Her recent art collection, ‘Show Your Roots’, is symbolic of a spiritual journey for Cochrane artist Karen Chaisson.
Chaisson will be showcasing her collective display of oil and encaustic paintings, as well as wire sculptures, at the historical Davies House Nov. 22 from 6-10 p.m. and Nov. 23 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
The first hospital in Cochrane, the Davies House was built in 1909 and is now under the care of the Cochrane Historical and Archival Preservation Society (CHAPS); the building will be preserved by being relocated prior to the twinning of Highway 1A, whereupon CHAPS will work on turning it into a museum of Cochrane.
It all started with her decision to capture the Cochrane Ranche favourite – the grandfather tree – on canvas.
“I used to visit that tree with a very good friend who recently passed from colon cancer – with our kids,” reflected Chaisson, adding that it was her friend and fellow Cochranite, Sharon Lennox, who inspired her to turn a painting of one tree into an exploration of many, of roots and the parallel these wooded growths have with human families.
“It was just going to be trees, as a continued tribute to my friend, and then I started with wire-sculpture trees and even a few florals…they have roots too,” laughed Chaisson.
Altogether, there are some 20 paintings in the collection, including trees from Alberta, B.C., Newfoundland and Ontario, landscapes from Jasper and Kananaskis, a few floral depictions, a cultural piece from Mexico and several wire sculptures.
Chaisson said she’s looking forward to the opportunity to have her work on display at the Davies House – an historical piece of Cochrane that is integral to the town’s historical footprint, as well as for the chance to raise awareness about CHAPS and what the group does to preserve the town’s past for the sake of future generations.
This artist’s chosen mediums are oil, as well as encaustic; this paint medium refers to using either hot or cool beeswax pigmented with oil paint, which has roots itself – dating to back to ancient Egypt.
Also on display at the event will be furniture from Vintage Verandah. To learn more about Karen Chaisson, you can visit her website at karenchaisson.com.
