Kaija Savinainen
stop no. 12
Kaija Savinainen-Mountain lives in rural Mississippi Mills on her farm property surrounded by her spectacular and inspirational gardens and her animals. She has a BFA from the University of Lethbridge and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Ottawa.
Prior to painting, Kaija immerses herself in the place, capturing its essence in quick sketches and then deciding on the main compositional elements. Her style is not realistic: instead, she seeks the emotional and spiritual qualities of the place as she experiences it. Kaija uses bold, vivid colours, maintaining a looseness of brushwork, and trusting the spontaneity of her initial vision.
“As I stood overlooking the vast expanse of Lake Superior stretching westward, I was mesmerized, and spellbound – breathing in the landscape – absorbing her power.
This rugged Algoma country is spectacular. Autumn trees of brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows intermingled with the deep greens and blues of spruce and pines were magnificent. The rich colour palette of the undergrowth, the small forest clearings, dark pools of beaver ponds, boreal creeks and flowing rivers, over ancient rocky outcrops jutting emphatically out of the forested hillsides were sublime.
Onward then to Yellowknife, NWT and the Ingraham Road. Here the subject becomes a deep wintry landscape. She is silent, powerful, dangerously cold but oh so magnificent.”
Crown and Pumpkin 