Ebb and Flow
"Ebb and Flow captivates viewers with its three distinctive atmospheric layers, each showcasing a unique interplay of value structures and contrasting techniques. By combining soft washes, airbrushed details, and thick texture, this piece demonstrates a dynamic balance between its various elements. The silhouetted patterns create movement, guiding the viewer's eye to explore the different aspects of the composition and appreciate the harmonious balance achieved in this artwork." - Sheila Kernan
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Sheila Kernan is a Calgary-based Canadian contemporary artist whose distinctive practice bridges the space between abstraction and realism. Working primarily through a highly constructed, collage-informed process, Kernan builds each composition from layers of photographic references, sketches, and visual fragments that she carefully reconfigures into dynamic, immersive paintings.
Kernan’s work is immediately recognisable for its tactile surfaces, bold graphic structures, and intensely saturated colour palette. Her meticulously layered mixed media compositions often combine applications of flat acrylic surfaces and airbrushed accents with hand-cut stencil elements and richly textured oil impasto. The result is a visual language that feels both structured and spontaneous, where clarity and disruption coexist within richly layered compositions.
Kernan’s paintings explore how images are remembered and reconstructed, drawing viewers into environments that feel familiar yet unsettled.
A graduate of the Alberta College of Art and Design (B.F.A., 2006), Kernan has exhibited extensively across Canada and internationally in over 40 exhibitions. Her work is held in numerous private, corporate, and public collections throughout North America, Europe, Australia, and Africa. In recognition of her contribution to contemporary art, she received the ACAD Alumni Legacy Award in 2017.
Sheila Kernan’s practice continues to resonate with audiences seeking bold, emotionally charged, and materially rich abstract paintings that push the boundaries of perception and visual storytelling.
Canvases are finished with white-painted sides and are ready to hang framed or unframed.