Jamie Bell’s space-themed painting is part of a summer exhibition in Winnipeg, focusing on surface and texture rather than traditional landscape detail. The work stands out for how it approaches something as distant as outer space using very physical, hands-on methods.

The piece is built with spray paint and acrylic on canvas. A crescent moon sits off to the left, worked over with a dense, stippled texture that gives it a rough, cratered feel. It’s not polished or overly precise — the surface is intentionally uneven, closer to something you’d want to look at up close than from across the room.

Behind it, the background shifts through dark reds and muted tones, suggesting a kind of low-lit nebula rather than a dramatic or high-contrast space scene. Small flecks of paint and spray are scattered across the surface, forming a tight field of stars that feels more atmospheric than decorative.

One of the more noticeable elements in person is how the light plays across the painting. There’s a faint lens-flare effect, like a light source just out of view, and it changes slightly depending on where you’re standing. The deeper colours — reds, greens, and purples — don’t jump out right away but settle in as you spend more time with it.

Bell’s work fits into a broader group of Winnipeg artists working with straightforward materials and process-driven approaches. There’s no attempt to overcomplicate the idea. It’s about surface, balance, and how far you can push simple tools like spray paint.

The exhibition runs through the summer and is open to the public.