FEATURED ARTIST
March 2024 - Mara Szyp
Mara Szyp is an emerging Argentinean-Canadian artist. She travelled around Argentina, through the USA where she lived in Los Angeles, later to Spain, Barcelona and then in 2005 she made her home in beautiful Vancouver Island, BC. She specializes in West Coast Landscapes and Contemporary Abstracts.
Mara is a double cancer survivor who loves working with oils and acrylics. In 2017 after her third cancer, she was given another chance to live, and she decided to dedicate herself wholeheartedly to her passion for arts full time.
Surrounded by the incredible beaches and foggy forests, her unique perspective on her work tends to tilt towards romanticized reality, dreamlike images of real places that invite you to travel without even moving. She approaches her works with the intention to elate each viewer to feel the sand and rocks under their feet, smell the salty ocean breeze, and hear the birds above, as the tips of trees dance in the wind and the water splashes the shores.
She puts all of herself in each art piece she births. She is a very intuitive artist, and her senses are always open to perceive the world around her and that’s something you can feel through her art.
Featured Works by Mara Szyp
For her full show please visit 2043 Church Road, Sooke
Anchored
This painting is that reference for not knowing where we stand. That moment in where you stop suddenly in your run through life to ask yourself if your version of things is right or wrong… and for a second you start to consider… that perhaps on the other side they are wondering the same.
The world we live in is going through so much. Each of us is dealing with more than most can handle. Even the strongest ones are feeling the confusion between up and down at some point through this epidemic of sickness and of ideals.
And my rendition of that, my Intention with this painting is to tell the up, the down and the middle… no matter what you preach, be kind with each other and with those who do stand on the other side and believe in a different version.
Click on images to see full size/dimensions
Oil on stretched canvas, hand painted border frame, 20x16 inches
On Sale $400
Oil on stretched canvas, border frame hand painted, 11x14 inches, $200
Oil on stretched canvas, border frame hand painted, 14x14 inches, $250
Oil on gallery canvas, 36x12 inches, on sale $500
Oil on gallery canvas, 24x24 inches, on sale $637
Oil on stretched canvas, 12x36 inches, solid poplar wood floating frame $750
Mixed media, 12x12 textured artwork on canvas, $250
Oil on gallery canvas, 36x12 inches, $637
MARA SZYP INSPIRATION
Describe your creative process and how you go about starting and completing a finished piece.
Sometimes, as I stroll along the shore with my faithful dog by my side, something simply captivates me. And as the days pass, that image or sensation lingers, weaving its way into my dreams. That's when a new painting begins to take shape—it's as if it simply needs to come to life on canvas.
Then there are those moments when emotions swell within me, igniting a passionate fire. I stand before the canvas, my hands dancing, letting the colours and strokes unfold into whatever they're meant to be. It's a beautiful, spontaneous dance of creation.
What are you most inspired by and how is this reflected in your work?
The ocean is my greatest muse, endlessly inspiring me with its constant motion and boundless energy. From the shore to the distant horizon, its vastness captivates me. Everything it touches transforms yet remains true to itself, a reminder of the beauty of change.
Every drop of water holds a unique journey, never to be repeated in a lifetime. It travels, it lives, and it carries life within it. The ocean's presence soothes away anxieties and sadness, its rhythmic sound rocking me to relaxation. And oh, that salty aroma—it transports me without moving an inch.
What are your artistic goals and how does your work contribute to your community?
Mesmerize the viewers with a body of work that touches them deeply. Connecting without words through emotions.
Constantly learn new skills that allow me to perfect the imperfections and celebrating the journey
Becoming part of
groups competitions and exhibitions where I feel I belong and I can achieve a personal success and collective growth with my community
I hope to be a beacon of hope, a light that shines brighter through someone’s darker days and to connect through my art to that part that we all have deep inside hungry for connection.
Mailing: PO Box 46 Sooke, BC V9Z 0E4
Gallery Phone: 250.642.0208
Hours of Operation:
Wed - Sun, 11am to 4pm
The Sooke Arts Council is a registered not-for-profit society funded by the BC Arts council and the District of Sooke.
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