REGINA COUPAR STUDIO

Regina Coupar Studio

Update: October 2023

Recent Work

The Creative Process 2023 41"x24"

About me...

I am a graduate of Mount Saint Vincent University (1998) in Halifax, NS, beginning my study there after turning forty. My experience there as a ‘mature student’ was somewhat of an anomaly at that time. This initial degree whetted my appetite for more, and about ten years later I continued my study, pursuing a Master’s degree at the Atlantic School of Theology (2009), also in Halifax. My master’s thesis explored the idea that some art and artists have historically ‘done’ theology; they did’t always merely illustrate the theological ideas others.

My experience at AST led me to Italy where I learned the techniques of fourth century Byzantine mosaic-making. When I returned from I entered a doctoral degree program at the University of Toronto (2014), for which I adapted the ancient mosaic techniques I had learned to create an eight panel mosaic as the centrepiece of my thesis. Using an arts-based research approach I focused the on relationship between aesthetic and religious experience. More on this project can be viewed at:
http://www.reginacoupar.ca/grace-chapel-mosaic.html

The entire doctoral thesis can be viewed on the U of T website:
https://tspace.library.utoronto.ca/handle/1807/67420

The Creative Process (detail)

About the mosaic process...

This recent work (2023) employs the mosaic techniques used in Ravenna, Italy, during the early centuries of the Common Era. Most mosaics that remain in this UNESCO site can be seen in their original form in churches and public buildings throughout this small Italian city. They were created on ceilings and below narrow window openings as a means of catching and reflecting light inside the dim buildings. To this end, tesserae (small pieces) are cut singular by hand from larger materials (mostly stone and glass paste called smelt) into tiny shapes, using a small anvil and hardie (small sharpened hammer), which I also use for my work. Tesserae were placed directly into wet limestone, then manipulated with small tools so that the uneven surface would maximize the effects of light. No grout is used in this process. This detail shows freshwater pearls and shells being used as tesserae.

Depression from the inside out (2023) 24"diameter

Depression... detail

Random Thoughts 2023 20"x16"

Time 24"x6"

Time 2022 (detail) 24"x6"

There's a hole in my heart 2023 8"x10"

Moonshadow 2023 20"x16"

Update: September 2019

Therapy Art

Moving along in my Therapy ART for generalized anxiety and clinical depression, I have decided to return (at least for awhile) to making art in a tactile fashion. While I love to work directly on a screen I found myself wanting to create tangible work. This, of course, is in tension with my reluctance to 'make stuff,' given the overabundance of things in the world today. As an artist, I don't really know how to resolve that.problem. Maybe, like Scarlett O'Hara, I'll "think about that tomorrow..."
For now, I interested in the mundane - everyday shapes, sometimes coupled with previously painted works. At this stage of life, appreciating the repetition of routine activities, while challenging, has become an important step in my journey towards wellness.