Meet Liz Charsley-Jory, Dulwich Picture Gallery’s new Canadian Artist in Residence

Dulwich Picture Gallery is excited to announce the commission of a new Canadian Artist in Residence, to coincide with its forthcoming exhibition Painting Canada: Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven. On 23 October Liz Charsley-Jory will be running her first special masterclass at Dulwich Picture Gallery. On this occasion Dulwich OnView would like to introduce you to Liz and her plans for the year long residency at the Gallery.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your artistic practice?

I am a Canadian from the west coast of Canada, an area dominated by dense forests with a backdrop of mountains, surrounded on all sides by sea. I have always made landscape drawings of some sort, influenced by the effect of living in an area of such raw natural beauty. Moving to London and away from the sea, I turned to the Thames, my surrogate ocean, for subject material.

Can you tell us more about where you are from in Canada?

I come from Vancouver Island, which has to be one of the most beautiful places on earth – made up mostly of mountains, trees and water. Everything is big in Western Canada – towering trees, enormous mountains, sea everywhere! Driving along coastal highways or taking the ferry to one of the Gulf Islands unavoidably presents you with breathtaking views – most of them as unspoilt as those that greeted the Group of Seven on their painting excursions.

Liz will be running practical art courses for adults, like the Special Masterclass later this month, and she will also be working with the school and community groups as part of Dulwich Picture Gallery’s engagement and Reach Out programme over the coming year.

What do you most enjoy about teaching art?

I have been teaching since I was 16, working first at summer camps teaching arts and crafts, survival skills and nature preservation, and later teaching art, French and art history at schools and as a private tutor. What I enjoy most about teaching is sharing my enthusiasm for a subject and seeing the happy results of the efforts made by the students.

Why did you decide to take on this residency?

The Group of Seven created a national visual identity for Canadians: rugged landscapes painted by artists who went out and hiked, camped and canoed into the wilderness to capture its likeness. I was raised with that visual identity wired into my aesthetic appreciation of the Canadian landscape. I relished the opportunity to get involved with this exhibition and share my knowledge of this element of Canadian cultural heritage.

What will you be teaching at the Special Exhibition Masterclass?

Following a quick tour of the Painting Canada exhibition to inspire us all, I will be advising on how to achieve similar effects in landscape composition. Using oil pastel, one of my preferred mediums, and a selection of images from the exhibition, participants will create their own landscape.

Why should people attend this course?

This class will introduce people to working with pastels, a very versatile, easy-to-use medium. It will appeal to anyone with an interest in creating landscapes, and will be a great introduction to the work of the Group of Seven. The beauty of their work is its accessibility. Notwithstanding my cultural bias, it is hard to look at one of their paintings and not be inspired by it.

Do not miss the chance, book for the Special Exhibition Masterclass now! Please contact Lettie Mckie on 0208 299 8732 or email [email protected]

You can also book your tickets to see Painting Canada: Tom Thomson and the Group of Seven at Dulwich Picture Gallery from 19 October - 8 January.

Born and raised in western Canada, I obtained a degree in Fine Art and Theatre at the University of Victoria before moving to London to pursue a career in theatre. I made props and scenic elements for many west end shows before deciding a few years ago to re-engage with my art practice, completing an MA in Drawing at Camberwell College of Art in 2008. My drawings reflect a need to escape the hectic pace of city life and to make time for contemplation of the natural world. Devoid of intrusive figures, they attempt to conjure up elements of the sublime in images of water, fields and forests.