‘Bloom’ and ‘Mary Pfaff: A Little More’ at Sivarulrasa Gallery – July 26-August 29, 2025

Press Release – Sivarulrasa Gallery

BLOOM, July 26 – August 29, 2025
MARY PFAFF: A LITTLE MORE, July 26 – August 29, 2025
Combined Vernissage/Artists Reception: Saturday July 26, 2 – 4 p.m.

From July 26 to August 29, Sivarulrasa Gallery is delighted to present two summer exhibitions!

BLOOM, a compelling summer trio exhibition inspired by floral themes runs in Gallery I, featuring works by artists Barbara Gamble, Sarah Anderson, and Peter Wood, all based in Ottawa and the Ottawa Valley.

“Flowers bloom and share their fleeting beauty with us,” notes artist Barbara Gamble. 

Her works are inspired by her own gardens as well as wildflowers appreciated along local roadsides. Refined over four decades, Barbara Gamble’s oil painting process involves the multi-layering of coloured waxes to create luminous surfaces. Artist Sarah Anderson sees colour as a powerful tool for the expression of emotion, and her works are deeply influenced by personal experiences. 

“I want to portray the wild, untamed nature of flowers as a metaphor for raising teenagers,” she says. 

In her works, the flower seemingly explodes onto the surface, unrestrained in its original or natural form.

Rounding out the trio is artist Peter Wood, who has long been captivated by the power of blossoms. 

“I have observed an inner radiance within these natural forms that endlessly fascinates me,” he says. 

During a decade living on Nova Scotia’s South Shore, he drew inspiration from the region’s folk art, which profoundly shaped his artistic vision. Returning to his roots in the Ottawa Valley, he embraced a reflective lifestyle focused on creating art and living simply.

MARY PFAFF: A LITTLE MORE runs in Gallery II. This installation brings together several new works on paper by Almonte-based artist Mary Pfaff.

“As humans, we constantly seek a little more – whether physically, emotionally, intellectually, or spiritually,” she says. 

Mary Pfaff creates abstract works inspired by nature’s beauty and power. Through layered materials and an intuitive process, her works explore themes of transformation, emotion, and the balance between fragility and strength. In this new body of work, the artist uses textured paper, cloth, and collage to explore the interconnectedness of life and nature. 

A central work in the installation is “Gathering Days Like These” a 41-part artwork constructed as a book. Beautifully bound in deerskin, this work features 41 intricate mixed media compositions, each page serving as a fragment of time in a quiet, contemplative dialogue with the viewer.

Mary Pfaff earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts (with distinction) from the University of Ottawa in 1990. Her works are held in public collections including Canada’s Official Residences Crown Collection, the University of Ottawa, and the City of Ottawa, as well as private collections in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, New Zealand, and Australia.

Meet artists Barbara Gamble, Sarah Anderson, Peter Wood, and Mary Pfaff at the Vernissage/Artists Reception on Saturday, July 26, 2 – 4 p.m. 

For more information and available works, visit our Exhibitions page: https://sivarulrasa.com/exhibitions/

SIVARULRASA GALLERY
34 Mill Street, Almonte ON
info@sivarulrasa.com 
sivarulrasa.com
613-256-8033