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About the Artist
BiographyLalita was born on July 22, 1972, and spent her youngest years in Vancouver BC. When she was five her family moved to Dawson Creek, a small town in Northern BC placed at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. With the vast prairie fields and expansive skies extending to the East, and the snaking rivers flanked by hills to the South, Lalita's childhood was rich with a range of seasonal colours, immeasurable space, and fresh air.
Lalita discovered her artistic abilities in the final year of her Philosophy degree at the age of 25. While bored and stuck at a friend's house in the Victorian snowstorm of 1996, Lalita selected a book of photos off the shelf and began to draw. This led to six more years of drawing, including regular classes in powdered graphite with Glenn Howarth.
Yet it was not until a severe car accident in 2003, in which her husband was severely injured, that Lalita decided that “life is too short to wait”; soon thereafter she plunged herself fulltime into her passion for visual art. With fifteen years of teaching experience, an eye for composition and beauty and the philosophical training to discuss and analyze art, Lalita became the sole provider for her husband and daughter for five years.
Lalita currently lives with her husband and three daughters in Langley, BC. She is a writer, a musician, and a visual artist. Art is now, and always will be, her life's work.
Artist's Statement
“I create colourful representational paintings with a focus on the interplay of shapes created by lights and darks. Whether I use oils, acrylics, watercolour or pastel, my paintings have a rich, velvety depth, giving them an Old Masters feel. I am intrigued by composition and pattern. I am fascinated with understanding and capturing the human spirit, inspired by the challenge of a difficult piece, and propelled by the unknown.”
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EDUCATION
2005 – pres. Primarily self-taught. Took courses with Paul Chizik, Suzanne Northcott, Dianna Ponting, Jean Pederson and others.
2001 – 2004 Vancouver Academy of Art - Various classes such as: Human Anatomy, Colour Theory, Portraits in Oil, Oil Landscapes, Drawing Portraits – Advanced, Life Drawing, and Symphonic Composition.
1997 University of Victoria – Honours BA in Philosophy, English minor.
AWARDS & MEMBERSHIPS
2007 AFCA Status - Federation of Canadian Artists (FCA)
2007 Award of Excellence – FVC FCA for “Edinburgh Rooftops”
2006 Alan Wylie SFCA Award – FCA for “One Pit Left to Go”
2006 Best in Show –The Act in Maple Ridge–FVC FCA for “View from the Top”
2005 Second in Show – FVC FCA for “Japanese Lanterns”
2005 Award of Excellence – Art Fusion Show for “Sacrificial Sake”
2005 Derek East Award for Business Excellence - Community Involvement
2005 Nominated for the “Women of Excellence” Awards in Arts & Culture.
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2011 AIRS - Federation of Canadian Artists (FCA)
2011 Haiku Inspirations - FCA
2011 Human Figure Show – FCA
2010 Spilsbury Medal Show - FCA
2010 65 Red Roses – selected as one of “65 of the most prestigious Canadian artists”, Lalita contributed a small rose painting in honour of Eva Markvoort to be part of a mural, which now hangs in the Vancouver Children’s Hospital.
2010 Crossing Boundaries - An exhibition by invitation of Canadian artists from CCAFV & FCA at the Chinese Cultural Centre Museum
2009 Spilsbury Medal Show - FCA
2007 FVC Juried Show – Kariton House, Abbotsford
2006 Chapters Only Show – FCA Gallery Vancouver
2005 Small, Smaller, Smallest – FCA Gallery Vancouver
2005 Chapters Only at the FCA Gallery Vancouver.
2005 Exploring Series at the FCA Gallery Vancouver.
2005 Human Figure at the FCA Gallery in Vancouver.
2005 FVC Juried Show at Kariton House in Abbotsford, BC.
2005 Art Fusion May 6 - 13, 2005 at the Gainsborough Gallery in Calgary, AB. May 24 - June 5, 2005 at the Federation Gallery in Vancouver, BC.
2005 Random Acts of Art April 7 - June 24th at the Langley Museum and National Exhibition Centre.
2005 Black & White ShowApril at the Federation of Canadian Artist’s Gallery on Granville Island, BC.
2005 Face Yourself March 8 – April 9 in conjunction with the Canadian Institute of Portrait Artists at “Place Des Arts” in Coquitlam BC.
2005 Urban Landscapes Feb 15 – 27 at the FCA Vancouver Gallery.
2004 Out of Line at the Surry Art Gallery.
SELECTED MEDIA ARTICLES
June 26, 2009 Langley Advance “More than an artist, An educator”
Aug 22, 2006 Langley Advance “Arts Alive”
Aug, 2006 Chilliwack Times
Oct 2004 Langley Times “WindSong showcases artist’s debut solo show”
Aug, 2004 Langley Times “Brushing Up on her Art” – Micah Ringham benefit
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
2010 Art Avenue Magazine – “Being an Artist: Full Exposure”
Nov/Dec 2009 Art Avenue Magazine – “Being an Artist: Personal Truth”
Sept/Oct 2009 Art Avenue Magazine – “Being an Artist: Family or Career?”
Jan/Feb 2008 Art Avenue Magazine – “I Like It but I’m not sure Why”
TEACHING / DEMOS
2006 – present Facilitator of monthly art critiques
2005 – present Classes, workshops and demos for art organizations such as the Federation of Canadian Artists, Port Kells Art Club, Richmond Artist’s Guild, Mission, Maple Ridge, Garibaldi Art Club, FV Brain Injury Assoc., and many more.
2005 – present Teaches private lessons and courses from personal studio in Langley, BC
PRIVATE / CORPORATE COLLECTIONS
Law Society of BC, Kazimirski Law Corp., Markvoorts, Jan Bulman, Stephanie Tietjen,
Cathy & Lee Ringham, Janny Thompson, Forrest Nelson, Vesanto Melina, Herman &
Anna Meyer, Tahirah Walsh, Ward Washington, Charlotte Washington, Elaine Chatwin,
Frank Uebershcar, Billie-Jo Thompson