TAIMI POLDMAA

Landscape Oil Painter

Born in London, England, I currently live in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. My love of nature was developed at a young age while growing up in a small mining town in northern Ontario where my Estonian family emigrated following the war years. My art reflects my adventurous nature, established early in childhood exploring the wilderness into which we were immersed. I am an oil painter of the landscape. My work is contemporary and representational with abstractions of colour, line and shape. I paint the coastal landscape of Lake Superior which captures the interest of everyone that visits its shores. I am intrigued by the colours and shapes of rock formations and how the shifting of seasons alters the hues of woodland, skies and water.  My paintings are inspired by geological phenomena as well as man-made structures that have become part of local heritage. My current work is inspired by the region of the Agawa Coastal Trail within Lake Superior Provincial Park. Each series has presented a distinct challenge and given me an opportunity to put into practice a new technique or an abstract approach to experiment with. Oil paint is my medium of choice because of its richness of colour and the slow drying time which allows for the blending technique that I like. I employ a limited palette to engage unity and harmony of colour and use contrasting intensities and values to strengthen my paintings. I am inspired while exploring, finding unique shapes and structures to communicate what I see and feel from the natural landscape.