Young Hamilton-born painter poised for early success

Sometimes in the process of trying to explain to yourself why you don't like something, you discover that you actually love it.

Sarah Joncas's art is generous that way. It invites you not to like it, even while (or maybe because) it "seems" to want so hard to please.

Take your choice of critique. There's something for almost everyone. Does the work seem more commercial "illustration" than fine art? Are the eyes too big, the cleavage too pronounced, the lines too sinuous?

At the other end, is there too much "attitude" and ennui? Do you want to shake the shoulders of the unsmiling, unapologetic teenage girls and young women who are the almost exclusive subject matter of the work?