SAMANTHA WALROD

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Courtesy of Newzones.

"Elk Crown - White"

Samantha Walrod, "Elk Crown - White", 2013, mixed media on panel, 36" x 36". Courtesy of Newzones

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Courtesy of Newzones.

"Great White North Series - Grizzly Bear"

Samantha Walrod, "Great White North Series - Grizzly Bear", 2013, mixed media on panel, 48" x 48".

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Courtesy of Newzones.

"White Coyote"

Samantha Walrod, "White Coyote", 2013, mixed media on panel, 48" x 48".

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SAMANTHA WALROD

By Portia Priegert

There’s something wistful in the ephemerality of Samantha Walrod’s latest paintings, which are inspired by the flora and fauna in Alberta’s mountain parks.

Her painting, Elk Crown - White, for instance, shows the animal’s head and torso within a largely empty space. Its antlers are juxtaposed with shadowy branches, yet its face and body are patched in places with bold planes of linear stripes, offering a graphic sophistication that a more straightforward depiction might not.

Walrod, whose show, Majestic Wanderer, runs this fall at Newzones in Calgary, recently completed a Master’s degree at the University of Alberta in Edmonton. She likes to blend media, and her paintings often include drawing. She also uses collage – everything from tissue paper to digital imagery – to enhance her work’s gestural quality.

Walrod talks about the “beautiful moment in the figure” of animals she encounters in the wilds, even if it’s only from a moving car. “They come out in view and disappear again … I always feel a sense of gratitude.”

Samantha Walrod’s show runs Sept. 20 to Oct. 18 at Newzones in Calgary. Her work is priced at $700 to $3,500.