Art of Johnsons Landing Retreat Center

Monika’s dolmen piece is truly unique and stands out as an original creation. A dolmen, also known as a portal tomb, is a single-chamber megalithic burial site typically made up of two or more standing stones that hold up a large, flat capstone resembling a table. These structures primarily date back to the Late Neolithic era, around 4000 to 3000 BCE, and were often topped with earth or smaller stones to create a burial mound, known as a tumulus. This artwork was painted by her first winter experience in Johnsons Landing.

Noah, the son of Denys and Monika, created a remarkable piece called Leonardo. He began by meticulously carving the image from a rubber mat, and then he applied ink to it before stamping it onto paper. This entire process is quite intricate and requires a lot of skill. Noah was inspired to create this original depiction of Da Vinci because he admired the designs and thought they would be fun to carve. Interestingly, he found Leonardo’s beard to be particularly challenging to create, adding an extra layer of complexity to his artistic endeavor. Leonardo da Vinci was a versatile Italian genius of the High Renaissance, excelling as a painter, draftsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect.

This artwork is created by Frere Jerome Paradis, who lived from 1902 to 1994. He was part of a group of Catholic priests involved in the art scene in Montréal. The piece is an oil painting on canvas. When Denys’ parents sold their house, they had their art collection appraised, and Denys selected this particular piece because it was located outside his childhood room, creating a lasting connection for him. The artwork is titled La Vigne Grimpante, which means “the crawling vine.” It was originally bought for $125 and was valued at $3,000 25 years ago.

Denys shares a special bond with ravens. During a spirit journey led by a Shaman, he experienced a profound moment when she began drumming, helping him calm his mind and unleash his imagination. In that state, he envisioned himself soaring through the skies on the back of a raven. No matter where he goes, a raven seems to be nearby. This artwork was acquired from Gallery Odin in Silverstar, where Denys and Monika have a close relationship with the gallery owners.

Mountain dialog is a cherished artwork that Denys inherited from his parents’ collection, and this piece they bought in Cape Cod. This piece has accompanied him throughout his life, highlighting the fascinating way certain art resonates with us. It feels fitting that he ended up with it, given his life in the mountains and the artwork’s mountain theme. The quote says: You ask me, “Why do you live in these blue mountains?” I can’t answer but smile: The answer is in my heart. The fallen peach petals on the water flow quietly and far. This is altogether a different world.

The beetle is again a piece our son Noah created, using the same technique, which by the way is called Lino carving. Linocut is a printmaking method similar to woodcut, utilizing a linoleum sheet as the relief surface. An artist carves a design into the linoleum using tools like a sharp knife leaving the uncut areas to create a mirror image of the intended print. The surface is then inked with a roller, known as a brayer, and pressed onto paper or fabric, allowing for printing to be accomplished either manually or with a printing press. Noah came across a X-Ray image of a beetle which inspired that carving. The quote around it is apparently from Paul McCartney. “You can judge a man’s true character by the way he treats his fellow animals.”

Monika created this painting of the Buddha’s face. Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and spiritual teacher in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE, and he is the founder of Buddhism. Buddhist tradition holds that the Buddha advocated for a Middle Way, balancing between indulgence and extreme self-denial, which leads to liberation from ignorance, desire, rebirth, and suffering. His essential teachings are encapsulated in the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path, which emphasizes ethical conduct, compassion, and meditative practices like mindfulness and deep meditation.

Monika and Denys acquired the landscape at an auction, and it showcases the beauty of the Chilcotin. This region features stunning golden plateaus nestled within the forested Coast Mountain Range, alongside grasslands and glaciers, as well as alpine rivers and lakes. The Chilcotin boasts a remarkable variety of wildlife, including the largest population of bighorn sheep in Canada, along with rare white pelicans, trumpeter swans, bears, lynx, wolves, mountain caribou, and countless wild horses, all flourishing in some of the last remaining pristine grasslands in the world.