Fermata: Charcoal drawings by Liz Charsley

Opening Reception Tuesday, March 31, 5-8 pm

Fermata is a musical term meaning a pause of unspecified length. For Liz, who sings with the choir Ensemble Laude, a walk in the woods or along a beach can deliver a visual fermata, caused by light glancing through the trees or bouncing off the water. Her large-scale charcoal drawings of forest walks, ocean waves, and views from the ferry capture these moments, preserving them in the dreamy stillness of soft monochrome.

Liz studied art and theatre at UVIc before moving to London, UK, where she worked as a theatrical propmaker for many years. The long hours and drafty workshops took their toll, eventually, and Liz went back to her art practice and did an MA in Drawing at Camberwell College of Art. Liz joined a burgeoning art group, South London Women Artists, exhibiting with them for 10 years, and was appointed Artist in Residence at Dulwich Picture Gallery in south London for their Painting Canada exhibition.

Moving back to Canada in 2020, spending the covid years in Calgary, then back to her original home of Victoria, Liz rekindled her joy of the wild outdoors in the forests and wild coastlines near the city, from which she draws inspiration for her work.

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Host or Publisher Gage Gallery Arts Collective