Canadian artist Sally Clark shares a portfolio of expressive portraits and landscapes that make a magical human connection with the viewer. See more art on her website.
![figurative landscape painting by Sally Clark](https://www.artsyshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/10.-Clark-S.-Immersion-24X36-oil-on-linen.jpg)
“Immersion” oil on linen, 24″ x 36″
I was born in Vancouver, British Columbia. I have vivid childhood memories of visiting remote and beautiful places in British Columbia. From these trips, I developed a deep love of its rugged landscape. I’ve been painting in oils since I was twelve.
![landscape painting by Sally Clark](https://www.artsyshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/2.-Clark-S.-The-light-of-the-forest-is-the-birds-delight-32X48oil-on-linen.jpg)
“The light of the forest is the bird’s delight” oil on linen, 32″ x 48″
I was sitting in the woods, painting a tree when I had this strange revelation. At first, I saw the tree as it conformed to my expectations. But suddenly I was jolted out of my preconceived ideas and saw something else, something astonishing. I call it the moment of dissolve when what you are looking at reveals itself to you.
![landscape painting by Sally Clark](https://www.artsyshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/3.-Clark-S.-Clouds-over-Grey-Mountain-24X36-oil-on-linen.jpg)
“Clouds over Grey Mountain” oil on linen, 24″ x 36″
My job as an artist is to communicate what I receive to others.
![landscape painting by Sally Clark](https://www.artsyshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/11.-Clark-S.-Mt.Seymour-Mist-and-Rock-20X30oil-on-linen.jpg)
“Mt. Seymour: Mist and Rock” oil on linen, 20″ x 30″
The two main subjects in my painting are landscapes and people. I remember being in the Titian room at the National Gallery and locking eyes with this painted male portrait. It was as if he was alive and speaking to me.
![landscape painting by Sally Clark](https://www.artsyshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/1.-Clark-S.-The-silent-cacophony-of-the-forest-32X40-oil-on-linen.jpg)
“The silent cacophony of the forest” oil on linen, 32″ x 40″
Painting is a form of magic; a means of connecting with another being through time and space.
![portrait painting by Sally Clark](https://www.artsyshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/9.-Clark-S.-Goddess-of-Uncertainty-36X30-oil-on-linen.jpg)
“Goddess of Uncertainty” oil on linen,36″ x 30″
I completed my BFA degree at York University in Toronto and stayed for thirty years. I worked in the evenings at the local art school and took classes or painted at home during the day. During those years, I painted many portraits “in situ” of my friends.
![portrait painting by Sally Clark](https://www.artsyshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/8.-Clark-S.-Goddess-of-Childhood-36X30-oil-on-linen.jpg)
“Goddess of Childhood” oil on linen, 36″ x 30″
My other passion is the theatre. I’ve written several plays, which have been produced nationally and internationally. I’ve worked as a playwright-in-residence at many theatres across Canada. One of my favourite residencies was in Whitehorse. The Yukon landscape is breathtaking. I lived in the Yukon for several years before moving back to Vancouver in 2003.
![portrait painting by Sally Clark](https://www.artsyshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/7.-Clark-S.-Goddess-of-Organization-36X30-oil-on-linen.jpg)
“Goddess of Organization” oil on linen, 36″ x 30″
I painted a series of large (36″ by 30″) close-up portraits of women, some of whom I knew well. I focused on the area between the chin and just above the eyebrows. Are these portraits? Yes and no.
![portrait of a woman by Sally Clark](https://www.artsyshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/6.-Clark-S.-Eagle-Goddess-36X30-oil-on-linen.jpg)
“Eagle Goddess” oil on linen, 36″ x 30″
My friends’ faces are the starting point for an investigation into the mystery of what it is to be human. They are themselves and they are the “more” of themselves. I named the series Goddesses.
![portrait painting by Sally Clark](https://www.artsyshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/5.-Clark-S.-Goddess-of-Old-Age-36X30-oil-on-linen.jpg)
“Goddess of Old Age” oil on linen, 36″ x 30″
My painting, “The Goddess of Old Age,” was a finalist for the Kingston Portrait Prize in 2017. I had a solo exhibition of the Goddesses at the Lipont Gallery in Richmond, British Columbia. I was thrilled to watch people interact with the Goddesses.
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