‘The Wild Wind’, Acrylic on canvas, 2013
Artist: Gregory Lannan
Greg describes himself as being “just a person like any other person.” Greg has lived in L’Arche since 1980. He loves lots of things like making art work, going for walks, going to work, and sleeping in. When Greg was a young boy he had an art teacher who didn’t judge people by what they looked like but treated everyone the same. And from that day he has always loved art. Greg says that while he spends time making art, he doesn’t have to think about anything else, it helps him to relax.
Artist’s Statement
A symbol is a hard thing, because what I might think about an image, someone else may think differently. But I like to think about what pictures means. Nature has a lot to teach us. The Wild Wind painting I did, for me, the wind is flowing and is stronger than we can think of. I’ve felt the wind blowing really hard and almost knocked me over. And, I saw the other side of it, the good side, like it can help me. Like a gentle wind on a hot day can make you feel a lot better. I’ve got to listen with my eyes and ears. You can’t see the wind; you can only see the trees blowing around or hear the wind move by your window. I painted the wind with lots of colours. It can help remind us to be more open to others, the good side and the hard parts. Each of us can respect others in so many different ways.”
Contact
L’Arche Toronto (Toronto, Ontario)