “art” is a verb as well as a noun.  I’m surrounded by artistry, creativity, and dynamism. I also love mystery. It’s not necessary to understand everything... 

I work with acrylics, pastels, water colors, textiles, ceramic, found objects, pipe cleaners (just checking to see if you are still reading)... and I would like to try sand casting with cement. I also write a lot. As with everything, some of my stuff has merit, and some of it needs work. Sometimes I’m inspired, and sometimes it’s non-stop anxiety and being vexed by an inability to get what’s in my mind translated to something anyone else might understand. Usually people see things I never intended. What some people may consider failures I consider foundations (as in ... well, I guess I can use this canvas over again...)

The two paintings here are “Sentinels” and “The Pirate, the Woman & the Sea.” Both are acrylic on canvas. One is expressionist, the other minimalist.