Sisters share artistic passion at the Goderich Co-op Gallery

Painting by Bridget Van Osch.

Following the brilliant success of the Exposure art show in April, two sisters who are both artists will be featured guests during May at the Goderich Co-op Gallery.

Bridget Van Osch's artistic journey has been shaped by a full and busy life. Raising seven children on a large rural property left little time for hobbies, and it was only about six years ago that she finally opened the beginner's oil painting kit her late husband had gifted her years before.

Learning as she went, she embraced the process wholeheartedly — experimenting her way through a dozen brushes per session to find just the right effect.

Her work reflects a deep love of the landscape around her, from the beauty of the local countryside to the tranquility of backcountry camping with her family. Rooted in realism, her paintings carry the quiet observation of someone who has lived closely with the land.

Denise Dalton's love of the creative arts goes back as far as she can remember — from colouring geography maps in grade school to designing fantastical clothing and futuristic houses as a teenager, before finally falling in love with painting.

Her formal training came during a year at the University of Windsor, where she focused on foundational drawing techniques, and she has been teaching herself ever since.

After years of limited output and a full working life, retirement gave her the freedom to return to her easel. She has explored acrylics and watercolour but always finds her way back to oils.

Her subjects range from local scenery to the awe-inspiring landscapes of the northern wilderness, and she also relishes the challenge of portraiture — working across styles from realism and impressionism to abstraction and even surrealism. She paints now purely for pleasure and finds joy in the happiness her paintings bring to those who receive them.

The sisters, united by a shared love of oils and a lifelong creative curiosity, bring two very different paths to a wonderfully common destination.

The exhibition opens on Friday, May 1. Join us for the opening reception on Saturday, May 9 at 2 p.m. 

See new member art on the Feature Wall, exploring the theme of Journeys, on display from May through July.

Visit us at 54 Courthouse Square, downstairs from Elizabeth's Art Gallery.

New hours are now in effect: Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., except the second Wednesday of each month, when hours are 12–5 p.m.