Artist Statement-
Heather Sutherland-Wade
“The desire to paint comes when I am in awe of the beauty that surrounds me. What the end product on the canvas will be? I am never sure!
My “gift of art” enhances my view and concepts of landscapes and horizons...and with the absence of self-occupation, delight in God’s creation. I feel His sensitivity in flowers...in the array of colours and delicate petals, reflecting love and compassion...sprays of joy.
I experience His refreshing grace as I gaze on bubbling brooks and laughing waters. I sense His peace as I am enraptured by a tropical sunrise, fishing boats at rest...and the evening sun, lighting the hills, settling behind the mountains.
As a landscape artist, I am blessed with the ability and the opportunity to “see abundantly”, and to practice the discipline of simple thankfulness to the Creator for opening heaven’s windows and allowing me to experience creation from a unique vantage point.”
Education/General Information
Heather was born in Mandeville Manchester, Jamaica and attended Manchester High School. She received her training at Alberta College of Art, Alberta, Canada where she excelled as a student. She has had several years practicing her art.
Her interpretation of Jamaica’s national treasures covers the range of charming houses to old country churches, majestic cathedrals and imposing public buildings. This however, is not the limit of Heather’s creativity, as she expresses herself in her vibrant abstracts, water colours and murals.
She is also one of Jamaica’s foremost graphic designers and many of her Corporate Annual Reports have been awarded winning productions.
Exhibitions
Heather has participated in several group and solo exhibitions in Jamaica, the Caribbean, United States, Canada, Mexico and Italy. Her most recent exhibitions are as follows:
Group exhibition, “Still Lifes; 10 Contemporary Artists”,
Seaview Fine Arts Gallery, Kingston, Jamaica, 2007
Group exhibition, 42nd Anniversary of Jamaica’s Independence,
Washington D.C., August 2004
Group exhibition, “Eight of the Great”, Bolivar Gallery,
Kingston, Jamaica, 2004
Group exhibition, “Strata: yesterday, today,
tomorrow”, Diaspora Vibe Gallery, Art Basil Miami
Beach, Miami, Florida, December, 2003
Group exhibition, The Queens Park National Gallery, Bridgetown, Barbados, June, 2003
Solo exhibition, “Jamaica Revisited”, Bolivar Gallery,
Kingston, Jamaica, March, 2003
Group exhibition mounted by the Jamaica Tourist
Board, Milan, Italy, June, 2000
Collections
Heather’s paintings are in many private collections locally and internationally. Jamaican collections featuring her works include:
Bank of Jamaica
Gifts for the Nation – the Donations of Aaron
and Marjorie Matalon to The National Gallery
of Jamaica
Digicel Jamaica Limited
The Most Honourable Prime Minister of Jamaica,
Percival J. Patterson
Commissions
Digicel Jamaica Limited, December, 2003
The Port Authority of Jamaica for The Most
Honourable Prime Minister of Jamaica,
Percival J. Patterson, August, 2002
Books
Heather and her work are included in the
following books:
Dr. Patrine Archer Straw and Kim Robinson,
foreword by Dr. David Boxer: “Jamaican Art,
An Overview – with a Focus on Fifty Artists”
Joanne Simpson: “The Jamaican Woman:
A Celebration”
Critical Review
“Architectural Landscapes” by Sana Rose
April 6, 2003, The Sunday Gleaner;
“Sutherland Wade’s application of paint in the larger works is like building blocks of colour reminiscent of the French Post-Impressionist painter, Paul Cezanne in his mature years in the late nineteenth century. Cezanne’s paintings of this period manifest a kind of abstract handling of volume where his images are built up with blocks of colour … The most interesting thing about Sutherland Wade’s technique is the push and pull of shapes and planes in her compositions. She flattens parts of the scenes and leaves focal points such as trees and boats more three-dimensional. The pieces are almost abstract but she gives us just enough information to keep us in the realm of representation. Should she continue to break down and build up her paintings with these blocks of colour, the forms would dissipate into abstract vistas in her chosen colour scheme of predominantly blues, greens, and warm oranges with touches of red.”
