Rita Thorp

We all have secrets. They come in all shapes and sizes. The paintings in this series Shapes of a Secret are painted recollections of the secrets that were protected growing up in my family. The layers of colour, texture and marks are the way I resolve keeping some secrets and voicing others. Just as a dream can have several interpretations, these paintings are layered with meaning. If viewers look closely, they may discover secret words written in asemic writing. Growing up in a family of seven, like most families, there were many secrets. The titles suggest some of the secrets we protect within a family. I hope that viewers are intrigued by the colours applied and my signature marks and texture. From afar you see abstract designs and up close the secret stories are there to be contemplated, shared and enjoyed.

Calgary, Alberta based abstract artist Rita Thorp has been painting professionally for 12 years. The most important thing for Rita is to enjoy the process and be free and spontaneous with her application of paint and other mediums. She begins with an overall idea of a theme, inspired by nature or a dream or something she has experienced. From there Rita chooses a palette that speaks to her from the way she feels. With several types of media and tools, a painting will have many layers. Each layer is a response to the previous layer. Canvases are displayed around her studio and house so she can see them from different perspectives and when they call to be played with, they are put back on the easel. Rarely, if ever, does Rita finish a painting in less than 3 - 4 weeks.

A painting is done when it’s done. Some works have taken months or are yet to be called finished.