Bowen-based artist and member of Catching Stars Gallery, Nick Jennings, will be presenting his artworks at the Hearth until August 15.
Imagine yourself entering into an immersive calendar. Imagine walking around a room where a series of paintings depict each month of the year one after another. This is the experience offered by Nick Jennings’ new exhibition: Mandalas, Docks & Boats. Throughout twenty-four paintings, one landscape and one mandala relate the experience of each month.
In this show, Jennings juxtaposes the geometric symmetry of hand painted mandalas with the calmness of boats and docks, as they interact with the soothing rhythm of the Pacific Ocean waves. Inspired by the intricate patterns of mosque tiles from the Middle East, where he used to live, and by the water reflections of the Howe Sound, he creates mesmerizing inner and outer landscapes that leave us in awe.
Overall, Jennings’ intention is to highlight the therapeutic value of art as a means of processing and healing from trauma. “A year spans 365 days and allows for a chasm of inner change and a multi-layered turbo boost to how you see and interface with the world”, he says.
Jennings has been an avid painter most of his life. Growing up in the United Kingdom, he took watercolour classes when he was a child; since then, he has painted hundreds of scenes in multiple places of the world, including on Bowen Island’s shores.
He started painting large scale mandalas back in 2014 when he moved to Deep Cove and was living close to the water. This new project quickly became an obsession for him. Since then, his practice has become more and more prolific.
He started working with acrylics when he moved to Bowen Island, and with oils during the last year. Constantly learning from his art and being sensitive to colours, Nick Jennings pays attention to his palette and works meticulously to translate all the subtleties of the various hues and tones.
Mandalas, Docks & Boats is on until August 15 at the Hearth. 2023 Calendars and Mandala pillows will be for sale during the show.
