Valerie Butters Valerie Butters is fascinated by the subconscious and influenced by surrealism and expressionism. Valerie has studied under many prominent contemporary artists such as Jennifer Hornyak, Marilyn Rubenstein, Seymour Segal, Shirly Jats, Philip Iverson and Sophie Jodoin. She was also inspired by the revolutionary Canadian artist, Paul-Emile Borduas. Borduas created a very different vision of life and art with his spontaneous expressions of emotions, feelings and sensations. While his work was considered radical at the time, Butter's work is seen as joyful explosions of colour and emotion. Her evolution and exuberant exploration of colour and composition make her still-life's and landscapes flamboyant and exciting. Valerie attended the Ottawa School of Art in 2001, and in 2005 graduated from a three-year Comprehensive Arts Program at the Saidye Bronfman Centre, in Montreal, where she received art scholarships in 2003 and in 2004. Her quick evolution and exploration of colour and compositions resides in her still-life's and landscapes. Her large formats and flamboyant style have caught the eye of art critics such as Henry Lehman of the Montreal Gazette, who described her work at "....interestingly gaudy, exuberantly messy..." Butters has participated in over 60 group and solo shows across Canada. “… She churns out painting after painting as if her life depended on it. It is the process of painting, and how her brush interacts with the canvas using acrylic paint as the catalyst that is as important to her as the process of breathing. This vibrancy is evident in every brush stroke in every painting she creates …” Hand from Viva City (Westmount, October 2006) “… interestingly gaudy, exuberantly messy …” • Henry Lehmann of the Montreal Gazette (11 September 2004)