The Gallery at L.E. Shore is excited to host artists Diana Bick and Kim Etherington-Reid for our June 2026 exhibition.
These two artists’ distinct styles have been brought together by chance.
But what they are both addressing through their abstract and non-objective art is how the land - nature - is changing. It is in constant motion. Air, water, soil, biodiversity, are shifting by natural processes, but more importantly, by human influences. Their expression in art is physical, but also emotional, as seen in the mark making and textures of this exhibition’s works.
These interpretations are personal, but in sharing the artwork, the intent is that an appreciation of what is happening and how we might influence the outcome, becomes a topic of conversation and perhaps action. The artwork is intentionally subtle, but the message is not.
Exhibit Schedule
Opens: June 6, 2026
Grand Reception: June 6 | 2-4pm | All welcome!
Closes: June 30 at 2pm
Diana Bick
Inspiration for Diana Bick's work comes from a keen sense of observation and trusting her self-expression. She is influenced by the nature and water of her surroundings and enjoys capturing these elements in her home studio. Her non-objective pieces and abstract/realism pieces are recognizable for their movement, vibrancy and organic awareness.
The process for any piece starts with an inspiration, but more importantly, the initial creation of colours. Mixing her own combinations of acrylic paint is the first step and this is process on its own. She is always aware of the colour, shape, texture and sense of design as her pieces develop. She places her canvases on the floor and pours the paint onto the canvases, creating and capturing the movement of the paint and the balancing of the shapes. The textures are created from the multiple layers and the consistency of the mixed paint. Finished pieces are done in many stages with layers upon layers of paint being poured. Some pieces will incorporate the use of tools such as a brayer, paper towel, and scrapers and her hands. Along the way, bricks are often used, placed under the canvas to persuade the paint to move in a different direction.
People often ask how long a piece takes. Years. Over the years, your artistic expression, style and techniques change and develop - just as one does.
Biography
Diana’s formal education is in Early Childhood Education. Before relocating to Thornbury from Thornhill in 2018, she served as the Director and Teacher of the Art Program at Hillcrest Progressive School in Toronto.
Diana had a serious interest in Studies in Art and pursued art classes at Haliburton School of the Arts, mixed-media lessons with Annette Blady and private instruction with D.D. Gadjanski and Lila Lewis Irving. and the Women in Arts program at York University. She was also a member of the Toronto Watercolour Society, Willowdale Group of Artists, and Bayview Arts Society. Diana’s artistic interests, combined with her knowledge in Early Childhood Education, provided her with the opportunity to work as an Art Director and Teacher during the final seven years of her career.
She has shown in numerous juried exhibitions and is the recipient of many awards. Diana has displayed her work at the Propeller Gallery (Toronto), the Elaine Fleck Gallery on Queen Street (Toronto), and the Arta Gallery in the Distillery District (Toronto). Her art also hangs at Virox Technologies (Oakville) and in many private collections.
Upon retirement in 2018, Diana was honoured to volunteer her time and years of practice and knowledge to the Arts and Culture Council at the Blue Mountains Public Library. A longstanding member of the Council, she is well versed in the jurying and hanging of exhibitions. In recent years, she has exhibited at The Gallery at L.E. Shore and the Peaks Ski Club and was a participant in the 2020 Art Map and the 2024 Arts & Crafts Walk (Thornbury/Clarksburg).
Kim Etherington-Reid
Ultimately my work has been a response to the issues of global warming and environmental practices. Scientific predictions and dialogue have established our impact and responsibility towards the environment, and the need to adopt more conscientious practices.
I have had the opportunity to live abroad in less developed and privileged societies and have witnessed varying attitudes and practices towards pollution control, air quality and recycling. It is through these multi-cultural experiences that I witnessed global connectivity to the environment. The context of my art aims to bring the issue of pollution to mind.
Considerations in my work lie within influential forces on nature and their impact within nature. The work plays on relationships and reactions through forms that evoke landscape elements, energies and forces. The visual language found in this work has culminated from integrating traditional and non-traditional media and methods utilized in painting and printmaking.
Biography
Kim Etherington-Reid is a Canadian artist living in Meaford, Ontario.
Landscapes, in all their forms, have been a lifelong passion and preoccupation for her. Her work in Mixed Media plays with forms evoking abstracted landscape references. Exploring her world as a youth and alarmed by the early warnings of David Suzuki, it is not surprising the focus of her work has been a response to the issues of global warming and environmental practices.
Her visual language utilizes methods found in painting and mono-printmaking, explorations with other materials and collage. Line and textural relationships interplay to evoke natural land elements. Etherington-Reid often presents topics in a ‘series’ format, looking at air pollution, water levels, glaciers and a general appreciation of landscape.
Upon earning a BFA from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD 1978), her career has included art education at Glendon Gallery, York University and in the Education Department at the AGO, Toronto. Her skills also enabled her to establish a company in design and illustration and to serve as a Communications Liaison at the University of Toronto. During those years and following, Etherington-Reid pursued her fine art career.
In 1996, her husband was relocated for work, and the family began international life in Beijing, Rome and Portugal. Dallas become home in 2003, and she started an MFA at University at North Texas, but relocation to Mexico City interrupted her studies. Each location has contributed to the diversity and exploration of materials in her creative pieces. They returned to Canada in 2018.
She has exhibited and been selected in juried shows in Asia, the US and Canada. Her work is found in homes in Canada and abroad. Etherington-Reid has been successfully exhibiting with Craig Gallery since 2019 where she has sold and received commissions.
