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Post by Erika Cuccaro, Ottawa-based Freelance Writer.  Find out more about Erika at her blog.

With summer nearly upon us, construction zones are popping up faster than the tulips at Major’s Hill Park. Most of us walk, drive, or bike through construction and promptly forget about it. Local artist Shannon Whittle sees it a little differently.

Shannon Whittle’s latest exhibition opens  on May 27 at the Trinity Gallery at the Shenkman Arts Centre and runs to June 22, with a vernissage on May 30th from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm. The show features recent paintings of stills and scenes of everyday subjects, including a new series entitled Power Line Refurbishment on rue de L’Église (pictured above).

I met Shannon over scones and (what else?) coffee at Ideal Coffee to chat about art, Shannon’s creative process, and her avid fascination with the constant battle between construction workers and the elements.

Can you tell me a little bit about where you come from as an artist? Have you always been interested in art?

I wouldn’t feel like “me” if I weren’t making art. Growing up, I never thought, “I like art”; I just made it. I remember making farm animals out of red and yellow play-doh and I have always loved to draw. My Aunt recognized how much art fulfilled me and she encouraged me to go to Canterbury.

I went and I loved it! With my visual arts concentration, I got to spend three hours every day immersed in creative pursuits: sketching, painting, sculpting, and developing photos in the darkroom. While I enjoyed it all, I absolutely fell in love with the tactile nature of pushing paint around a canvas and I knew that I had to pursue it.

How would you describe your art?

I love the idea of “kitchen sink art”, which depicts everyday life, often down to the smallest detail. The difference in my work is that I never paint exactly what I see. Instead, I either emphasize or eliminate certain elements. Sometimes this happens deliberately but oftentimes, I notice it only when the piece is finished.

One of my goals is to convey the most information using the fewest brushstrokes.

What inspires you?

Anything and everything inspires me. I’m inspired by what I see, what I dream about. When something catches my eye and holds my interest, I know there’s a reason for it.

The contrast between nature and the built environment, like a skyscraper at sunset, fascinates me. Human beings devote decades and centuries to adding to, and changing, our environment. Every day, construction workers use their hands and physical strength to continue the never-ending process of building, making, changing, and demolishing.

In my work, I try to capture all the tiny details like materials and tools as well as the over-arching ideas such as the nature of work and everyday life.

Recently you started teaching art to young children. What advice do you have for someone who is considering a career in art?

Everybody has a creative spark inside and it’s so important to exercise it, no matter what the medium is. With the kids, I do all kinds of projects like collage, painting, and clay work. I love watching my students experiment with different mediums.

For anyone who wants to pursue a career in art, I recommend talking to a range of artists. There are so many different ways to define success as an artist. When you talk to people you gain an arsenal of ideas on how you can make it happen for yourself.

What have you learned in your conversations with other artists?

One of my favourite quotes is from Ottawa artist, Christopher Griffin, who said, “Don’t make a painting precious”. By this, I think he means not to spend too much time trying to get it perfect. Art is so much more interesting when it is immediate.

I consider painting to be a visual discussion with the canvas. You can learn a lot just by looking at the work on another artist. It’s like eavesdropping on their conversations with their canvases. One artist that I connect with on this level is Andrea Crabbe. I’ve never met her but when I see her artwork, I can picture her creating the swooping sky on the canvas. Her lack of inhibition inspires me to keep my paintings free and colourful.

You’ve been making art since you were a teenager. What have been your favourite projects so far and why?

Everything I do is a stepping stone, a learning process. My new series on power line workers represents a step in the direction I want to move toward.

Every morning, I take a walk around my neighbourhood, just soaking in everything that is going on around me. When I return to my studio, I recreate what I saw. In this series, my emphasis is on the struggle between human beings, power line workers specifically, and the elements.

Let’s talk about your new series, “Power Line Refurbishment on rue de l’Église”. I’ve been wondering how you came up with that title?

The title was inspired by JMW Turner, a Romantic painter who documented the progress of industrialization and how it impacted nature. He gave his work very descriptive titles. Each one was like a stand-alone documentary.

My series is about power line refurbishment and how that kind of work happens all the time, in every city, all over the world. The workers show up every day, battling the heat and cold, the rain and snow. Their job is to drive big trucks with flashing lights and climb up high in the sky to work on dangerous power lines. They have specialized skills and tools and I have tried to capture what makes this everyday process ordinary, yet so very extraordinary.