Hamilton, Isobel

Isobel Hamilton is a fine artist originally from Scotland. She is a self-taught artist and an Associate member of the Federation of Canadian Artists (AFCA) and the Royal Society of Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers (ARMS). Isobel emigrated from Scotland to Nova Scotia in 2013 and now lives with her husband in a house in the woods in the Annapolis Valley. Isobel works in acrylics and oils, using small brushes and many layers and glazes to build up colour and give a real sense of light and depth. She has always had an eye for detail – in Scotland she worked as a fingerprint expert – and she has developed a photorealistic style.

ARTIST STATEMENT

Her work explores themes of stillness, silence, and contemplation. In an age of constant distraction, artificial light, and digital life, she is drawn to tangible things and quieter moments – the kind that invite us to pause, to look closely, and to simply be present. Isobel’s work is a response to the hustle of the present day; the 24/7 lifestyle, the need to be connected at all times, constant electric illumination, digital ephemeral things. This can be exhausting, and we forget to take time to enjoy simple, real things. Isobel captures the warmth of light, and the peace of quiet contemplation of a light in the darkness, and the beauty in objects which have lived a life.