Birth, the human figure and the balance of motherhood and career.

Three distinct subjects, but when expressed on canvas they seem to flow into one another.

It’s a Human Thing is an exhibit of paintings put on by three local artists, which wrapped up this past weekend after a month of viewing at Chapel Gallery in Bracebridge. However, if the trio’s plans come to fruition, the Bracebridge show will be the first of many.

With an overwhelmingly positive response to their exhibit, the women are looking to take it on the road and possibly expand into larger galleries in southern Ontario.

The show focuses on the work of Muskoka artists Jennifer Posti, Annie Veitch and Amanda Greavette.

As Posti explained, the exhibit grew out of an existing friendship the three women share.

“We all went to OCAD (Ontario College of Art and Design) together and we’ve always wanted to do a show together,” said Posti. “All of the art was made for the purpose of this show, but there really wasn’t an overall theme in mind. We knew that we all explore similar figurative female work and it came together well.”

Posti said her five paintings are all concerned with the conflict between motherhood and career. The figures in her artwork tell their story through body language and through their relationship to their surroundings.

Greavette is also focused on motherhood, albeit on the specific act of giving birth.

The mother of two is creating a body of work on the subject called Birth Project, and several paintings from the project were part of the exhibit.

“I wanted to portray giving birth in a positive way. I had a very positive experience and many others have as well. I think too often in the media it’s portrayed as negative,” she said. “The actual experience is really amazing, and it’s full of power and emotion.”

While the artist herself is the subject of some of her work, Greavette said she also paints from photos given to her by others.

“I’m usually looking for something that conveys a lot of emotion,” she said. “Obviously not everyone can give birth, so I want to draw the viewer in and help them understand.”

The work of Veitch is hard to miss, with its life-sized depictions of the human form.

“That’s the way I paint. I don’t see it any smaller than life size,” she said. “The more figures I paint, the larger the canvas becomes.”

Veitch’s work is meant to evoke an emotional response, but the nature of that response is based entirely on the viewer, she said.

“I focus on the shapes and forms of the human body and explore how people relate to one another. These are about the female figure,” she said. “I’m not necessarily trying to say anything about it . . . I’m just exploring the beauty of the figures. The interpretation will be determined by the viewer’s own experiences with relationships and their perception of the human body.”

The women’s individual work will be on display at upcoming Muskoka Arts & Crafts shows, and they are actively looking for galleries to display their work collectively.