It was part worry and part curiousity that led Muskoka artist Lynda Lynn to explore the region’s waters through art, but not in the way you might expect.
Lynn spent 35 years as a Muskoka real estate broker and says that in that time she saw enormous changes in local lakes. She became more and more concerned about water both here and in North America in general.
“I felt that people really wouldn’t do much about it unless they understood the whys, which I didn’t really either, other than the normally talked about issues like leaving a natural zone, taking care of septic systems, not dumping pollutants,” she says.
An interest in learning more about the things that keep our water healthy and what does not, specifically microscopic organisms, led her to Dr. Norman Yan, Ph.D. FRSC, biologist, and expert on this subject.
With Dr. Yan’s encouragement and armed with the scientific information he provided, Lynn produced a series of paintings which were displayed in a solo show in 2015 and at Watershed Wonders at the Muskoka Discovery Centre, as well as at Queen’s University and the University of Birmingham, UK. They also resulted in talks at Nipissing University and at the Muskoka Discovery Centre.
“Dr. Norman Yan has kindly provided descriptions about the fascinating life in our lakes so that viewers of the paintings would make some sense of them,” notes Lynn. “He has been enthusiastic about how art and science can combine to show just how they can work together to educate the public, and I have learned so much. It’s but a fascinating drop in the bucket, and I can’t thank him enough.”
Lynn’s paintings will be on display in Partners Hall at the Algonquin Theatre from March 1 to April 15, 2019 for her Below the Surface II show. She will host an opening reception on Saturday, March 2 from 1-3 p.m., and she will hold an artist’s talk with Dr. Yan on Saturday, April 6 at 2 p.m.
Among Lynn’s paintings is Girls Night Out (pictured above). She shares these details about the painting:
“This lavender-clad grandmother Daphnia is about to send her granddaughters off to meet the boys in blue before winter sets in. (The darker water, with an indication of ice, along with the colour of the lily pads, tell us the time of year when this activity takes place.) Swags of blue green algae decorated with diatoms create a festive atmosphere. She is feeding the girls Desmid and diatom cookies, chock full of the omega-3 fatty acids they need for their babies, and she has a special interest in these girls. After all, she induced a change in her daughters that determined the gender mix of her grandchildren. But the girls have a gauntlet of dangerous predators to run before meeting up with the boys. Can you spot the Hydra, the carnivorous phantom midge larva and the lurking spiny water flea? The last is particularly scary: it has driven several populations of Daphnia in local lakes to extinction.”
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Thanks so much for your fulsome reply, Lynda. And you’re so right! It wasn’t until I retired from careers in social work, actuarial science, and predominately road design; that I discovered my talent as a teacher. Who knew?
I’m looking forward to it too Karen and have some special surprise gifts for those who attend the opening on Saturday
Thanks Rob. I sure hope that I can answer the questions. I have learned a lot but it is a drop in the bucket and just makes me have more questions too. Do I regret not pursuing an art career? Sometimes, but life’s circumstances lead us to make various decisions. I was 17 and encouraged by family to go to the Ontario College of Art to take interior Design (because they had a furniture store) and I was accepted. At that age and with a family struggling with a new business I didn’t feel that the money should be spent when I had no idea what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. (Thinking I would have do do that forever.) Instead I worked and went to the college on why own but not taking the interior design courses but fine art instead. When my children were small I freelanced graphic art doing Xmas cards, calendars, promotional brochures, catalogues, for a variety of business and resorts and have always painted with representation in several galleries.
That said -I thoroughly enjoyed real estate and it certainly paid the bills when I was supporting a family. So regret? I don’t think so. Who knows how our lives would be had we made different decisions. We make the ones that we feel are best at the time we make them.
The Huntsville Art Society looks forward to hosting Lynda Lynn in their home gallery, Partners Hall at the Algonquin Theatre during the month of March.
Amazing collaboration with Dr. Yan, Lynda! Among many questions, which I will save for your show, the prime would be: “Do you ever regret pursuing real estate as a career vs. pursuing art as a vocation/career?” You are an outstanding interpretative artist.