Angela is an Ottawa-based, international, multidisciplinary fine artist and poet.Living in Canada, the UK and the USA, Angela’s life has always been one of movement, both geographically and artistically. A passion for sculpting led her from clay to stone and from representational to abstract; from the Maison du Potier in Québec City, to the Ottawa School of Art, to the Sculpture Academy in London, UK and ultimately to a residency in Italy with a master in 2004.
A Canadian abstract artist, she produces enduring, tactile, elegant stone sculptures. Angela senses a deep past in her ancient stones and though both artist and stone have separate memories, her objective is to bring them into dialogue during the sculpting process. During that dialogue when she feels the stone’s tangible energy and power, a rare bond is forged. This most compelling component of her art inspires a poem to complement each sculpture.
"I believe that carefully crafted objects have the power to inspire, elevate and they retain the pulse of their maker."
Angela’s new glass art works
“WHERE DO THE CLOUDS END?”
And so, I tell my story.
As a child. magic always seemed to happen when I was looking up: from the back seat of my dad’s car or sitting on my red painted swing set, with my head back and toes pointed skyward, dreaming my dreams. My sweetest memory is laying on warm summer grass while my grandfather indulged my every imagining. I fashioned stories around the images I saw in the cloud shapes, as they moved across the sky above.
I took pictures, drew clouds and vowed one day to paint them in all their glory. That day recently arrived, and I began this limited-edition series of painting on glass.
I start by choosing one of my saved images and lining my worktop with special powdered glass enamels selected for the piece. The powdered enamel is mixed with a medium for fluidity. To achieve variances in colour – darker, lighter, I add other powders to the original mix. I also combine powders – to produce versions to the initial enamels, much like you do with any other type of paint. The glass is meticiously cleaned before beginning to paint with the enamels, all oil residue is removed. Fingers touching the glass or any marks at all, will stop the enamel from adhering to the surgace and will lift during the firing.
Magic happens with each brush stroke and by alternating sponge techniques. I trust the process, and atmospheric, moody cloudscapes appear over the landscape painted beneath. Once I lay down the initial colours, the artwork is fired in a kiln at upwards of 1300 F, for about six hours. Then the enameled glass cools slowly overnight in the closed kiln, until the temperatures falls below 100 F. I return the glass to my work surface, and the painting process continues. I apply more enamel, and the glass repeats its journey through the kiln with a cheery ‘see you in the moring!’ I always ask the kiln gods to be kind. If changes are needed more paint layers are added and it is fired a third time and cooled. Each firing takes approximately 16 hours in total, including the cool-down.
Opening the kiln, my heart flutters with anticipation; what was once a flat, chalky-looking painted surface has transformed. The colours are deeper, the paint is glossy – it’s absolute magic!
Congratulations to Angela for her feature in Costco Connection!
