Sheridan Lake has given Neil Pinkett a new source of artistic inspiration.
Known for his paintings of reflective lakes, Pinkett said the Sheridan Lake community - where he moved last spring - provided the perfect subject for his new show For a Fleeting Moment at Parkside Gallery.
The exhibit marks his fourth solo show since he moved to the South Cariboo in 2008.
“I’ve been focusing on a whole bunch of new areas I haven’t painted before. This show has quite a few paintings of Green Lake, Lac Des Roches and Bridge Lake,” said Pinkett, who moved to Sheridan Lake last spring.
“I have lots of access to different scenery which is really nice.”
Pinkett said the Interlakes’ low-lying landscape appeals to him, as does the spread-out feel of Green Lake. That community’s distant mountains and low-slung hills, combined with its little bays, made it a favourite subject for the show.
While several of his paintings are of the lakes in the summertime, Pinkett said wildfire smoke from the wildfires last year made it difficult to get good photographs to use as a reference. Instead, he relied on shots taken during fall and winter.
He’s looking forward to exploring the area more for inspiration as the ice and snow melts.
Besides his paintings of the lakes, Pinkett had also included a series of animals and landscapes around Canim and Ruth lakes in his exhibit. About 35 of the paintings are new while 15 have been displayed at Parkside before.
Pinkett said that his focus continues to be on capturing the way water reflects the landscape around it. The name of the show, taken from a painting of Canim Lake reflections several years ago, is meant to invoke that.
“It symbolizes the ever-changing nature of the subject matter I paint. Water is constantly on the move and so I’m painting something that is always changing.”
To bring his work to life, Pinkett used both acrylic and oil paints. He said it has been a while since he has done oil painting and enjoyed it.
“When I paint with oil it brings out something else on the canvas. The way I paint with oils is slightly rougher looking. I like to paint thick and with oil, you can get a bit of a texture going.”
For a Fleeting Moment will run at Parkside Gallery from April 22 to May 21.