New exhibition showcases Weird Feelings

Downtown

North End

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A new show by two local artists puts awkward emotions in the spotlight.

Weird Feelings, an exhibition by Marie Bodnar and Frankie Fauna which opened at cre8ery gallery (125 Adelaide St.) on Jan. 23 and runs through Feb. 11, features “abstract, emotionally driven pieces” in mixed media.

“We work well together,” Bodnar, a downtown resident, said. “We were both excited to have a little art goal to work towards.”

“We both use fairly bright colours, so that’s nice,” said Fauna, a North End resident. “For the past year, we’ve been talking a lot about our mental health, our feelings and insecurities, whether that’s about art or social things. The works are different, but in the space they feel it feels like they welcome each other. Like two friends hanging out.”

Bodnar, who works mostly in acrylics and loves bright colours, said her work in the show falls into two sections: “home and away.”

“Most of the things I’ve painted for the show, bigger pieces, are based on memories of where I grew up in the Interlake,” she said, adding there are pieces painted from her memories of visiting the Middle East, as well.

Fauna, who prefers to be known by her artist name, works in mixed media, often featuring textiles in one manner or another.

“This show has a lot of watercolour,” she said. “I really like watercolour because it’s harder to make it do what you want. For my art, it’s always about challenging my perfectionism and letting things be what they want to be, rather than what I want them to be. With watercolour, you’ll have an idea, but it may end up another way. I’ll also do embroidery on top sometimes, depending on how the watercolours turned out.”

Those who attend the show will no doubt welcome the colours on display as a bit of a respite from the cold winter weather.

“There are definitely bright colours,” Bodnar said. “There’s a springtime vibe. We go well together. All of my nature-based paintings are very spring colours, which will give people a break from the cold. Neon pink, that’s my favourite colour. I like things to be messy and intuitive. I just kind of see where things take me.”

For Fauna, who has a master’s degree in psychology, art is both a way to build connections with other artists and an opportunity for personal reflection. Her work in Weird Feelings is reflective of that, she said.

“It’s a pretty fun, eclectic mix of feelings,” Fauna said. “I really do see and feel the cohesion in the work, but it will really depend on your eye and what you’re feeling in the moment. With the mix of different threads and all the different colours, your mood might draw you to this or that. I think there’s a lot of your own reflection or connection to it.”

Weird Feelings runs through Feb. 11. For gallery hours and more information, visit cre8ery.com