‘Of land and sky’: Winnipeg artist Terisa Taylor talks inspiration behind her latest exhibition

Artist Terisa Taylor has been depicting the beauty of Manitoba with paint and a brush for 50 years. Her latest works are presented at the exhibition ‘Of land and sky.’

Taylor lives in Winnipeg but grew up in Swan River. She says she carries a special love for small Manitoba towns and some of the elements of the rural life are reflected in her artwork.

“I do a lot of animals; I do a lot of landscapes. I like to travel around Manitoba and take pictures of rural Manitoba,” Taylor says.

Many of Taylor’s works are a mix of photography and painting — her artistic contribution to real-life scenes.
She says photography does not always do justice to the landscape so many of the details in the paintings come from Taylor’s memory of the scene.

“I’ll just see things: how the light is shining on something or how the light is shining on clouds. and then, when I am trying to paint it, I remember what it is about it that made me take that photo and try to replicate it,” Taylor explained.

Taylor’s paintings are inspired by nature, travelling, and other artists some of the works presented carry special, even personal memories.

“I was with my daughter in Nova Scotia in October, and all of the maple leaves were bright red everywhere you go,” Taylor says. “I could see the contrast and so, I came home and I had to do maple leaves.”

Though most of the paintings are dedicated to nature, a five-feet-long canvas shows a bit of a different landscape the city view of nighttime Winnipeg.

Taylor says she spent a while painting the cityscape from her balcony.

“Every night I could see this gorgeous sky.”

Taylor has had exhibitions across Manitoba and Canada. She says she measures the success of an exhibition by the reception, as it gives her a chance to connect with the viewers.

The exhibition also features works by another artist — Christine MacMaster, whom Taylor calls a longtime friend and a collaborating artist.

“Her style is impressionistic, and mine tends to be a little more realistic,” Taylor said.

The exhibition is on till the end of February at the Framing and Art centre in Winnipeg.