Out of the Fog

Amy Stewart’s new series, Out of the Fog, emerges from the transformation a year of the pandemic lock-down has produced within the artist. The shapelessness of pandemic life blended weeks and months together, and looking back on the past year feels much like looking through a fog. For many of us, an aimlessness has settled, and Stewart seeks ways to ground herself as the world starts to shift back into place. 

With the arrival of vaccines, we can finally look to a more open future, but Stewart notes that the past year has left some permanent marks. She has learned the value of self-care, and she has reflected on the caretaking of her loved family and friends. And just knowing that the end to the pandemic is in sight gives opportunity for joy. With an eye on the possibilities of the future, it finally feels possible to sit and breathe in the present.

The paintings in Out of the Fog are filled with colours that relax. The soothing ombres and pastels lean into thin swathes of darkness—a soft push against uncertainty. Sharp lines anchor the colours, but loose lines suggest breath—the inhale and exhale that will carry us into a new future.