10 Questions with Kelly Borgers OSA SCA

Kelly Borgers is a contemporary Canadian artist from the Town of the Blue Mountains. She can be found creating her work in her studio nestled in the woods near the shores of Georgian Bay. She is an elected member of the prestigious Ontario Society of Artists and the Canadian Society of Artists. Kelly exhibits and creates her work internationally, including in Canada, Finland, the UK, Iceland, and United States.

Having spent much of the past two years in isolation due to the pandemic, her work has been inspired by our connection to our mental health in times of difficulty. Coping with the pandemic and multiple lockdowns has made simple things in the mind become undaunting. She uses her work to express these emotions and experiences as the world struggles to cope.

When not painting, Kelly can be found cycling long journey’s across countries or hiking. She feels that the best way to understand people is to connect with them on a one-on-one basis and less like a tourist. She spends lots of time in nature on these journeys, such as trekking in the Himalayas or cycling across Europe and North America. It’s from these adventures you can see her love of nature come through in her work with the vibrant use of colours.

kborgers.com | @fuzzybeastartstudio

ARTIST STATEMENT

“My work explores the use of texture and colour within the confines of a painting. Abstracted with minimal symbolism, I delve into the power of the mind and how emotions can overpower our sense of calmness. My work is both conflicted and serene, with the intent of the viewer having an emotional connection. My strong use of colour and movement within each piece allows the observer to get pulled into the painting. Many of my pieces are inspired by the recent events of enduring the pandemic and multiple lockdowns and isolation. The paintings are an expression of how the mind is responding and evolving through this world crisis, interjecting humour into the titles as an acknowledgement of the feelings created in one’s personal mental health state.” - Kelly Borgers

INTERVIEW

First of all, introduce yourself to our readers. Who are you, and how did you start experimenting with images?

My name is Kelly Borgers, and my studio and home are located in a small community on the shores of Georgian Bay, about 2 hours north of Toronto, Canada. I exhibit my work nationally and have sometimes internationally. I have been recognized and elected into the prestigious Ontario Society of Artists and the Canadian Society of Artists. My journey to contemporary art started as an environmental photographer. Transitioning from photography to painting has made me a better painter because photography teaches you to really look at what you are trying to say through your lens. I have learned to see what is really there and develop active and colorful compositions just like nature is.

How would you define yourself as an artist?

I define myself as a contemporary artist who is passionate about the environment and emotion. I think art is all around us in everything we touch, and there is beauty and emotion in all that surrounds us. I bring these senses into my work. I like to take the viewer on a journey of colour and movement within the confines of my paintings.

In your biography, you mention nature and cycling as a big part of your life and influence on your artistic practice. Can you tell us more about it? Do you have any stories you want to share with our readers?

Because I am so passionate about our planet and people, I find that the best way to see and connect with people is through long-distance cycling. Through long tours riding, I meet so many people and see so many different environments, pitching a tent in new places, feeling every bump in the road allows me to really feel the true essence of a place that we would not have realized from a car or computer screen. Connecting with strangers I may not even share the same language with motivates me tremendously that when I get back to the studio, I am re-inspired to create new work. Riding slows me down. The long hours of silence play a role in silencing the noise of everyday life and allow me to reconnect with my own thoughts and sort them out. I have cycled many long journeys; I started in Lisbon and rode up the Atlantic coast through Portugal, Spain, and France. On other trips, I have gone south from Scotland through the UK, crossing over the channel and finishing in Paris or through the Sierra Cascade mountains from California to Canada. After all these and other long rides, I have returned to my studio and incorporated what I experienced into my work, creating new exciting images. There always seems to be a breakthrough when I physically and mentally push myself.

Can you tell us about the process of creating your work? What is your artistic routine when working?

I often work on many pieces at the same time. Sometimes I need to put a piece away for a while before finishing it. I think creating is like waves in the ocean, sometimes you are riding high on a wave, and the creativity comes easily. Other times you are low in the wave where it is a struggle. Creativity is not something I can turn on and off on command. Often images come to my mind when it is clearer, like when riding or hiking. I need to have the disturbances of everyday stress away from me when creating. This is when my best work is done. I am lucky, as my studio is tucked among the trees, and this makes it much easier to get away and into the right frame of mind.

The global pandemic and isolation had a strong impact on your work. How did it change over the past 2 years? And what would you like to communicate with your current work?

The global pandemic had an enormous impact on my work. All my exhibitions were cancelled or hung silently in empty galleries. My upcoming artist in residence was changed five times. There was little opportunity to meet others, collaborate with others, or exchange ideas. There was lockdown after lockdown. I missed my friends, my kids, and people. To cope, I would go for bike rides alone for hours and hours, sometimes riding 150 km in silence. In the winter, I would cross country ski alone around the trails over and over. It was very difficult, and I was very sad for a long time. During the pandemic, I suffered from a detached retina and needed surgery to fix the vision in my eye. I believe this marked the turning point in my art. Things were slowly getting a bit better with the pandemic during my recovery, and I think all the situations combined into a great breakthrough in my painting. After so long, the freedom to connect with others was like heavy weights were lifted from my shoulder. There was finally hope. 

Your abstract paintings have vivid and striking colours. How do you choose your palette and what does it represent for you?

I find it very difficult to limit my colour palette. I try, but it never works out. By the end of the painting, there is every colour of the rainbow mixed. I am mostly inspired by my love of nature and the vivid colours we see everywhere. Big blue skies, teal water, or a tiny mushroom with yellow spots show me that there is an endless amount of colour combinations. It’s all around us if we just look, really stop and look. During the recovery of my eye, I saw incredible shows of colour and light, and movement. Representation of colour does not have to be anything, it can just be, and it is different for everyone. For me, colour has the power to inspire, rejuvenate, and feel joy. My palette represents joy, to each viewer, the joy is different, but the colours are the same.

Do you find that the shift to digital exhibitions and art fairs has helped you promote your work?

The pandemic closed many galleries for so long, and now everything is even further backlogged. Promotion online is new to me and in its infancy. I believe we still need human connection to art as well as digital exhibitions. I am still learning about digital promotion, and it’s a work in progress. There is a learning curve I need to ride.

What do you think about the art community and market? And how did your perception change over the last year due to the pandemic?

Overall, there has been some interest in creating a nicer home space because of the pandemic. Seeing all the zoom meetings gave me a window to see what was hanging on everyone’s walls, but honestly, most people need to buy more art. 

What are you working on now, and what are your plans for the future? Anything exciting you can tell us about?

I am working on a series of work inspired by coming out of this pandemic and learning to live in our world again. There are still ups and downs in the future, but it feels like we are learning to dance again. This series of works will look at the humour of everyday life. All the pieces are named after the stuff we can relate to (google maps, looking for my glasses etc.). In May, I am heading out to my long-awaited artist residency in northern Iceland. It was planned long before the pandemic, where the thought of isolation was intriguing. How times have changed! Luckily there will be other artists to interact with, and of course, the beautiful colours of the nature of Iceland to inspire my palette!

Finally, share something you would like our reader to know about you. 

I love art, nature, animals, and people. I hope my art brings you joy and a smile, and you see something in it that is unique to your own experience and lifts you up!