Lynn McIlvride Evans: portrait of an artist

By Jenna Smith and ChristianWeek | August 1, 2008

You can make art on just about anything these days—egg shells for instance. Uxbridge, Ontario artist Lynne McIlvride Evans' latest collection of portraits grace the shells, featuring the face of her friend and colleague Francis Muscat.

The two-person show, "I know you are, but what am I?" opened at the Magic Door Gallery in Sunderland on June 27. The egg shell collection is one of McIlvride Evans more lighthearted projects. "It might be an inspiration I had, because I live on a farm with my husband," jokes McIlvride Evans, "but really, I just fell in love with drawing on egg shells!"

Eggs are a long stretch from the artist's usual style, typically painted images produced on canvas and paper construction with layers of wood, glass, gold leaf and a large variety materials and found objects. Each piece is elaborate and detailed, and while her style is technically complex, her art is refreshingly accessible.

Eggs or no eggs, all of McIlvride Evans' work exudes life and liveliness. Solid, bold colours, vibrant lines and exploding images bring to the viewer a feeling of Latin America and Christian narrative. Themes of joy are abundant. Even her skeletons seem void of any sort of macabre significance, which is no coincidence.

"I am influenced by the passages in the book of Isaiah that refer to the valley of bones. Resurrection for me is a joyful event, and it starts with the skeleton. That is why my skeletons look happy."

Her art has an unmistakable female identity. Her 2006 series of paintings entitled "Breast of God" is proof of this. Sun-shaped images, bursts of reds and oranges and soft wavy lines evoke an atmosphere of femininity even though there are no women portrayed in the series per se.

"I don't really think God is man or woman," explains the artist, " but I do think the more nurturing, parental aspect of God has been swept under the carpet. 'Breast of God' plays with that aspect." Women, according to McIlvride Evans, need to play a larger part when it comes to metaphors for God.

The craft aspect of McIlvride Evans' art eludes to the feminine as well. The pieces in her 2002 mixed media series, 'Labyrinth,' have an esthetic resemblance to quilts.

"Textile art, when you think about it, was the first abstract art form. Women quilters were making abstract images years before male artists did it on canvas and put a label on it."

Christian innuendos are constantly woven into her pieces. McIlvride Evans says this is an important part of her identity as an artist.

"I have to be honest in my work, or it won't be good," she says. "I have never thought my art was message-oriented. This being said, I have never hidden my faith when I create. I can't hide my doubts either. With this balance, the work becomes valid. So really, I don't hide Christian ideas, but I don't purposely create them either."

She is quite unapologetic about the strong Christian thematic in her work. "Art always comes from a perspective. The Christian perspective is as valid as any."

"I know you are but what am I?" runs at the Magic Door Gallery until September 7. Visit Lynne McIlvride Evans online at www.mcilvride-evans.com.