“Painting is the centre of my existence…. That and my dog”

says Gita Karklins, a mostly self-taught painter who lives amongst the rolling hills of Mansfield.

It’s not an overstatement; Gita has been painting for decades and exhibiting her work regularly since the 90’s.

She has created many series over the years: Ascension was based on Rapture messaging and depicted people and objects rising into the sky, Platform portrays dramatically lit still-life scenes of tiny figurines arranged on stools and tabletops, Action Hero Dolls and Ken features dolls posing in the spotlight for their painted portrait, figurative work coupled with the stiffness of plastic.

It’s evident that light plays a big role in Gita’s work. “The shadow is a part of the composition,” she comments. She uses her background in photography to capture reference photos to paint from.

Her latest series, Sky, is all about clouds, and is Gita’s exploration into the ominous feeling of climate change. The paintings capture large, looming clouds that seem to be ever-expanding over tiny trees and mountains that are tucked into the bottom of the composition - showing the magnitude of what’s to come.

Gita is a careful painter, taking her time to get things right. The results are powerfully life-like pieces that spark curiosity. “Paintings need to have meaning,” she says.

Other than painting, Gita loves to garden and camp with her dog, Frida, especially in the Rockies.

We are thrilled to be showing Gita’s Sky series in our window gallery at 158 Broadway in downtown Orangeville. Come by and check it out!

Visit gitakarklins.com to see more of Gita’s work.