SHEILA NORGATE, "dog.matic — new work on all fours," Sept 16 – 29, 2006, Bugera Matheson Gallery, Edmonton

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"Lax and Portly: Mixed Bredd Cross"

Sheila Norgate, "Lax and Portly: Mixed Bredd Cross," 2006, acrylic and mixed media on canvas, 40" x 30".

SHEILA NORGATE, dog.matic — new work on all fours

Bugera Matheson Gallery, Edmonton

Sept 16 – 29, 2006

By Dina O'Meara

Sheila Norgate’s birds have flown the coop, and whimsical canine companions have moved in. The artist has chosen the spirit of the dog to represent her vision and wicked sense of humour on canvas, making man’s best friend a staunch feminist. “Dogs are amazing creatures,” Norgate says from her studio on Gabriola Island in B.C. “They’re wonderful to project stuff on. I used birds for a long time for that, but dogs are even riper with meaning. Their needs are so great.” Known for using rich earth tones and primitive blocking of images, the 56-year-old’s latest acrylic and mixed-media paintings are droll entries into a dog’s world. With titles like Nobody Likes To See a Lax and Portly Mixed Breed, and dances with dogs, Norgate explores societal trends with a comic twist. Adopting a dog for the first time late in life transformed Norgate and her art. “She melted my heart,” the self-taught artist says of eight-pound Rosie. “I had been working on getting out of my head and into my heart. Now, I’ve never felt so free as a painter.”

Represented by: Bugera Matheson Gallery, Edmonton; Wallace Gallery, Calgary; Canada House Gallery, Banff; Ingram Gallery, Toronto; Atelier Gallery, Vancouver; Meyer-Milagros Gallery, Jackson, WY; Meyer Gallery, Park City, UT.