By Reenie Marx
If you’ve ever been attracted by the beauty of Canada’s north, you’re likely to fall in love with it when you see the paintings by Jane MacMillan currently on display at Arbor Gallery Cultural Centre (36 Home Avenue). The show was curated by Niki Mulder. Born in England and currently living in Cornwall, Jane’s love affair with the north began in 2005 when she and her husband spent three months living with the Inuit people in the small hamlet of Cape Dorset in Nunavut. It was the effect of being surrounded by that natural beauty that inspired her to really begin painting. Up until then she had spent most of her life as a professional dancer and ballet teacher, and in fact, she only began taking formal painting lessons at the age of 58. However, looking at her beautiful water colours with their rich ink details, it’s hard to believe that she hasn’t been a painter her whole life. Her framed works and prints range in prices and subject matter, but she clearly has a love for both the scenery of the north and its wildlife. Two of the most powerful large paintings are of caribou and musk ox, but some of the smaller prints are playful graphic drawings of rabbits and sheep. Her art has wide appeal and is well worth a trip to Arbor Gallery. The show is up until March 26.
