Artist Statement
I think of my artwork as a natural history collection of specimen jars, each one holding a striking moment or a penetrating thought. Some everyday moments are so full of beauty and richness that they need to be preserved as a record of goodness for the days to come. Some thoughts cause such wonderment and absorption that they need to be saved to revisit and reconsider throughout the years to come.
However, like faded, colourless specimens in jars, the artwork is not comparable to the original breathtaking effervescent life it attempted to capture. For this reason, I highlight the fact that the artwork is the work of my hands: my hand is drawing the drawing; line drawings are contrasted with tonal drawing; drawings are within drawings; and preliminary layers are left uncovered in the paintings. By pointing out the medium, I wish to acknowledge that my collection is a limited depiction of the goodness and wonder of life around me.
About Me
Gwenda Dieleman grew up in Aylmer in rural Southwestern Ontario. She now lives with her husband and four children in London. Gwenda draws with graphite pencil and paints in acrylics. She is also an art instructor, and has taught at the elementary and highschool levels in Ontario and Mexico. She has exhibited in galleries and institutions in Ontario, and her works are in private collections in United States, Mexico, and Canada.
