Canadian Watercolor artist Kay Enns

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Kay Enns

Biography
What is real and what is imaginary? An artist painting the world as round six centuries ago would have been labeled a dreamer. I see the world as alive and vital--overflowing with an abundance of color and beauty. Mother Earth is a living entity and with each breath she takes, produces more love and beauty than we could ever imagine. The liberties I take in portraying nature with my paintbrushes reflect the deep love, faith, and respect I hold for the Earth and all that live upon her.

Perhaps you've never seen a turquoise tree. Perhaps there would never have been a magenta grain elevator if I had not painted one. The sun may not literally come out from behind a rock, and yet without sunlight, would anything? Symbols are extremely important to me in the meanings they represent, and my use of them in my work is purposeful. They are meant to send messages, meant to stir the senses, meant to awaken us to the realm of all possibilities. And if fish do not float through windows, marbles roll through jungles, or chickens inhabit flower pots, the absurdity may still lighten our days and give us hope, peace, and joy.

I am a Calgary-based artist and have spent most of my life in southern Alberta and British Columbia. Born and raised on the prairies, I grew up learning how to look at nature in exquisite detail. After graduating from the University of Calgary, I spent several years living in B.C. along the Fraser River. There I learned much about the art and culture of the locals, and developed a deep love for the mountains, which still flows through my veins. Calgary's surrounding landscape gives me the best of both worlds-the prairies which I love to the east and the mountains which I also love to the west.

I paint primarily in watercolors, a medium, which is both peaceful to the soul and exciting to the heart and mind. Blessed with a passion for color, I love to paint intense stylized landscapes to help others imagine the world the way I do. I believe that people need to learn how to see in order to truly appreciate the beauty of nature and the nature of beauty. Through the use of minute detail, exaggeration, and color, I draw your eye into nature and invite you to look again at what you've looked at before but perhaps have never truly seen.

Artists of influence in my life include Vincent van Gogh and Henri Rousseau, both self-taught with unique viewpoints they dared to express; native peoples whose bold and simple lines and colors call forth a remembrance of nature and spirituality; my mother and grandmother who loved flowers and gardens and committed many of them to canvas, and my daughter Melissa who excites me almost daily with her own flare for design and color!

Through my business, Art Ventures Company, I teach a variety of art classes and workshops, work as an art consultant, do freelance artwork and design, and make cards and crafts. I enjoy painting commissioned works, especially personalized house portraits and personal mandala "portraits" as well. My paintings have won awards in numerous shows and can be found in both private collections in Canada, the USA, Japan, Germany, and the British Isles to date. I have exhibited my works for many years in various private and public showings and galleries in Western Canada. My paintings can be currently be viewed at Rocky Mountain Gallery in Calgary as well as at my own studio.

Be sure to visit Kay's website at www.kayenns-studio.com to see more of one of Canada's finest watercolor artists!

Click on a picture for a larger image and ordering information

Art Ventures Studio
Calgary, Alberta
Fax: (403) ) 282-5430
E-mail: kay@kayenns-studio.com Web: www.kayenns-studio.com

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