My current body of work titled Born of Fire and Ice explores the story of Lake Superior and the volcanic fires that erupted along its shores when a rift tore a deep gash in what is now the lake’s basin. The magma forced its way to the surface through great volcanic chambers and any fissures the ancient granite provided. Many thousands of years later the glaciers came and the ice carved the raw shoreline, scraping away sedimentary rock to expose volcanic formations and leaving the waters that created the great lake. The ice and waters of the glaciers and the winds, water and air of today have all been the artisans that have created Lake Superior as we know it.

When I work with the landscape of Lake Superior I’m aware of layers of rhythmn. There’s the deep, slow, timpanic rhythmn of the ages of fire and ice. Playing over that is a tempo that describes seasonal changes, where winter gradually turns to spring. The most vibrant layer of the scene is in the moment where an oncoming storm builds to a great crescendo, winds batter forest, light gives way to darkness and rains sweep over fractured cliffs.

I’m inspired by the underlying rhythmns in wilderness scenes and Lake Superior provides layers of rhythm for the artist to work with. Inspired by the lake’s story of fire and ice I’ve spent time exploring the Canadian north shore to experience for myself the present and ancient rhythmns of the great lake.

I would like to thank the Ontario Arts Council for its generous support by providing funding to assist with the cost of creating this work. The Ontario Arts Council is an agency of the Government of Ontario.

Jan Wheeler

Where to view my work

My Studio
You can view available work in my studio by appointment. 
Please call 705-835-5758 or email me at jswheeler@janwheeler.com to make arrangements.


Galleries
My work is represented by the following galleries:

Gary Owen Custom Framing
89 Dunlop St E Ste 100
Barrie, ON
705-727-4003

Algonquin Art Centre
Algonquin Park, ON
www.algonquinartcentre.com