Shirley Asplund is at the fringe of the art world

By Stan Ashbee
Sunny South News

When art aficionados think of surrealism art Salvador Dali is no doubt one of the first artists that comes to mind. But, southern Alberta has its very own up and coming resident fringe/surrealism artist, ready to take on the art world locally and abroad — Shirley Asplund.
Her work is both thought provoking and eye catching, almost like eye candy — it lures you in — to take another look. Asplund’s very first showing was held from May 5 until June 15 in the McCain Gallery at the Coaldale Public Library.
According to the budding new artist, she has been interested in art for as long as she can remember and had some of her art work featured in a student art show at Lethbridge College.
“I went to college about 10 years ago and I was involved in that one but this Coaldale show was my first one on my own,” Asplund said.
Asplund noted she would almost describe her art as fringe art.
“Some people like to say surrealism,” Asplund explained.
Her work on display in Coaldale are acrylic paintings. But, Asplund added, normally she likes to draw with coloured pencils.
“There’s a couple of small ones that were pencil drawings,” she said, of some of the works featured in Coaldale.
Asplund has called Lethbridge home for the past 15 years, but originally grew up in Barhill, close to Picture Butte. “I grew up out there on a farm. My folks had 15 kids and I was the youngest of them,” she said.
In the past, Asplund’s art was a hobby but moving forward she hopes to eventually earn a living at it. When not putting paint or pencil to canvas or paper, Asplund works at a business in Raymond working with grinding and polishing concrete.
“I’ve done some engraving with that and staining concrete,” she said, which is of course somewhat art-related.
As for her works of art, Asplund said she tries to explore and learn about other subject matter, instead of just the usual. “I like to look for a fresh subject matter — anything opposite of what I did yesterday,” she joked.
Coming up, Asplund’s work will be part of downtown Lethbridge’s ArtBeat Aug. 19-20. Check out artbeatlethbridge.com for more information.