Journeys, Dreams and Fantasies

Three Headwaters Arts member artists, Marnie Cook, acrylic painter Susan Kelly, oil painter and Jolanta Jung, ceramic and glass, present an eclectic selection of over 30 works that capture their interpretations of the wild journeys, colourful dreams and whimsical fantasies. Marnie’s modern abstract paintings are filled with colour and stimulate thought and discovery; Susan’s bold, impressionistic landscapes capture the light in a playful but deliberate way and Jolanta’s ceramic and glass designs are unique, free flowing forms with colours and added materials that exude the ultimate in whimsical. They all pull their inspiration from the richly textured and colourful landscapes within the Headwaters region.

Marnie Cooke is an abstract, acrylic painter who hails from Mono, Ontario. She says, “I believe that each artist grows and develops along a very personal path. Sometimes a simple image or thought sparks a moment to propel you forward to another new level. I embrace these moments.” Marnie was fortunate to have a long career in dance that allowed her to tour the world performing, choreographing and teaching. Notable companies include: The Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Les Ballet Jazz, BalletYs and the Canadian Opera Company.

Susan Kelly, is a self-taught painter who works primarily in oil. She lives in Guelph and as a child her parents instilled a love for the countryside. Growing up in England, many weekends included long hikes over the Yorkshire moors and holidays were spent on the rugged shores of the North Sea. Says Kelly, “I find the colours of the environment, the flora, the landscapes, and seascapes energizing whether it be spring’s blooms, the soft hues of a misty day, or the intensity of colour on the land as the sun goes down in the late fall.” She uses landscape and colour to stimulate the senses, and generally evoke memory and emotion with a goal to offer hope and renewal and uplift to the art viewer.

Jolanta Jung was born and educated in Poland and moved to Canada in 1981. Jolanta, lives in Caledon, and is primarily a ceramic artist but in her early years she was drawn to combining materials in her clay creations, such as wood, leather or more recently glass. Her works have been accepted into various juried art exhibitions across Ontario, but most recently she had works juried into the Headwaters Arts Fall Festival Art Show and Sale in the Headwaters Arts Gallery, at the Alton Mill Arts Centre in Alton.


The Journeys, Dreams and Fantasies show runs from October 6-November 7, 2021.