From the time she won her first art award in a Grade 1 colouring contest, Charis Ng knew she would always find joy in creating.
Although she works mostly in acrylics, encaustics, and mixed media, whatever the media Ng’s artwork always finds its inspiration in the same place: nature’s raw beauty.
Ng’s artwork focuses on discoveries and finding joy in the natural world. Nature is an inexhaustible source of artistic impressions, she said, and her art is an ongoing conversation with it.
Each piece begins with an observation, whether it’s the birds in her backyard, poppies in full bloom, or a grizzly bear sighting in the fall. However, Ng said she rarely has a finished piece of work in her head.
“It’s more of an idea to recreate a moment, an experience, a story. I call my art interpretive because I infuse my artwork with colours and imagination and let each medium use its own voice,” she said. “To a point, I allow the colours to flow freely and tell me what they want to be.”
Ng said nature presents her with many serendipitous moments, which she recreates when she applies her paint to canvas. Her work will be displayed at the Barrhead Art Gallery this month, including a piece called Freedom of Flight.
This recent piece was exhibited at the Alberta Community Art Clubs Association (ACACA) Northern Zone Show at the Redwater Art Society, and celebrates the free spirit of the bald eagle.
“In fall last year, this three-year-old male bald eagle was found poisoned from lead ingestion in Parkland County, not far from where I live. Through the efforts of the Wildlife Rehabilitation Society of Edmonton where I volunteer, the eagle made a remarkable recovery and was released back into the wild,” said Ng. “On that special day, a small group of people gathered to watch the eagle spread its wings once again.”
Ng said she was inspired to recreate the story as a small step towards raising awareness of the toxic threat eagles face in the winter, when frozen waterways cause them to scavenge carcasses killed by hunters.
Another piece on display is Wild Alberta: The Grizzly, an example again of Ng’s ability to bring personal experiences in nature to life on canvas.
“My chance encounter with a lone grizzly on a beautiful fall day was a precious moment that stirred me to pick up my brushes and paints to capture it on canvas,” said Ng. “Its golden and grey-tipped fur and the vivid fall colours were picture-perfect.”
The Grizzly won the ACACA 2013 Northern Zone Juried Art Show award, and the Alberta-wide award in the Beginners category. The piece also won the Spruce Grove Allied Arts Council People’s Choice award in 2014.
Additionally, Ng received second place in printmaking for her piece Flora Dance I and II at the Allied Arts Council Juried Active Members Show in 2013.
“I’m doing what I love, full time, and my art is making a lot of people happy,” said Ng. “I hope that my art inspires people to connect with the natural world and find their place in it.”
Before she moved to Canada, school and work in non-profits such as the International Red Cross was a big part of Ng’s busy life in Singapore. She said it was difficult to find time to make art, however visits to art galleries and museums were inspirational and growth-enhancing for her.
It was while she was earning her degree in Tourism Management and Marketing in western Australia that she began to take more notice of her surroundings, and pursued her creativity.
“I was struck by the beauty of the vast red deserts and unique Australian plants and wildlife, like the native eucalyptus and kangaroos on my university campus,” she said. “I took photographs of wildlife whenever I could and enrolled in ceramics and pottery workshops. These classes were opportunities for me to be nourished as an artist.”
The nourishment came from the class instructors, other students, class projects, and simply the time she gave herself to be creative. The classes however were about more than just art, she said, they were a way to build relationships.
Soon after moving to Canada in 2009 and settling in Parkland County, Ng said she knew she shouldn’t wait for the perfect time to do art professionally. She began taking art classes whenever she had the opportunity, and made time for her passion.
Ng tried her hand at painting with oils using the palette knife in artist Doug Downey’s Spruce Grove class in 2010. It was here she first met Maria Sieben and Roberta Peirson, two artists from the Barrhead Art Club.
The artists met again in 2012 and that time, Ng was invited to join the club for an outdoor painting session.
“I joined Barrhead Art Club as a member that year. I enjoy the company of the Barrhead Art Club artists whom I met at those outdoor painting sessions and the peer coaching, mentoring, and prodding,” said Ng. “The Barrhead art club offers a good mix of exhibits, events, and classes to inspire my art. I enjoy immersing myself in the vibrant art scene in Barrhead and making friends with the Barrhead Art Club members.”
Ng’s artwork will be on display at the Barrhead Art Gallery from Sept. 3-30, every Monday and Friday from noon to 4 p.m.. Ng will be at the gallery on Fridays. Opening reception is Friday, Sept. 12, where light refreshments will be served.
