Around Town - February 2017

I had the pleasure of attending two art events last Saturday.  The first was Shedding Layers, Feb 18- March 11 2017, a three person show at the Deer Lake Gallery in Burnaby.  My friend Nicole Smith's pottery crows were featured along with paintings by Jenn Ashton and David Righton.  This show was a bright and cheery way to spend a winter afternoon.  Both painters use strong colours and nature inspired imagery.  Ashton's work is fluid and whimsical, while Righton's paintings use an impasto technique that delineates his figures dramatically.
Smith's crows use various clay techniques including the raku glaze featured on the birds in the photo below.

After the Shedding Layers opening, my friend Dorothy and I attended Lori Goldberg's artist talk at the South Main Gallery in Vancouver.

Goldberg's show title was derived from Pierre Burton's idea that a Canadian is someone who knows how to make love in a canoe without tipping it over.  Using various painting techniques her imagery ranged from portages in the forest, to lone paddlers on lakes, and solitary canoes as objects in their own right.

My favourite pieces were O Canada, Spring Melt, and Homage.  South Main Gallery is a bright space that feels intimate yet was spacious enough for the paintings to breathe.  Goldberg talked about the paint techniques that she used to create the work, along with why canoes and their history compelled her to explore further.  The show is up until this Sunday February 25.
To receive my monthly newsletter of exclusive art related content please sign up at this link.

*to comment or see past posts please click the post title above.*

JJ

Atelier

This word has stuck with me the last two weeks.  I love it.  This french word for studio or workroom, atelier, it is superior- if a word can be that.  It is a romantic word.  A word of action and substance.

As we walked the ancient narrow streets of Montpellier France this summer we came across this lovely scene. Others may have noticed the dresses first, or the freshly watered plant, or the lovely hand painted sign saying "Le Fil et son Aiguille" (the thread and its needle).

But I looked inside and saw a solitary artist making her work.

"A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction..." -Virginia Woolf

Not only to write fiction, but to paint, to sew, to make, to think, to be.

An atelier of one's own.  A space that is quiet, and yours.

Just a simple thought for today in a time that is not simple.

If you'd like to receive exclusive essays and art book related reviews please sign up for my newsletter here.  To leave a comment or visit archived posts click on the title of this post.

JJ