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Deborah Gibson was
born in New Brunswick shortly after her parent's immigrated
from South Africa. Growing up in Ontario, she was introduced
to the Canadian wilderness through camping trips the family
took to get to know their new country. A two-year return to
South Africa in her teenage years solidified her love of
nature as well as her particular fascination with the
Canadian North.
After a long hiatus from the woods and years
as an art director in the film business, Gibson rediscovered
Ontario's lakes and forests and found subject matter that
captivated her spirit. Gibson's landscapes are based on
places she experiences on foot and by canoe through
year-round trips to provincial parks, including frequent
visits to Algonquin, Frontenac and Killarney, and daily
excursions to conservation areas near her Toronto home. Each
painting is both a depiction of a real place and an
expression of Gibson's feelings when she encountered it.
With a rich, vivid palette and a style that is somehow
naturalistic and abstract at the same time, her paintings
convey a deep, abiding love for nature and the sheer
visceral wonder of being in the woods.
Gibson paints in oil, working from memory and
from sketches, paintings and photographs collected in the
bush. In addition to conveying emotion, Gibson is concerned
with shape, colour, light and balance. Every tree, rock and
shrub is treated with the same attention, giving each a
sense of character and purpose. |
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