Though it’s taken Linda Fraser most of her life to find time to paint, all those years were not wasted, creatively speaking.
“I always imagined how I would paint, and I paint with bright… vibrant colours, and big canvasses (to make) a statement,” said Fraser during an interview with The NEWS at The Gallery at Qualicum Art Supply (206 First Ave. West, Qualicum Beach) where some of her latest work is now on display.
Growing up in Smithers, Fraser had plenty of inspiration: “The mountains and valleys… it’s incredible. It’s probably the most beautiful spot in the province.”
Much of her work remains focused on Smithers landscapes, as she returns there often. Her work at The Gallery is interspersed with local scenes and floral still life pieces, all done in acrylic.
While Fraser says her ideal format is large canvasses, she’s limiting herself to smaller canvases for economic reasons.
Of her subject matter, Fraser said, “You have to paint what you love… paint what you know,” creating her work based on her own photos or sketches of landscapes.
As for her style, that’s dictated by her nature, she said.
“It’s free,” she said. “I use big brushes and lots of paint… I don’t draw details… I want to be wild and free and positive. Like slap the paint on the canvas and then leave it.”
What results from that is a contemporary impressionistic sort of painting, said Fraser, with bright, strong colours. Where some might see a grey beach, Fraser injects blues, oranges, purples and other colours in a way that somehow still reads as a beach.
While Fraser notes that these colours don’t necessarily exist in the landscape that is her subject matter, she said, “It’s probably my vision of how life should be, with joy and colours and free.”
Asked where her drive to paint comes from — to satisfy herself or to communicate something to people, Fraser said, “It has to start with how you feel about something. Like how I feel about that painting with that windswept tree, but I want other people to get it. That bright yellow sky with the green tree, and the windswept branches. They would, hopefully, get some joy out of it.”
