Lake Friends I Painting

From the 'Things We Found at the Lake' series which explores the imagery of bathers at the lake. As an immigrant to Canada, the artist has become intrigued by the pastime of swimming in lakes, an activity she perceives as quintessentially Canadian. As a new Canadian, Cath finds herself between two cultures, looking back at her British cultural heritage from a distance with some nostalgia, whilst in a sense remaining an outsider in her adopted land. There is an element of voyeurism as she observes people engaging unselfconsciously with the landscape, or interacting with one another. In Lake Friends, two young female friends share enjoyment of basking in the cool mountain lake on a hot sunny day. The artist was inspired by the quiet contemplative mood found in Georges Seurat's painting 'Bathers at Asnieres' in the National Gallery London. This painting is built up in layers of richly coloured oil glazes, creating a luminous glowing result.