HOURS: Mondays and Thursdays 4:30pm - 6:30pm
Performance nights - 4:30pm - 6:30pm
30 Silver St. Cobalt, Ontario P0J 1C0 (705)679-8080 classic.cal.knight@gmail.com

MEZZANINE GALLERY

Exhibition: Wanderlust

January and February 2012

Walter Pape

Website: www.walterpape.ca

Artist statement:

My name is Walter Pape. I was born and educated in Germany, immigrated to Canada with my wife Maria in 1966. I am a Canadian Citizen since 1971.

Traveling and gardening are the inspirations for the art I create. Gardening fulfills me with joy and happiness. For me it is a different art form, sculpturing the landscape, making something happen, planning for the future. My garden is constantly evolving. For me it is like a painting. I have this space, may it be on paper, on a canvas or a piece of land. The idea is all the same, it is something to work on or with. I usually have a skeleton of an idea. I mull around my thoughts for a while until suddenly I take a pencil a brush, a spade or a pointed needle and go to work. I only have a rough idea what I want to achieve and make changes and alterations as I go along until I am happy with the outcome. Often I have to distance myself for a while from whatever I am doing and think it over. Do I really like what I did or should I make changes?

My travels take me many places in the world. When I am there my mind is in overdrive imagining how to bring the images I see and experience on paper or canvas. Architecture, flora, how people live, environment in general, even smells and music, all this I want to capture in my art. Visiting art galleries seeing work from old and new masters help me to expand what I am creating.

On my recent trips to Europe I had the chance to see the works of Klimt, Mucha, Hundertwasser, Chagall, Max Liebermann, Emil Nolde, and many other Impressionists. My own work is more impressionistic.

I love to experiment in art and try out different media. I switch often back and forth between watercolour and oils. I love bright vibrant colours, which reflects in the work I do. To challenge myself I try out new ways and different media in creating interesting art. I like to learn and there is still so much outside I did not touch yet.

Lately I was introduced to print making. It just fascinates me. The possibilities to create are so different from all the other media. It is very time consuming, challenging and has unlimited possibilities. The outcome is often very surprising and unexpected. I have an excellent teacher in Fay Digulla showing me the way how to work in this media. On my travels I was fascinated with the lino prints done by Picasso and the wood prints created by Samuel Jessurun de Mespuita. This was all very exciting and gave me the drive to improve what I am doing presently. Doing etching, lino cuts or wood prints force me to change the way I usually start a piece of art. I have to plan well ahead, thinking in reverse and having to be very precise. There is really not too much forgiveness. Making changes as I go along does most of the time not work. I love the challenge and the outcome. I want to concentrate more on printmaking and strive for the best. There is still so much to learn, experiment with, and to try out with this media.

Creating art is very fulfilling. I am glad that I am in a stage in my life that gives me the means and time to be creative.

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