A PROFILE OF ARTIST RENATA FITZGERALD
 
 
Renata Fitzgerald: artist extraordinaire; painter; colourist; historian. Her landscapes (summer 1998) are a testimony to the beauty and mystery of nature. Trees, flowers, earth, sky and waters are witnessed in their splendour and then captured on paper with acrylic paint in all their glory.


Renata is what I would call a serious painter. The discipline of painting she learnt in University has stayed with her and she has produced countless paintings from her travels around the world and at home at Guelph Lake. Although now her most beloved, nature has not been her only subject. Always drawing on the environment around her, Renata's portrayals of her trip to Southern Mexico (Chiapas and Oaxaca 1995-96) give a kind of historical note. Temples and faces of the Natives are all magically depicted in rich vibrant colours. Magically, because try as you might, you cannot see a brushstroke. The shapes and colours are drawn and blended so smoothly that you do not have to "work your eyes." It is all expressed so finely that you only need to absorb the images and enjoy them.


When looking at this particular body of work (Mexico) you can see that there is a factual recording, documenting the scene. Yet at the same time, what Renata calls her "academic" way of painting is also idealistic. Colours show a heightened reality where Renata's imagination has entered the picture. A bit of fancy has been added which reveals Renata's way of embellishing a scene until it rings with a bit of fantasy.


On the Art-in-Guelph website, you can observe this dynamic in the nude painting "Pan". The mythological God has been painted in Renata's trademark style of smooth edges with her lines and shapes. "Shamballa" and "Oaxaca Oaxaca" show Renata's eye for the beauty of shape and composition.

 
Shamballa
 
 
More recently, Renata's paintings of nature have a newfound energy coming across. You can really feel the moment of the trees swaying, the sun shining and the clouds flowing. Nature has lately been inspiring Renata. So much so that she is bringing large canvases out on site to paint.


Be on the lookout for Renata's landscapes. She will be exhibiting at the Simcoe Gallery in Toronto this summer ('99). With Renata' s love of painting and being outdoors, you can be sure this dedicated artist is producing even more work that will tantalize your senses and please your soul. Thank you Renata.

 
LINDA ALOI
May, 1999