‘Living Like Fish” at Candy Club Collective Virtual Show and Sale- NOW OPEN!

The Candy Club Collective arises from a group of 25 female artists who come together under the leadership of Katrina Berg to learn art business processes and strategies. Our group show opens today! All paintings are priced at $150 and $200. You can shop the collection at https://katrinaberg.com/collections/candy-club-collective-show?page=6

When I considered what I was going to paint for the show, I decided I’d do riffs off of a larger painting titled “Living Like Fish,” that showed at the recent Ogden Eccles Art Center’s Statewide Competition. The eight paintings featured in the Candy Club Collection Show, Like the “Living Like Fish” painting describe our experiences of living in quarantine. All of the paintings feature fish, most of them in either a pet store fish bag or a fishbowl. 

The image featured above is titled, “Seeking Clarity.” The image is full of complex reflections and shadows, much like our experience as we wade through news reports, social media posts, and simple rumor. It is hard at times to see what is “true” and what is imagined, what is reflections of thoughts, and what is simply our hopes, bright lights just on the periphery of our vision.

The painting “Weathering the Storm” showcases a guppy family that includes a dad, pregnant mom, and six guppy babies. As a mom of a large family, having everyone home during quarantine was such an unexpected gift, but as homeschooling continued, the experience became a challenging one. This painting reflects that experience.

”Coming Up for Air,” is a 6 x 6 inch painting featuring a black goldfish breaking the water’s surface. During quarantine, I had such a visceral sensation that I was holding my breath, waiting for the virus to pass, waiting to feel safe. Summer arrived, quarantine eased, and I saw friends again, we came up for air. This piece explores the sensation of relief.

In the 10 x 10 inch painting titled, “Meeting Our Nature,” three bags of goldfish sit on a counter. Some fish seem to be just swimming indifferently, just being fish. One fish appears open-mouthed, looking straight at the viewer. It can be interpreted as yelling, but could also be viewed as gulping, or singing, as my daughter suggested. I posit what you conclude is largely a reflection of your feelings and subsequent thoughts, our thought habits reflected back to us.

The painting, “In It Together” is 6 x 6 inches and features two koi, one with his fin around the other. During this pandemic, we have had to buoy each other. This piece serves as a reminder to take care of each, to be for each other. Together we can solve whatever arises.

“Roommates” is 10 x 10 inches, featuring 2 fish sharing a pet store fish bag, swimming. When quarantine set-in during late March, my college-age daughter was marooned in Seattle with her fairly new roommates that she knew, but with whom she never expected to be spending every waking moment. This piece reflects on how we adjust when spending so much time together in such a confined space.

In the 10 x 10 inch painting, “Making Room” one large goldfish dominates the fish bag while the other fish accommodates him. As I mentioned earlier, many of my older children returned home with friends to our home, for weeks during the quarantine. It truly was what I affectionally call “Corona lemonade.” Never did I expect to have the opportunity to be together that closely for so long, after they left for college! It was a special time, I will forever cherish- though glad they were able to return to their jobs, apartments, and schools. 

During the pandemic, so many of us have been separated by miles and policies. In the case of my husband’s family, the pandemic left one parent stranded alone in a skilled nursing facility, his wife unable to visit him due to the facility’s lockdown. Like them, so many of us have survived isolation thru Zoom. “Seeking Connection” is 6 x 6 inches and features two goldfish in separate bowls, pressing their “noses” together. Humans were made to be social and connected, we yearn to be together, this painting reflects on that yearning.

All eight small oil paintings in the show are framed in a floating raw maple frame. They are wired to hang, but could also sit nicely in a bookcase. Again, you can shop these paintings at https://katrinaberg.com/collections/candy-club-collective-show?page=6