Artwork:
Ingrid de Jong. Lady Slippers. Watercolour. 2008.
This luminous watercolour presents an intimate yet exuberant study of Lady Slippers, rendered with botanical precision. The composition is dense and immersive: arching leaves in layered greens create a backdrop against which the blossoms—veined, speckled, and delicately blushed in pinks, yellows, and creams—unfurl. De Jong’s fluid handling of pigment allows translucent washes to coexist with finely articulated details, particularly in the striated petals and pouch-like forms that anchor the eye. Balancing scientific observation with expressive colorism, the work situates itself between botanical illustration and contemporary floral abstraction.
Artist:
Ingrid de Jong’s practice centers on semi-abstract painting informed by the natural world and her extensive travels. Working in oil, acrylic, and watercolour, she creates richly textured compositions distinguished by a vibrant colour palette. Her work often draws inspiration from marine environments, shaped by years spent near the ocean, as well as from landscapes and patterns found in nature. De Jong’s evolving style reflects both observation and interpretation.
Born and raised in Vancouver, BC, de Jong now lives in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. She studied at the University of British Columbia and at L’Ecole des Beaux Arts in Geneva, Switzerland. Over the course of her career, she has combined artmaking with teaching, in the areas of public schools and private instruction. A longstanding member of the Federation of Canadian Artists, she has exhibited widely across BC, including at the Kay Meek Centre for the Arts, the University Women’s Club in Vancouver, the Rouge Gallery in Rossland, Art 10 Gallery in Nanaimo, and the VISAC Gallery in Trail. Her work is held in private collections nationally and internationally, including Fiji, the UK, Ireland, Switzerland, Japan, the US, and India.
Deep Dive:
Artist’s website.
Artist’s work at Federation Gallery, Granville Island, Vancouver.
Foundation:
The Canadian Art Preservation Foundation posts short biographies and information on artists and artwork from its collection in a not-so-subtle attempt to capture your attention and interest in our mission, but we also just want to keep this artwork in view. We are excited about the art we collect and want to share it with you.
CAPF is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving the artwork of Canada’s superstar artists for future generations to examine, study and exhibit – the ones you know and the ones you might not know so well. We accept artwork, journals, notes, letters, exhibition catalogues and anything else that might comprise a visual and/or intellectual “portrait” (ahem, please pardon the pun) of a particular artist.
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