Cathy Driedzic presents Painting on Two Coastlines - an exhibition of watercolours
Cathy Driedzic
Home Town: St. John’s
NLAC Program Funded Under: Professional Project Grants Program
Amount Funded: $1,412
Dates: August 14 – September 4, 2011
Venue: Five Island Gallery, Tors Cove, NL
Artist e-mail: driedzic@nf.sympatico.ca
Artist website: www.cathydriedzic.ca
After a successful solo exhibition in France earlier this summer, St. John’s based painter Cathy Driedzic will present her paintings from France, along with some from here at home, at the Five Island Gallery in Tors Cove from August 14 – September 4, 2011.
The French exhibition came about after Cathy visited the seaside city of Sete, France last summer (2010). She was there with her husband – a marine biologist who was there doing field research. While he worked, Cathy painted. When her French landlord, who is also an artist, saw her work he suggested that Cathy present an exhibition of her paintings. The rest is history; Driedzic’s exhibition was presented in May at a community centre in the neighbourhood of Pointe Courte in Sete. The paintings were also shown recently in Champney’s West, Trinity Bay during the community’s celebration days in early August.
Q and A with Cathy Driedzic...
History on the Slipway
NLAC: Cathy, tell us a bit about these paintings – what are the key images and themes?
Cathy: The images are traditional representations of the interface between land and sea, and between the natural and cultural landscapes of two very different coastal communities. When I was painting in Pointe Courte, France, it gradually became apparent that in many ways, I could be on the shore of an outport in Newfoundland. The similarities were cultural and not geographic. The landscape in France is tightly packed, urban and ancient. The landscape around a coastal community in Newfoundland is vast and dominating.
I was captivated by the idea of first exhibiting the French paintings in France, accompanied by support material about a parallel Newfoundland outport (Champney’s West in Trinity Bay), and then doing the reverse back home. Both communities were founded in the fishing industry. Houses in Pointe Courte were once fishing stores. With the depletion of fishing stocks, both communities are in transition to a new economy which includes tourism and a growing influx of seasonal residents. I am one of those residents in Champney’s West.
The Harbour
NLAC: How are the paintings you did in France similar, different, and/or connected to the ones you created here at home?
Cathy: Both communities are trying to preserve their cultural heritage in different ways. In France, the old nets and boats are preserved. Although there are only a few active fishermen, there are a hundred boats. In Champney’s West, there is now a Heritage House where family histories and cultural artifacts are protected. I suppose I have contributed to this in both communities by recording some current history. There are old boats in my paintings that no longer exist and old houses that are now neighbored by modern ones.
The paintings themselves show very different looking communities, so the observer has to work a little to get the connection. The paintings from France are bright and sharp with lots of hard edges. The Newfoundland paintings are much softer as a whole, reflecting our moisture laden atmosphere. The exhibition includes a slide show of the other community, photos of some of the older residents, and details about the remaining fishing industry. In France, a visitor watching the slide show of Champney’s West exclaimed out loud: “We are much the same!” I was so delighted!
NLAC: I expect as a painter, as with anything, you’re always growing and learning with each new experience – how did your experience in France affect you as a painter?
Cathy painting in France
Cathy: In both communities I was painting en plein air (“in the open air”) and the challenges were great. In France, the wind was hot and dry, and just as strong as any Newfoundland nor’wester. It was not easy to find a suitable location to paint amongst the detritus of hundreds of years of fishing which is bordered by roads. The time of day became critical, as the strong sun dictated when I had to stop, because the paint was drying too fast. Stamina and patience became paramount. I appreciated the recognition in France – it was surprising and required that I focus more deeply on my work. It’s fair to say that along with the poor weather this spring and summer in Newfoundland, that my enthusiasm for painting outside the studio has waned.
Boats and Nets
NLAC: It all sounds so idyllic for a painter to go to a beautiful foreign country and paint – and then be offered a chance to exhibit! What was the creative process like when you were painting in France – were you compelled to create, or were you ever tempted to just “be a tourist”?
Cathy: Because the administration of the exhibition in France was so time consuming, it really fuelled my desire to paint. It became quite urgent and stayed with me when I came home, it powered me through painting during our unwelcoming spring and summer weather. Physically it was quite demanding, so my relief was to bike in the evenings. I would explore as far as a bike could go and the evening allowed, this satisfied both physical needs and the desire to see the world outside my painting.
NLAC: Tell us a bit about the reception you received in France...what was the reaction to your paintings?
Cathy: Pointe Courte is much like the Battery Village within St. John’s – a village inside a city. Families and neighbours are very close, sharing few common names and speaking a slightly different dialect from town. I was very visible in the community as I was out painting every day. The interest gradually increased when people realized I was not one of the many ‘day painters’. I focused solely on their community, so the paintings were very personal for them. I was painting their history and heritage, both past and present. At the exhibition, my paintings were covered in fingerprints from items being pointed to and stories being told.
Watercolour is not a commonly seen media, so there was interest in the medium, particularly from other artists. My paintings are very traditional, compared to the interest in abstract work that is current, the older residents especially appreciated that. One neighbour had the courage to tell me that my paintings were too clean and fresh for the environment we were living in – I appreciated her candor.
Out and Around Trail
Because the city of Sete was involved, it was a widely publicized and well attended exhibition, and street party. It was tremendously challenging to speak publically in French, and of course it was fun to be the Canadienne celebrity for a moment, and to have my paintings seen by so many.
NLAC: It sounds like this has been an amazing experience - what is the main thing that will stick in your memory about it all?
Cathy: I will always appreciate the dedication of Olivier Khonig who planned the exhibition with me and shared my adventures in painting and in navigating the complexities of language and bureaucracy. I’ve learned about one tiny corner of France by painting the details of life in a quickly changing environment, and it has given me a better understanding of my own community as a ‘come from away.’
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