Local artist displays her work at Kerrobert Art Gallery
By Joan Janzen
KERROBERT—The walls at the Kerrobert Art Gallery are filled with a lifetime of work created by Victoria Knorr, who resides in the Kerrobert area. Responsive Impressions, which includes 89 beautiful works of art, is available for viewing at the Gallery until the end of June.
Local artist Victoria Knorr, a founding member of the Kerrobert Art Gallery, has her “Responsive Impressions” exhibit on display at the Gallery until June 30th. PHOTOS BY JOAN JANZEN, click for larger images
Victoria is one of the founding members of the Kerrobert Art Gallery and was part of the art group that raised money for the renovations. Before the art gallery opened, an annual art show was held at Prairieland Community Centre.
Victoria said she recreates natural beauty using soft pastels, blending colours on a textured surface. “There’s no liquids to carry, no brushes to wash, no fuss, no muss,” she explained. It’s also one of the most fragile mediums.
Pastel has to be covered in glass and framed so it holds the pastel away from the glass. Victoria does her own framing, purchasing frames at numerous outlets, and her husband has also made rustic frames for her work.
“Landscapes are done on-site as the light of the day changes quickly from what attracted my attention originally,” she said. “I have sold paintings, but I’m a bit attached to them.” Many of the pieces hanging in the Gallery have been taken off the walls in her home.
This artist began drawing as soon as she was old enough to hold a crayon and hasn’t stopped. She grew up in Sudbury, Ontario with her parents and seven siblings, none of whom share Victoria’s particular talent. “They say I took it all,” she laughed.
Her beginnings included art classes in Grade 4 and attending a tech high school, where she learned the rudiments of art and the fundamentals of film. Throughout her life, Victoria has worn many hats, including working with special needs students in Ontario’s public school system. She’s also moved over thirty times, including to Saskatchewan.
“I didn’t mind all the moving; it was exciting!” Victoria said. She and her husband, who is a carpenter, raised three children and now have five grandchildren and one great-grandchild. “When my children came along, I set art aside,” she said. “When my kids were young I taught an adult class through the community college.”
This multi-talented individual also sang in an opera. “I took singing lessons in Three Hills. The opera was a show which was taken to several public schools in Calgary, introducing kids to opera,” she said. “It was amazing! Students at recess were all chirping as high as they could.”
Most importantly, Victoria continues to paint. “Painting is something I do. I was given a special ability that I can do that other people can’t.”
Her exhibit “Responsive Impressions” at the Kerrobert Gallery is a testament to what she has done and continues to do.