Deer Lake Gallery has been transformed to host a new exhibit called Ardent Impressions.
The group exhibition displays the works of three artists – Alice Rich, Sharon Norman and Stephen Dittberner – who dabble in styles such as modernist abstraction and photo-realisism painting.
The latter is one of Dittberner’s specialities. His “rivers rock” series (done on oil on canvas) is similar, yet very different to work done by the Group of Seven, according to write-up from the Burnaby Arts Council.
“His paintings break down the photographic index of the waterways he paints through the application of careful colourful gradations that build the depth of the scene,” the release reads.
But Dittberner’s portfolio only began to grow four years ago, when he left a lifelong career in the advertising industry to pursue painting full time.
He had worked as an illustrator for more than 20 years, painting on and off for family and friends. Given the pressure-cooker environment, with constant deadlines and a “lack of creative freedom,” Dittberner said he didn’t find it fulfilling anymore.
“It’s just a technical kind of thing. You’ve just got to do exactly what you get told to do, you’ve got to produce work according to a brief,” he told the NOW.
Everything going digital also didn’t help, Dittberner added. Very few illustrations were done by hand.
“This is not art really, this is kind of playing around with pixels, and you’re getting programs that can do paintings for you. ... I just yearned to get back to art,” he said.
The Burnaby artist said out of all his subjects – portraits, flowers, animals and ballet, just to name a few – his rivers rock series has allowed him to find a niche.
“I’m getting known for that now. People have told me, ‘Listen, stick to this because you’re getting a name for this.’”
Dittberner moved to Burnaby just last year after living on the North Shore for quite some time.
For anyone wanting to check out his work, Ardent Impressions runs until Sept. 19 at Deer Lake Gallery.
For more information, visit www.burnabyartscouncil.org.
