Educated at the Kootenay School of Art in Nelson, B.C., Canada, Lee has been painting off and on for about thirty years now. She currently works in the home studio she shares with her husband, Steve Kergin, overlooking the ocean in the suburb of Colwood, on the outskirts of Victoria, B.C.
Working with oil paints enhances Lee's vibrant use of colour, most recently seen in her stylized floral paintings and prints which one enthusiastic viewer described as "uniquely beautiful".
Colour and mood are the real subjects of Lee's paintings though. Having begun her career as a landscape artist Lee has gradually gravitated towards her current style personified by large, showy, highly sylized studies of flowers.
"I try to capture moods and feelings through the use of colour. Warm and cool colours have always been used to express contrasting moods and the huge variety of colours to be found in flowers make them an ideal vehicle for my explorations. In addition to their colours the shapes of the blossoms, the foliage and the setting can all be used to enhance an expression of friendship or mystery or just pure joy.
"When I was younger quick drying acrylics allowed me to work fast and furious and to get my feelings down on canvas while they were fresh. Over the last few years though I've returned to my first passion - oil paints. Oils have such a depth and tonal range that I can do things that I find more difficult to achieve with acrylics. Subtle variations and complexities of mood are easier for me to capture with oils. Oil paints also have a lustre that acrylics don't have so the time invested pays off in the finished quality.
"I hope you enjoy looking at my work as much as I enjoy creating it. Thanks for visiting my site."
