 Waterton Rainy Paintings
Acrylic on Canvas and Panel www.dianazasadny.net In the winter of 2017, I explored the area where the Kenow Fire hit in Waterton. Walking through charred trees, bones, artifacts, ash and litter exposed. The experience was disheartening, viewing favorite sites diminished this way. On the way home outside the park, I took a shovel full of ash which I mixed into my paint for the next year. I sifted the ash removing grit, twigs and bone and stirring it into my bucket of gesso with which I prepared canvases. These paintings contain the ash of the Kenow Fire. During a cold, rainy week in September 2018, I painted the small panels at the steering wheel of my car near lower Waterton Lake in the Blakiston meadow. The larger piece was made in my studio from one of these studies, using acrylic on canvas. This artwork represents the style of painting that I have been developing over the last 20 years. I wish to thank Casa and the Allied Arts Council of Lethbridge for their support in hosting this exhibition. On Display at Casa Art Centre until June 9th, 2019 230 8th Street, South Lethbridge, AB Exhibit Open Daily Monday - Saturday: 9 am to 10 pm Sunday: 10 am to 6 pm
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Waterton New Growth
Cyanotype Prints Over 2018, I sketched and photographed the explosive super bloom of wildflowers at Waterton, making several trips to document the scene. In August, I experimented with different art materials using the Jacquard Cyanotype kit. I prepared watercolor paper with the cyanotype solution, storing it in a light tight envelope ready to use on my next trip to Waterton. Visiting the Bison Paddock and Maskinonge where the Kenow Fire swept through, I made photo images by placing the paper in the shadow of the new plant growth. After a few minutes of sun exposure, the prints were completed by rinsing in a basin of water in the back of my car, my portable photo lab. In true Waterton style I created images in the midst of a torrential windstorm, the usual condition when I’m making art at this location. About Cyanotypes Cyanotype is the “original” sun-printing process, one of the earliest photographic techniques. Discovered in 1842 and distinctive for producing rich, Prussian blue monochromatic prints, Cyanotype was popular well into the 20th century as an inexpensive method for reproducing photographs, documents, maps and plans (hence the enduring architectural term “blueprint”) and famously, for making impressions of biological specimens in the field (“photograms”). Jacquard Products On Display at Casa Art Centre April 27 - June 8th, 2019 230 8th Street, South Lethbridge, AB Exhibit Open Daily Monday - Saturday: 9 am to 10 pm Sunday: 10 am to 6 pm Using new materials, Diana explores the recent fire in southern Alberta at the Waterton site and in Lethbridge at Alexandra Wilderness Park. Images are recorded through cyanotypes and large scale wire sculpture.  I am working through the final chapters classic text, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain by Betty Edwards. Some of the drawing exercises I embrace with giddiness and joy, others
I painfully slog through until "I get it". The premise of the book is to shift focus from our ideas of what objects look like, to perceiving and drawing objects with greater accuracy and ease while taking the mystery out of the activity. Learning the techniques have felt like artistic weightlifting, gaining drawing muscles with the intention of strengthening other creative activities. While studying at the Alberta College of Art and Design, I took several drawing classes, reaching some competency yet feeling the activity was difficult. I've always been a little self conscious about my skill level and wanted to get a handle on it. Currently with every painting, I work out the composition with a preliminary sketch and/or tonal drawing. Although my paintings are fairly abstract and impressionist, strengthening these skills would enrich the artwork overall. It is rumored the Meadowlarks are back in southern Alberta, I am keeping my ears alert for their cheerful sound. The snow is still thick on the ground and quickly turning to mush on this first day of spring. Thinking ahead of hiking and painting adventures in the prairies and mountains, I'm making optimistic warm weather plans. Digging around through my digital treasure trove, I discovered this short video clip taken in Grasslands National Park last May. I spent a few days hiking, sketching and painting the surrounding valleys. On the last night camping, I was treated to an epic storm that howled through the Frenchman River Valley. At three AM, the wind ended and a single note from a Meadowlark indicated the world was still intact. Later as the sun was rising, the valley filled with the loud, complex birdsong. I set up and worked on plein aire canvases and sketches from which several paintings were inspired. Early May, I drove east to Grasslands National Park in Saskatchewan. I spent four days collecting sketches, photos, recording sounds-scapes and soaking up the environment. Upon my evening arrival at the Frenchman River Campground was a sonic birdsong wall-of-sound. The squeaks, tweets and whistles continued about 18 hours a day, it was like digital, old timey computer noise. Walking by the river, I heard a bird mimicking a cell phone ringing, I thought I was losing it for a moment, as there was no one else around and definitely out of range. Snake gators, where do you get snake gators? You can borrow them from the visitor centre in Val Marie. After reading Parcs Canada's spooky brochure about snakes and bison, I was feeling freaked out about my reptile friends, thus I got set up with snake gators before setting out on a hike. I hiked on the opposite end of the valley from the hibernacula and did not see any reptile friends, however did run into a bull bison. Apparently, they are cranky during the spring season and I made a large exhausting loop through the hot valley to avoid the fella. Mosquitoes, the brochures should have warned me that the mosquitoes would be the ones that make me really lose my mind. Arms flapping all the way back to camp. GNP is one of the largest dark sky preserves in Canada, all night the prairies were lit up from the moon as though it was a street light. The last night, a classic prairie thunderstorm rolled in and flattened the tent. After the tent pegs detached themselves from the earth and I felt a little airborn, I rolled up the tent and all its contents like a giant burrito and shoved it under the car until the wind, lightning and rain abated. I waited in the car until it cleared and a single song from a meadowlark stated all was well with the world. Overall the trip was filled with beautiful sounds and sights. I managed a few sketches and paintings and a ton of reference photos for inspiration. In Val Marie, I had the chance to visit artist friend Diana Chabros and see her artwork for her upcoming show in Swift Current and my cousin Denise in Medicine Hat.          I love the natural grassland areas, if these images and stories inspire you, please consider signing this petition to protect the pasture areas in Saskatchewan:
Grasslands are the most endangered, the most altered and yet the least protected ecosystem on the planet. They contain more Species at Risk than any other region of the country. The Community Pastures in Saskatchewan contain some of the largest, best managed and biodiverse rich blocks of remaining native grasslands in North America. A conservation network will not only protect our grasslands but support Canada's biodiversity Target 1 to protect 17% of all terrestrial areas and inland water. https://petitions.parl.gc.ca/en/Petition/Details?Petition=e-927 Yesterday I packed the car full of art supplies, camera, binoculars, note book and headed south to Writing on Stone Provincial Park. For two weeks, I imagined this little reprieve and finally hit the road. It was a quiet hike among hoodoos, cacti and rolling trails during the four hour walk. Prairie falcon, deer, rabbit, great horned owl and magpies were my companions.  Tipi Rings, Grasslands National Park, Acrylic on Canvas, Diana Zasadny The unusual green hills resulted from a rainy season. September’s single digit temperatures made for quick plein air paintings on the wet hillsides. On a high butte scattered with tipi rings and a view of the Frenchman River Valley, I found my favorite painting site. This large scale studio painting was inspired by plein air paintings created here
Exploring the wide valley near the tipi rings, I followed a path through sagebrush, shrubs and late blooming flowers. Over the crest of a hill I stopped in my tracks at the sight of an enormous bison nearby. Slightly shocked, I backed away slowly from this indifferent beast. In GNP, bison are a potential hazard. Rule of thumb, if you see the bison and you hold up your thumb, if the bison is bigger than your thumb, you are too close. Back away! Returning to the high point, I made my paintings where I had a clear view of all directions. Note: “Plains bison (Bison bison bison) were re-introduced in Grasslands National Park in December 2005, after 120 years of absence. The results of the spring count in April 2013, suggest that there are approximately 330 adult bison and 40 calves in the park. Bison were reintroduced to restore a 'grazing regime' of large herbivores in a portion of the West Block of the park. Bison are symbolic of the prairies and provide visitors a greater diversity of native species to view when visiting the park. The reintroduction will contribute to the Canadian and greater North American restoration efforts of bison.”- Parks Canada Clouds threatened, but I chose to ignore them driving towards a southern Alberta painting adventure Making the trip to Writing on Stone Provincial Park, after rainy days of being cooped up, I needed to shake out the cobwebs. Camera, paints, canvas, picnic, car full of gas-here we go. Driving toward the US border, the Sweet Grass Mountains are seen from the park coulees. Writing on Stone is a favorite year round hiking destination, with rolling trails and strange formations and mysterious history. Plein air painting is like weight lifting for artists, painting on site in the elements is a chance to build painting muscles. The result may not be the finest work, but the accumulation of practice and experience is worth the effort It was challenging to step outside my box and paint this unusual landscape. The resulting painting may be a bit of a dog, but it has some spirit. 
I’m fascinated by a box of thread inherited from my Aunt Marie. It has every colour of the rainbow. I can’t recall ever seeing her or any of the family wearing outfits in the wild colours found in the sewing kit. I love the spools all lined up in a row in the way I would squeeze paint onto my palette.
Lately I’ve been mending and altering clothing and household items. I’ve been using this as a tactic to go off the computer and chill out. No unnecessary input or output. Just a few minutes of relaxed focus on the task of repairing a hem or darning a sock with my non-domestic skill. I love that magic box of unlimited colour that gives inspiration for my new paintings. There is something special about inspiration that comes from everyday objects around us. Several weeks of work was distilled into this six minute video. I wanted to share the process of building up paint into an image using light, contrast and texture in creating the artwork.
Beginning with a freshly primed canvas, I under painted the general shapes, and light and dark areas with many layers of watered down acrylic paint. The thin washes of color puddle; dry and build texture as I alternate layers of warm and cool color. As the major components are developed, brushwork is added to emphasize the direction of light and shadow. Coats of acrylic gloss medium were used between thin washes to stabilize the paint and deepen the glow of the color. While finishing the painting I also completed one of my goals for 2014 in creating a video; I used the Windows Movie Maker software to cobble still photographs and footage. The software was intuitive and easy to use, after some trial and error I was able to piece together the elements. In the process of creating the video, I became strongly attached to the painting I had just completed; however it was a commissioned artwork that was going to a home and it left the studio shortly after for Wallace Galleries who kindly organized the project. Creating both the painting and video was a real treat for me as I had the experience of working in the large scale while taking time to document the process. I also wanted to create something unique for the person who commissioned the work and share what happens behind the scenes at the studio. |
Diana ZasadnyArtwork inspired by the light and soul of the prairies, deserts and rocky mountains. Archives
June 2019
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