Art of the Kootenays

I am published, again. Thank you and good luck Karla Pearce!

Art of the Kootenays
A collection of 56 Kootenay Artists

Artists from all over the Kootenay region have come together to create a book that defines Kootenay art. A year and a half in the making, Art of the Kootenays hits the stores this November. Full colour and hard cover, this beautiful coffee table book contains fifty-six individual Kootenay artists who have come together despite geographic and regional obstacles to showcase collectively in one reference their artistic vision. Heralding from Christina Lake, Castlegar, Nelson, Trail, Rossland, Winlaw, South Slocan, Kimberly, Cranbrook, Invermere and Fernie, the artists fill the pages with photos of their contemporary Kootenay Paintings, Ceramics, Fibre, Glass, Jewellrey, Photography and Sculpture, accompanied by the personal insights and thoughts that led to their creation and written in their own words.

The idea for the project came from Karla Pearce who over a span of ten years interviewed hundreds of artists in the area for her column/ feature The Creative Edge that ran in print, radio and television. It was through her experience and the sheer volume of work that Pearce felt that other people needed to see what she saw.

“ There is an undercurrent of similarity that exists Kootenay art. The artwork here is influenced by the beautiful natural elements and the vast geographical spaces. It comes through in the colours and the subject matter. You just don’t see many city angst paintings in the Kootenays,” says Pearce.

Beautiful Ballerinas

I took a workshop with Elizabeth Wiltzen this weekend. Liz is an accomplished and well-known mountain painter but she is branching out. Excellent teacher. I hope she will forgive me for whining and complaining ( she was pushing me to use oil, a medium I loathe). We had the most wonderful models, twin ballerinas. They were terrific and held challenging poses. No wonder Degas painted dancers. Their sense of line is exquisite. I want to hire these girls just for myself. Regarding oil paint: my lungs hurt and I managed to throw my coat in the car, right on top of the wet paintings. That is why I paint in acrylic!!

These are two sketches I made in the workshop, the rest were wiped off. These were 10 or 15 minute paintings. We were there to learn... not finish a painting. Now that I am home (with photos) I would like to do some dancer paintings and try to keep some of this freshness. IN ACRYLIC.

Sun Dreams

It doesn't look like I will get my third new painting ready for the artrageous show, but I am sending this one. My daughters get all white around the eyes whenever I try to get them to pose for me.

I am attending an oil (yuck) workshop with Elizabeth Wilson this weekend. It's good info but seriously, I think the solvent vapors mess with my lungs. I woke up at 3 am hacking away.

The reason I never dated in high school

My dear brother sent me a package with dimplomas and other paraphenelia that had been in my Dad's stuff. I hated high school. What a horrendous time...college was infinetly better.

Today is my 55th birthday!! I wish some of you guys were near and could party with me. I think I may make an abstract ....those two 5's together just look cool.

Rose colored glasses

This is one of the paintings I am working on for the next artrageuos show. The colors are actually nicer, it is so gray today I can't get good light to photograph by. We had a couple of inches of snow this morning. SNOW! It ususally doesn't arrive until the end of October.

I think this one is nearly done. I hope to put a very thin yellow glaze over the whole works. This young woman was sitting on a bench outside of a restaurant when I was down visiting the girls in May and kindly let me take her photo. I love the glasses and her demure manner.

Fred Smith Wisconsin Concrete Park

My understanding is that he could not read or write, but boy could he create things. Fred went to work in the lumber camps when he was 12. He homesteaded as a young man and later ran a tavern. The park is right next to where his tavern used to be.
Me and a lion.

PK in Bobland

I have spent this week in a Robert Burridge workshop and I must say it is money well spent. I have learned lots of great production tips. The inspiration tips will take longer to sink in but they are of merit also. I need to be home in my studio to "compost" some of the ideas. The photo is one of his flower paintings. One thing he does every time he gets ready to paint is to run off a bunch of small quick paintings to get warmed up.