| Artist Biography |
 Calen was born in 1958 and raised on the prairies of Southern Alberta. It never ceased to be a wonderful source of material for her varied and unique style of art. She grew up wandering the fields, pastures and coulees of this area, always coming home brimming with ideas and samples of what she would later draw, paint or carve.
Her parents indulged her childhood love of art by buying her the tools she needed to create her art. Her mother bought her water colours and acrylics and her father bought her carving knives. While they may not always have liked what she “drug” home to use as models, they never discouraged her from her passion.
On the prairies in the sixties and seventies there was not much opportunity for formal art training other than what she was able to take in school. She was fortunate to have wonderful art teachers who saw her potential and gave her the leeway and the instruction she needed to progress as a budding young artist.
Calen was also blessed to have a grandmother who was a wonderful artist in her own right. Calen spent as many hours as she could watching her grandmother draw. She learned many important and valuable lessons from her.
As much as Calen was encouraged in her art, it was only considered a hobby. It was never considered a possible career choice. Calen’s education and career choices led her into the corporate world where her passion for art soon became a dream of “some day”. That “some day” came around three years ago when Calen once again took up painting as a form stress relief and relaxation.
As time has progressed, it has once again become a primary focus in her life. She has moved her painting out of her house and into a studio where she spends her time creating, experimenting and mastering her own techniques and style. She opens her studio to any who wish to come see her completed work and her works in progress.
Calen has also studied under local artists and is currently enrolled at the Emily Carr Institute. Her work is also starting to appear in local galleries and exhibitions where it is well received. Her pieces are also bought for private collections and demand for her work is growing exponentially.
Calen sees her art work as a gift from the Source and therefore as something to be shared with all. She has also become a firm believer in Henry David Thoreau’s statement, “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve imagined.” Why wait for “some day” to do what you love?
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| Artist Statement |
"It seems I have always been drawing, painting or sculpting. I love watching an idea go from my head, out of my hands onto whatever medium I have available. Many things inspire me but what truly excites me is the creative process. It never ceases to amaze me that a single thought or idea can be translated into a piece of art. My abstract and geometric work comes out of my experience. I approach all my projects from an emotional and spiritual perspective.
I enjoy approaching a painting this way as it challenges me to find unique ways to express myself. My non-abstract work is much more calculating and organized. I do this work occasionally as a way to ground myself and to keep up with certain skills not utilized in abstract work. When I paint I try to see how simple I can keep my style and technique and still say what I want to say. I like to see how much emotion I can evoke based on colour, shapes and textures. I am not necessarily interested in detail. I want to communicate the emotion, the idea; not the whole story.
For me, the detail is in the viewers’ mind as they search for their own interpretation of my work. I truly enjoy people’s response to my work. It is gratifying to see what they see in my work. Their images and emotions often have me studying my own paintings in a new light. Occasionally they even see what I did when I painted it (which, for some reason, usually amazes me). I am very grateful for my gift. It has given so much to me. I hope, in turn, that my art will also be a wonderful gift to those that see it." [Calen Bernhardt]
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