Victoria Zyluk | ON DISPLAY AT THE RANCHE I was fortunate to be raised on a farm with an abundance of plants and animals. Nature was my playground! I felt the soil, heard the sky explode in thunderstorms and even witnessed a day when it rained turtles! As a teenager, I baled hay, hoed fields of beans, cut grass, cleared stones from fields, planted and harvested gardens, fed livestock and helped prepare meals for work crews.
On hot days in the summer, we would walk down our dusty gravel road to a refreshing waterfall at the bend of the river. Meadows and forests surrounded my one-room schoolhouse where my sister and I fetched wood to light in the woodstove in which we baked potatoes which sometimes exploded landing hot pieces on bare necks! I developed a deep connection with the land.
During Secondary School I felt drawn to a career in art. It was only after University and Teachers' College that I was able to incorporate my passion for art into teaching art. My experience covers several provinces and school districts as well as making presentations at Educational and Art conferences. In addition, I have instructed for Continuing Education, been a member of several arts councils and as vice-chairman of Art for Education was instrumental in fundraising for many schools. My artwork has been selected for the Calgary Stampede Art Auction and has appeared in several city galleries.
Travelling around Europe, across North America and to many islands has solidified my desire to preserve experiences and share them with others. Studying many artists inspired and increased my skills. Although pen and ink for clarity, pastels and oils for blending and watercolour for fluidity are all part of my journey, I am now relishing the freedom of making large acrylic paintings! I am constantly imagining new colour combinations or ways of expressing for example the vividness of a sunlit autumn in the mountains. Art is part of my soul! My art encourages possibilities. As I paint I ask, "What if...?" urging the viewer to also enquire "What if...?" and so releasing those possibilities.
Come and view my painting at the Ranche. Come for the express lunch! To be continued later on today!
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