Then He Rollerbladed Out Of The Elevator

She Wore A Black Turtleneck And Critiqued The Art 24x20

She imagined She Would Die By Touching A Poisonous Frog While Working For The CIA 40x40

She Used To Want Everyone To Like Her 48x36

When She Felt Like Yelling She Whispered Instead 48x36

She Believed She Was Good At Sharing 36x18

He Thought Fire Works Were Overrated 36x18

He Only Dined Out When Someone Else Made The Reservation 48x36

They Wore Checkered Vans And A Roots Sweatshirt 48x36

She Kept Saying Her Inside Voice Out Loud 16x20

She Tried To Conceal Her Weirdness But It Shined Through 28x22

She Tripped Walking Upstairs With Her Hands In Her Pockets 24x24

Road Tripping Was Her Love Language 48x36

My Emotions Are Making Me Feel Emotional 36x18

He Used Words Like Delightful 40x40

His Corduroy Jackets 48x36

They Were Flying To Milan And Woke Up In San Diego 60x40

She Limited Herself 48x24

She Believed That If She Hid Cookies in Her Pants, No One Would Notice 36x18

Every Full Moon They Went For A Walk At Midnight 37x37

The Psychic Told Her To Start Oversharing Like The Other Moms 36x18

The Memory That Brings Me Joy 37x37

Her Honda Civic Went To Fast For The Neighbours, So They Called Her Parents 31x31

She Believed Carob Chips And Ovaltine Were Treats 31x31

The Maroon Impala, Blocking The Driveway, Made Him So Mad Until He Realized It Was His 41x31

We Were Making Fun Of Her Navigation Skills But Then She Stormed Off In The Wrong Direction 41x31

The Puddle Was Way Deeper Then They Thought 37x19

The Wasabi Was So Hot That She Thought It Would Be The End 48x24

They Exited The Bus In Their Purple Rain Coat 36x18

They Told Me To Grab The Spray So I Grabbed My Mosquito Repellent But They Grabbed Their Bear Spray 36x24

They Were Flying to Milan and Woke Up In San Diego 61x41

Her Tooth Fell Out On The Dance Floor 36x18

It’s A Feeling
acrylic medium on canvas 36x36

Then He Rollerbladed Out Of The Elevator 48x24

The Garth Brooks Concert Was Too Country So He Left On His Skateboard 36x18

Once She Learned Geckos Wouldn’t Care If She Died, She Didn’t Want One Anymore 24x20

They Drove From Edmonton To Calgary To Buy Outdoorsy Clothing 20x24

They Found Common Ground Sipping Purple Gin 20x24

They Told Me I Was In The Circus But Then They Never Called 24x20

He Bathed In Drakkar Noir To Attract The Ladies 36x18

Amy Stewart Artist - Vancouver BC - He Only Dined Out When Someone Else Made The Reservation 48x36 00001.jpg

Amy Stewart’s series Then He Rollerbladed Out of the Elevator arose after she attended a small gathering at her art studio. Over good food and much laughter, her friends talked about the past, and the group began sharing the turning points in their lives. One remembered the stranger she eventually married after he exited an elevator on rollerblades. Another recalled the failed Christmas party that sparked an unexpected romance. These are the lucky accidents, impromptu decisions, or surprising opportunities that branch our lives out in new directions, sudden and delightful paths opening up before us.

Each painting in Stewart’s new series features a line that points in one direction before swooping away from its seeming destination, while floating shapes feature smooth brushstrokes. With these lines and shapes, Stewart positions concepts that at first don’t seem to go together; upon further reflection, the contrasting elements suggest something new and optimistic. This convergence is reminiscent of our relationship with our past choices. When we look behind us, we recognize the moment we found ourselves setting upon a new course, and we wonder at the chance of it all—the strange coincidences that led us to the place we are now, the solid ground we never expected to stand on.

In trying to find connections among friends, and in our own memories, we can laugh as we remember what didn’t go as planned, and we can feel hopeful at the futures we know will surprise us, the unforeseen points we turn toward without even realizing where we’re heading.