Alex Colville’s paintings often depict everyday scenes, but they are composed to encourage viewers to ponder more profound meanings. In Family and Rainstorm, the artwork examines family and home, depicting unity in the face of an approaching storm. This inspired me to create my piece, where the viewer is positioned in the backseat of a car. This perspective symbolizes the lack of control over one’s journey, especially relevant to the teenage experience. As teenagers, we often feel like passengers in our own lives, with many decisions made by elders. The backseat represents both this lack of control and a sense of safety, as it is the safest place in a car, protected by family sitting in the front. Additionally, being stuck in traffic reflects the obstacles faced in life, while the vibrant city lights of Toronto at night contrast the chaotic outside world with the introspective moment within the car.

–Edith Law (Grade 9, St. Augustine Catholic High School, Markham, Ontario)

East coast artist Alex Colville (1920–2013) is best known for his unusual use of perspective, his mastery of realism, and the interior worlds of his subjects.