ALANNA PETERS
Location:
Toronto, ON, Canada
ARTIST BIO
Alanna Peters is a painter and educator who divides her time between Toronto, Canada and Denver, USA. She was born and raised in Ottawa, Canada. She received her BFA from McMaster University and BEd for Arts Based Education from Queen’s University.
Her work is predominantly figurative oil painting on cradled wood or aluminum panels. She explores the interaction between the abstract qualities of the environment and the detailed realism of the figure.
Alanna Peter’s paintings are found in private and public collections in Canada, France, Australia, the United States, Germany, and Uganda. She maintains a studio practice as well as working as an arts educator and mother of three.
ARTIST STATEMENT
I explore the interaction between the abstract qualities of the environment and the detailed realism of the figure. Inspired by the idea of impermanence, I strive to freeze fleeting moments and create stillness within the constant change and noise of life. My work reminds the viewer of the importance of being present, to find peace in the chaos.
My work often incorporates the female form in water. I use oil paint on aluminum panels, with a focus on light and movement and the ways in which these elements distort and interact with the human body. Before beginning to paint, I conceptualize the emotions I wish to evoke. Then I sew the models’ dresses and take reference shots underwater. My paintings are built up through many thin layers of oil paint and glazes that allow the colours below to interact with the layers above. I capture polarities, such as intricate details of the figure in lace or floral garments contrasting the reflective, metaphysical qualities of the water. I strive to capture weightlessness and reflection through illusions of transparency.
I am fascinated with the figure and the shared beauty of our humanity. My paintings are about the human connection to each other and to the world around us.
