Nadur Art Studio

STUDIO #3

Artist Statement

My work is rooted in the landscapes of the Grey-Bruce region—the escarpment, Georgian Bay, forest paths, and the places I walk, hike, and return to again and again. Time spent outdoors is an essential part of my process. Being in nature allows me to recalibrate—to quiet my mind, reset my energy, and return to the studio grounded and present. The movement of wind and water, the weight of rock, and changing weather stay with me and find their way into the work.

Rather than painting these places as exact scenes, I respond to them through movement, texture, and intuition. Working primarily in oil, I build my paintings with palette knives, layered brushwork, sgraffito, and thick impasto, allowing the surface to hold the physical energy of the land itself. Lines are carved, marks are added and removed, and surfaces are reworked, echoing natural cycles of erosion, accumulation, and change.

Painting for me is a physical process. I trust my instincts and respond to what the surface needs. The work builds slowly through layers and mark-making. I want people to take their time with it—to look, to feel, and to connect in their own way.

— Shirra Benson

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