Crickets, Frogs and Mephistopheles

About Crickets, Frogs and Mephistopheles

Inspired by nature’s palette and form, Milly Ristvedt continued her exploration of colour. In this lyrical abstract piece, colour continues to dominate as a rich green covers the canvas. Expressive swaths of colour also appear—deep blues, a bright turquoise and yellow. Fine gestural lines of red and bright green add movement and visual interest throughout the work.

"Colours were altered by adding different amounts of water, medium or gel, according to how I imagined using them as ideas fell into place during the period of testing on pieces of canvas. Once this ‘ammunition’ was lined up, I was ready to start painting." Milly Ristvedt

Born in British Columbia, Ristvedt studied at the Vancouver School of Art (now the Emily Carr University) and had her first solo exhibit at the Carmen Lamanna Gallery in Toronto. In the late 1960s, Ristvedt shared a studio with famed Canadian painter Jack Bush, met art critic Clement Greenberg and was inspired by American painters Jules Olitiski and Frank Stella. Her work has been included in many publications. She was elected to the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 2004 and honoured with the Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012. She has won seven Canada Council awards and two Ontario Arts Council awards and had over 50 solo exhibitions and been part of countless group shows.

Milly Ristvedt is represented exclusively by Oeno Gallery.