visual arts by Maureen Curtis Not Just Another Pretty Picture a r o u n d h e r D u n d a r a v e s t u d i o apartm e n t . T h e s e are j o y o u s w o r k s . T h e female figure, often n u d e , is h e r p r e d o m i n a n t subject, and the o n e she did of herself o n h e r 6 5 t h birthday honestly and h u m o u r o u s l y p o r t r a y s those surprise moments when w e realize that t h e years have e x t r a c t e d their toll. B r o s s a r d is a prolific painter, w r i t e r , and p h o t o g r a p h e r . " T h e largest r o o m in my h o m e is always the s t u dio," says B r o s s a r d . H e r t h r e e c h i l d r e n g r e w up smelling t u r p e n t i n e and being asked t o give t h e i r i m p r e s sions of h e r latest w o r k . A f t e r launching h e r kids, b e c o m i n g single, and jettisoning h e r car and c o n c e r n o v e r o u t w a r d appearances, she e n t e r e d a p e r i o d of intense creativity. T h e s e days she often starts painting even b e f o r e getting d r e s s e d . "It just c o m e s . . . I feel that I am just starting my life," says the 71 year o l d w i t h a gleam in h e r eye. B r o s s a r d has lived in M e x i c o and in many c o m m u n i t i e s throughout I d o n ' t w a n t t o focus o n evil and g l o o m , but if w e d o n ' t learn f r o m incidents like the M o n t r e a l M a s s a c r e , w e are a l l o w i n g t h e m t o c o n t i n u e , " says Regehr. H e r paintings are highly d e t a i l e d , g l o w i n g p o r t r a i t s of w o m e n t h r o u g h o u t h i s t o r y w h o have a c c o m p l i s h e d great d e e d s , s u r v i v e d h a r d s h i p s , o r symbolized important aspects of femininity. "I have f o u n d i n s p i r a t i o n in t h e lives of t h e w o m e n I portray," she says. Each w o m a n is d e p i c t e d as a s h o p w i n d o w m a n n e q u i n (a private p u n o n the w o r d M a n ' o k i n ) . T h e figu r e s are headless, t o e n c o u r a g e t h e viewer to focus o n the inner p e r s o n ality r a t h e r t h a n t h e o u t w a r d appearance of each w o m a n o r the w o m e n . T h e y are d e c o r a t e d e x q u i s itely w i t h s y m b o l s reflecting the special qualities of t h e subjects, and each is s u r r o u n d e d by s c r i p t that details t h e i r a c h i e v e m e n t s . T h e Valiant Five: A W o m a n But N o t A P e r s o n by Sharalee Regehr angry man s t r o d e into L'Ecole P o l y t e c h n i q u e a n d e n d e d t h e lives o f 14 y o u n g w o m e n e n g i n e e r i n g s t u dents. T h e event, k n o w n as t h e M o n t r e a l M a s s a c r e , deeply affected and h o r r i f i e d p e o p l e a c r o s s C a n a d a . M o t h e r s , fathers, s i s t e r s , b r o t h e r s , and friends o f y o u n g w o m e n , i d e n t i fied w i t h t h e agony such a tragedy brings. A s the a n n i v e r s a r y o f t h e event a p p r o a c h e s again, h o w e v e r , many w o m e n also e x p e r i e n c e the anger, p u z z l e m e n t , and sense of injustice that c o m e s f r o m k n o w i n g that m o r e of t h e i r sex have been beaten o r killed by m e n since that d a t e . T h e y can't explain o r escape t h e fact that t h o s e 14 w o m e n w e r e killed just because they w e r e w o m e n T w o N o r t h S h o r e artists,Vange B r o s s a r d and Sharalee Regehr, have i n c o r p o r a t e d this e x p e r i e n c e i n t o t h e i r lives a n d t h e i r a r t w o r k . N e i t h e r has a v e n d e t t a w i t h m e n , but t h e r e is s o m e t h i n g undeniably feminine a b o u t t h e way they e x p r e s s t h e m s e l v e s o n t h e canvas. E . M . B r o s s a r d is t h e n a m e Evangeline " V a n g e " B r o s s a r d g o e s by in t h e a r t w o r l d . S o m e o n e suggested that she use h e r initials s o as n o t t o c o m e a c r o s s as e i t h e r male o r female w h e n she signs h e r paintings. But w i t h o u t a d o u b t , h e r w o r k is all w o m a n . T h e r e is great variety in h e r w o r k , w h i c h includes a c r y l i c s o n c a n vas, collage, glazes, w a t e r c o l o u r , chalk, a n d pastels. Montreot Massacre, an oil painting T his D e c e m b e r 6 is the t e n t h a n n i v e r s a r y of t h e day w h e n an British C o l u m b i a . B e f o r e settling in W e s t V a n c o u v e r , she stayed f o r seve r a l years in B r a c k e n d a l e , w h e r e t h e beautiful u n t a m e d s u r r o u n d i n g s had a m a j o r i m p a c t o n the g r e e n lushness o f h e r paintings. D r y d e n C r e e k , a p o e m she w r o t e d u r i n g that t i m e , w o n s e c o n d p r i z e in a N o r t h S h o r e W r i t e r s Association contest. F o r B r o s s a r d , painting is a means o f s e l f - e x p r e s s i o n , w h i c h can also help h e r deal w i t h d i s t u r b i n g events and e m o t i o n s , o r c e l e b r a t e t h e myst e r i e s of nature and t h e joys of being a woman. Sharalee Regehr, w h o is s h o w i n g h e r w o r k at the N o r t h S h o r e Women's Centre from December 8 t o mid-January, has t i m e d t h e event t o c o i n c i d e w i t h t h e a n n i v e r s a r y of t h e M o n t r e a l M a s s a c r e . She is n o t c o n s u m e d , h o w e v e r , w i t h the v i o l e n t aspects of t h e event. "I d o n ' t see w o m e n as victims. I w a n t t o inspire a n d enlighten p e o p l e . B r o s s a r d did t o e x p r e s s h e r feelings a b o u t t h e b l o o d y event, w a s a finalist in t h e prestigious 1998 C o m p e t i t i o n f o r E x c e l l e n c e in t h e A r t s . It features t h e male and female s y m b o l s , w i t h a splash of red o n t h e female. It and several o t h e r d a r k , t r o u b l e d w o r k s about hungry children, street people, and victim of r a c i s m R o d n e y K i n g are in c o n t r a s t t o a series o f " p i n k l a d y " p i c t u r e s that B r o s s a r d has s t r e w n