49 Queens Street

Website: https://www.lydiapodobnik.com

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When painting I work mostly with acrylics, allowing me to work in a transparent manner building many layers through glazing while still allowing the previous layers to show through, adding depth to my work. I often begin my paintings with only a general idea of what the finished work will be, and allow the process to work itself out on the canvas as I go. However, I also like to do a tighter rendering occasionally, if only to remind myself that I am capable of doing so.

I enjoy experimenting with color, and given the choice will usually choose an unexpected shade over a more traditional one. This is especially true in the backgrounds of most of my paintings which I usually keep very loose, allowing the main subject to stand out without distraction.

My woodcarvings are usually done with found wood, which I gather on beaches in the form of driftwood, and deadfall that I pick up on walks through the many local trails, although I do use manufactured wood occasionally. I love being outside, and often when I pick up a piece of wood the natural forms within it will dictate the direction of the carving, or provide a starting point. I find that the same principle applies when I'm carving stone, allowing the natural shapes to come through will help guide me to a successful carving.

In both my wood and stone carvings I often leave a part of the piece in it's natural state, for example, either leaving an area completely untouched, or allowing tool marks to stand as they are. I feel this allows the process of creating the piece to show through, and serves as a reminder that what is now a finished carving created by human hands was once a piece created by nature, and beautiful in its own right.

My love of jewelry led me to take up silversmithing and chain weaving, which have been my main focus over the past several years, and my work can be seen in several shops in Vancouver, Port Moody and Maple Ridge.

Owner, Little Gypsy's Fine Jewelry, Gifts & Gallery, 49 Queens Street, (Old Town) Port Moody, BC