art of the peace | issue #24
DESCRIPTION
In this issue: The Mattsons, Tour de France, Emily Lozeron, and the Best of Three StudioTRANSCRIPT
SPRING 2015 ISSUE 24A PUBLICATION FOR THE VISUAL ARTIST
TOUR DE FRANCE EMILY LOZERONBEST OF THREE STUDIOS
The MattsonsTHREE VISUAL JOURNEYS—ONE BLOODLINEThe Mattsons
THREE VISUAL JOURNEYS—ONE BLOODLINE
THE CENTRE FOR
At the Centre
9904-101 Avenue, Grande Prairie 780-814-6080 [email protected]
Upcoming ExhibitionsClasses for all ages and levelsMonthly gallery exhibitionsGift Shop featuring local artistsBirthday partiesSchool and group bookingsDrop in studio use
The Centre’s 2015 Silent Auction Fundraiser32 Artists, 32 Canvases, 32 Works of ArtBidding will be open all month long, ending at our Closing Reception on Thursday, June 25 from 7 - 9pm.
Gallery Exhibition OpportunitiesAre you a Peace Country artist looking for the opportunity to show your latest collection of work? The Centre’s Wall Gallery has several openings in the 2015 lineup. Please contact the Centre for details.
CFCA Group Show: Gnomes and Gardens“Gnomes and Gardens” is the theme for our next group show. We are looking for Peace Country artists to create 2D and 3D art based around this theme. Enter up to three pieces. Pieces must be no bigger than 100cm x 100cm.Please e-mail an image of your submissions to [email protected] by July 12. Show runs from August 7 - 28 .
Calls for Entries
May 1 - 29 Reception: 7pm on May 1The Centre Gallery The Peace River Federation of Canadian ArtistsThe Wall Gallery Cindy Nychka
June 5 - 26 Reception: 7pm on June 5The Centre Gallery Art Squared
July 3 - 31 Reception: 7pm on July 3The Centre Gallery Stephan Ferriss
August 7 - 28 Reception: 7pm on August 7The Centre Gallery CFCA Group Show: Gnomes and Gardens
September 4 - 25 Reception: 7pm on September 4The Centre Gallery Peace Watercolor SocietyThe Wall Gallery Lynn LeCorre-DallaireSeptember 26: 2015 Wearable Arts ShowSept. 25 - Oct. 4: 5 Alarm Photography Exhibition
October 2 - 30 Reception: 7pm on October 2The Centre Gallery Carmen HaakstadThe Wall Gallery Candace Sanderson
Like The Centre for Creative Arts on FacebookFollow #CreativeArtsGP on Twitter
Art Squared
Artwork by Tammy Baduk
in this issue:
EDITOR:Joanna Moen
DESIGN & ADVERTISING:imageDESIGN10017 100 AvenueGrande Prairie, AB T8V 0V2Phone: 780-532-6353Email: [email protected]
PUBLISHER:Art of the Peace Visual Arts Association Box 21503, Coop Plaza Grande Prairie, AB, T8V 6W7Phone: 780-876-4737 (Debbie Courvoisier)Email: [email protected]
PRINTING:McCallum Printing Group
COVER:DOORWAY, Karl Mattson
©All rights reserved Art of the Peace 2015
Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited.
Art of the Peace makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information it publishes but cannot be held responsible for any consequences arising from errors or omissions.
4. ARTIST’S STATEMENT
4. CONTRIBUTORS
5. ART OUT THERE
8. TOUR DE FRANCEFIFTEEN DAYS EN PLEIN AIR IN THE FRENCH COUNTRYSIDE
10. EMILY LOZERONEMERGING ARTIST
14. THE MATTSONS THREE VISUAL JOURNEYS—ONE BLOODLINE
20. SWEETWATER905 ARTS & MUSIC FESTIVAL CELEBRATION OF MUSIC, LITERARY, VISUAL AND PERFORMANCE ART
23. ART BOOKS IN REVIEW “SEVEN DAYS IN THE ART WORLD”
24. ARTCETERA WAXING CREATIVE WITH ENCAUSTIC
26. BEST OF THREE STUDIOSTHREE REGIONAL ARTISTS
28. EXHIBITIONS & OPPORTUNITIES
30. PATRICIA PETERS
Art of the Peace Visual Arts Association acknowledges the financial assistance of:
art of the peace 3
EILEEN CORISTINE adores sum-mer and reading and writing about art. She is employed as a crisis worker at Crossroads Women’s Shelter. Through painting, pottery, and practicing Tai Chi she seeks balance and endures winter.
I have been thinking a lot about art and courage lately. For artists, there is the courage it takes to face the blank canvas, the unformed lump of clay, or to make sense of how to use the myr-iad of media and tools we encounter in our stu-dios. But even more than this, it takes courage to overcome the resistance—the sheer terror we may encounter—at the prospect of having the faith it requires to be an artist.
Who are we to think that we could ever create any art that would ever be considered to be beautiful or meaningful? But we must! We must get ourselves to the blank canvas and simply do our art. Good, bad, or indifferent, the true artist must heed the inner call to create.
One method to overcome resistance is to grant the responsibility for the quality of your art to the muses (or creator, divine spirit, the universe, the fates, as you choose). The artist’s prayer goes like this: “Okay Muses, I will take care of the process. You take care of the product.” Your only job is to do. How well it is done—leave that to the universe.
And so this edition of Art of the Peace is dedi-cated to all artists in our region who face their fears and yet still have the sheer guts to cre-ate. It takes courage to make it through a long, dark and cold winter here in the Peace, but it takes even greater bravery to stare down our own resistance.
With humility, gratitude, and no small amount of awe, I say thank you to all artists in the Peace region. Thank you for being brave enough to create. And especially, thank you to the many artists who had the courage to create the amazing artworks in this, our spring 2015 edi-tion of Art of the Peace.
JODY FARRELL has more than 25 years experience as an editor and writer for news-papers, magazines and education publica-tions. She loves writing profiles of interesting people, many of whom happen to be artists.
Artist’s StatementIN THIS ISSUE...
BY JOANNA MOEN
JOANNA MOEN is an artist and for-mer art educator. Currently she works as a psychologist. She is the past president of the Centre for Creative Arts and is passionate about supporting the arts community in the Peace Region.
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PATRICIA PETERS graduated from Brigham Young University with a BA in Com-munications and Art History. In her paintings she tries to express feelings and vitality. She employs colours and texture to give depth and excitement to her work.
SUZANNE SANDBOE has a strong drive and passion for creativity that has carried her throughout her artistic career. She loves to work in a variety of medium though focuses primarily on watercolours.
ANDREA JOHANNSON is an active ceramicist who lives in Grande Prairie. Writ-ing, both technical and whimsical, has been a longtime pursuit. She embraces the beauty of the Peace and the diversity of its artists.
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art out there...
LIVING THE DREAM RESIDENTIAL EXHIBITIONDream a little dream of your own sumptuous home studded with stel-lar art…Voila! Look no further than the Dream Home in Grande Prairie.
Eight local artists collaborated to show their pieces in the Dream Home—a charitable project sponsored by the Rotary Club of Grande Prairie and the Queen Elizabeth II Hospital Foundation.
Artists Dan Arberry, Deb Courvoisier, Carmen Haakstad, Shauna Hoffos, Ken Housego, Carrie Klukas, Lynn Le-Corre, and Jim Stokes hung their art for viewing and for sale (with 15% of proceeds from sales being donated to Grande Prairie Rotary Club). Whether abstract, representational, sculpture, or mixed media—each piece sug-gested the possibilities of how an art-filled home brings life, grace, and in-spiration to its inhabitants.
A well-attended opening was held on February 28th. Visit the dream home to view and purchase original works of art.
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HINES CREEK QUILTINGThe Piece Friends Quilt Guild held their winter retreat at the Hines Creek Arts and Crafts Club late in January.
The club, which has been operating for 11 years, includes members from Worsley, Hines Creek, and Fairview. Over the year the guild holds four re-treats. The summer one finds them quilting for a few days in the Peace River valley at Green Island Outfitters. Longtime guild member Lucille Polu-koshko says,” the retreats are a great place to learn to quilt because you can draw on the knowledge and experi-ence of all the members.”
At the retreats the 23 members may be sewing on their own projects, but during each year they work together on a quilt they call the Labour Day Baby Quilt. That quilt is given to the first baby from the region born on or after Labour Day.
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PEACE REGION ARTIST CHOSEN FOR THE CANADIAN WAR MUSEUMRobert Guest has recently been hon-oured by the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. His painting Bombers Fly-ing to Alaska has been acquired for the museum’s national collection. Not only does this credit Guest as a respected Canadian artist, but it pays tribute to his profound comprehension of history.
When the Second World War was threatening humanity, Guest was five years old, living near Beaverlodge. One day, drawn by the sound of dis-tant engines, Guest ran outside to see three Havoc A20 bombers flying north. America was flying planes from Great Falls, Montana to Fairbanks, Alaska through the skies of northern Alberta and B.C. using only the Alaska High-way as a guide. Russian pilots would then commandeer these planes where they were instrumental in defeating the Germans. That riveting childhood memory inspired Guest’s painting.
Bombers Flying to Alaska portrays the stark beauty of the punishing Peace Re-gion winter landscape. It also arouses our interest in the little known history of the western Canadian wartime saga.
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TAKE A NEW WALKTHIS SUMMERDawson Creek will host its 5th An-nual Art Walk June 27th–August 31th. A joint initiative between the Dawson Creek Art Gallery, the South Peace Arts Society and local businesses and artists, art works are installed in downtown businesses. A descriptive brochure with map is produced and available at the Gallery, all hosting busi-nesses and tourist information. The hope is that the Walk will be completed by local residents and visitors.
It’s a great venture for all concerned. Local businesses report increased traffic, artists are provided with expos-ure and possible sales of their work, and an additional fun summer activity is available. Can you visit all the displays?
All types of businesses are partici-pating, including coffee shops, re-tail shops, a bank, a vehicle dealer-ship, and tattoo parlour. Artists and craftspeople display a great variety of photography, representational and abstract paintings, including 2 and 3 dimensional works.
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JAVA DOMAINJava Domain is a cultural hub in down-town Peace River where people love to meet and enjoy fabulous food, su-perb coffee, and a vibe that makes you feel you belong.
Owners Jessie Krushel and Daniel Ducharme are artists in many disci-plines. Daniel is a former helicopter engineer, a drummer, bilingual conver-sationalist, and a fine coffee and tea artist. Jessie has a B.A. in Linguistics, is a gifted painter, and a food artist extraordinaire. Since they purchased the cafe in the summer of 2012, they have hosted numerous events: jam sessions, Alberta Culture Days cele-brations, and concerts including Twin Peaks and The Honey Cowboy.
They installed a gallery hanging sys-tem, and in addition to the works of Peace River artists, they’ve been priv-ileged to display artwork by Patricia Peters (Grande Prairie) and Randall Wiebe (Rosebud). They are looking forward to exhibiting work by Mary Parslow (Dawson Creek) and Eileen Coristine (Fairview). Their curator is Sharon Krushel, who can be reached by email at [email protected].
Check out their Facebook page for daily specials, musical and artistic events, and Jessie’s cinnamon roll art on Saturdays!
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FAIRVIEW FIGURE DRAWINGSince last September several Fairview artists have been honing their draw-ing skills weekly at Fairview Fine Arts Centre. This group is meeting to draw a live model. Over the course of an evening, the model’s poses gradually increase from one to 20 or more min-utes in duration.
Participant Bill Prince describes the process as continuing the 500 year old history of drawing the portrait or the human figure. “The subtlety of the surface is extremely difficult to capture. That forces you to really look and see.”
“This is the most complex thing I have ever drawn,” says artist Malvina James. “We’ve been drawing the same model for months and it is never the same. I am learning more and more how to see.”
After a number of initial gesture draw-ings the group moves on to practicing techniques, sharing ideas and carefully observing their living model.
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MATTSON & BENSONThe Dawson Creek Art Gallery and cur-ator Kit Fast take their role to support local artists seriously. The wish is that a single or duo show will serve as a “stepping stone” to exhibit in a wider area. The gallery hosted two outstand-ing solo shows this past winter.
In Karl Mattson’s Lost, he presented paintings, photography, and sculpture.His photographs feature his muse in unexpected and thought provoking settings. The sculptures were created from found objects. A highlight of the opening was a fire lit in the 3 metre tall female figure that appeared standing outside the gallery for the duration of the show.
Joyce Benson featured beautiful pas-tel works in Rural Roots. Her love of horses and the western lifestyle is evi-dent in pieces depicting cowboys, horses and rope. A wagon driver at full tilt behind racing horses has a won-derful sense of immediacy. Her land-scapes and florals are full of lush, vi-brant colour that give the viewer pause to enjoy.
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FIBRE FLING SHOW & SALE IN FORT ST. JOHNFiber arts are kicking spring into gear this year in Fort St. John. With Barry Moss as curator, the North Peace Spinners and Weavers Guild is pre-senting Fibre Fling, featuring hand-spun, hand-woven, felted, and cre-atively dyed products. Items include a variety of scarfs, shawls, table run-ners, blankets, bags, and hats; many are for sale. A reception opens the show at Peace Gallery North on Friday, April 10th at 7pm, and continues until April 25th. Guild members will demonstrate spin-ning, weaving, and felting. They will also host school tours and demonstra-tions for the general public throughout the year. On Saturday April 11th, Peace Coun-try Spinners and Weavers is holding a Spin In at Cheryl Peebles’ Studio and Gallery, 10244-99th Avenue in Fort St. John. Join in for a fun day of spinning which includes a gallery tour of Fibre Fling. Pre-registration is required. Call 250-261-1157 for more information or to register.
For courses in spinning, weaving and beyond, contact Marjo Wheat at [email protected]
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ALBERTA ARTOGRAPHYART & ARTIST GUIDEArtography is a hand held and smart phone e-guide describing/listing Al-berta Art and Artists. It has gained the support of Alberta Tourism and Culture. Project Artography was born more than ten years ago during the creation of a documentary for the Alberta’s Arts & Culture Centennial. During travels to create the documentary—from the Mu-seum in Waterton Lakes National Park to the galleries of Cold Lake; from the pottery sheds of Medicine Hat to the theatre of Demmitt—the team encoun-tered an amazing variety of cultural ex-periences, both on and off the beaten path. In response, the idea for a bro-chure-like directory for travellers in Al-berta was born. Artography represents Alberta’s first comprehensive Guide to Alberta Art & Artists. To have your studio, gallery, art market, retreat, live theatre venue, or arts festival included in Alberta’s Artography contact Marianne Garrah at 780-852-0359 or [email protected].
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Tour de FranceFIFTEEN DAYS EN PLEIN AIR IN THE FRENCH
COUNTRYSIDE
WRITTEN BY SUZANNE SANDBOE
Canopied Streets—Arles, France, Acryclic, Suzanne Sandboe Under the Buttonwood Trees—Aix-En-Provence, France, Acryclic, Suzanne Sandboe
art of the peace 8
In June 2014, I travelled to Paris and the South of France on an inspiring and adventure-filled painting excursion with a wonderful group of painters from across Canada. We were led by Mike and Nancy Svob, and the excursion was entitled Paint and Create: a Plein Air Painting Adventure France 2014. I had been in Paris over 30 years ago as a young budding artist, and on this trip we revisited some of the haunts from my first trip many years ago. Landing in Paris on June 16, we stayed within walking distance of the Eiffel Tower. We toured Galler-ies, Moulin Rouge, and did a walking tour to Montmartre, a fa-voured place of mine where artists set up outside around the Basilica painting and selling their works.
From Paris we travelled south by train to Avignon and then on to Arles. We spent four wonderful and intriguing days there, plein air painting around the Roman Amphitheatre. Quaint medieval streets and alleyways surrounded us, where can-opied eateries and shuttered windows, in a variety of shapes and colours played off the ancient walls in this historic city and begged to be painted each day. We followed in the footsteps of the masters, including Monet, Van Gogh and Cézanne. We visited Monet’s Mont Sainte-Victoire, Van Gogh’s olive fields at Saint Remy, and crossed paths with locals interested in our outdoor work. One resident claimed to be a distant rela-tive of Van Gogh.
We passed the next four days spent in Aix-en-Provence, fol-lowed by a tour of the southern French countryside with its little towns and villages. We were surrounded by breathtaking panoramas of patchwork fields viewed on high from the hills at Lourdes.
The following four days were spent painting at Grignan in the Rhône-Alpes region of southeastern France. There, we ex-perienced the unbelievable perfume and views of the laven-der fields surrounding the Renaissance castle of Madame de Sévigne. The sights were breathtaking! Everywhere we turned, another painting presented itself. Though we were there for two full weeks of painting, each day whizzed by; as we worked diligently to capture as much of the beauty and in-trigue of this land that we could. I worked in watercolour and acrylic and managed to fill a journal with sketches and notes.
The camaraderie was infectious, the food and wine were su-perb, and the group had boundless energy and contagious en-thusiasm. Fifteen days later we bid farewell to France leaving behind the French countryside but taking with us many fond memories and lessons learned from an experience of a lifetime.
I came back knowing that I will return again one day soon for an extended stay, painting among this historical and inspiring French culture with its love and passion for art.
Windows of Arles, France, Watercolour, Suzanne Sandboe
Lavendar Fields—Grignan, France, Watercolour, Suzanne Sandboe
Grapes for the Wine, Provence, France, Watercolours, Suzanne Sandboe
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Emily Lozeron
EMERGING ARTIST
WRITTEN BY ANDREA JOHANNSON
“I can’t conceive of anything being more varied, and rich and handsome than the planet Earth. And its crowning beauty is the natural world. I want to soak it up, to understand it as well as I can, and to absorb it…and then I’d like to put it together and express it in my painting.This is the way I want to dedi-cate my life.”
These words were written by wildlife painter Robert Bateman, but could have been articulated by emerging Peace Region artist Emily Lozeron.
Bateman and Lozeron are kindred spirits and met during a five day workshop led by Bateman on Cortez Island, British Columbia in 2014. Being in his presence continued to inspire Emily in her pursuit of painting the natural world. And we are the more fortunate for it.
Growing up on a farm near Debolt Alberta, Emily was sur-rounded by animals and wide open spaces. Her first drawing was of a horse. She found this activity to be effortless and ex-perienced so much pleasure from it that drawing became her artistic outlet. After moving to Calgary, Emily painted with the wildlife artist David Kitler from 2003–2007, and again in 2014 at a workshop in Costa Rica. “He taught with integrity, and taught me to be meticulous,” Emily recalls. She also attended classes with landscape artist Michael O’Toole in 2013.
There is an intriguing engagement between abstract style and realism in Emily’s acrylic paintings. To reconcile these two styles, Emily describes how she will bring “something solid and not very detailed through the painting” and this softens it. For example, in the Scarlet Macaw she describes how “there is a very abstract background and a very brilliantly coloured bird. I put in one grayish, brown branch that seems to calm the painting down.” In the instance of Unconventional Beauty, the very excited background of this painting is a reflection of the bizarre and gawky movements of the ostrich Emily had been observing. Occasionally, she will do a purely nonrepresenta-tional work, using the image of a tree as an inner reference; but expressing the concept through line and empty space.
Baltic birch has been Emily’s preferred surface on which to paint. She appreciates the rigidity and smoothness of the sur-face when she is painting anything that requires fine detail. However, over the years, she has been exploring the stretched canvas for her more loosely painted landscapes.
Emily’s talent for photography started as a means of gath-ering references for her paintings. She wanted to preserve the integrity of the subject. But even though she strives for accuracy, she takes artistic license and will use a compila-tion of photos for a single subject in her work. She started Emily Lozeron and Robert Bateman. Photo by Emily Lozeron
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using more sophisticated equipment to capture detail; and now photography has become a marketable medium for this multi-faceted artist.
To find balance between being an artist, mother, nurse, and wife would seem like a daunting task for most, but Emily “loves being busy.” She has the ability to fit art into her hectic life whenever she has the chance. “I can’t paint when it’s quiet. I’ll watch T.V. or have a conversation. I welcome the distrac-tion.” Emily includes her family in her painting and travel ros-ter. All Emily’s references are photographed on-site. And so by including her family in all aspects of her art, she manages to find her equilibrium.
Even though Emily does not actively seek solitude, she knows that if she ever feels stressed or just wants to get away, she can always go out in nature. As she states, “Everything you see, everything you smell is so beautiful. It’s rejuvenating and relaxing.” Her respect and appreciation for the natural world is evident in her wildlife paintings, where we see details of rock, leaf, water, and sky as a backdrop for her character-laden ani-mals. Her honest landscapes speak of her love for the land and the beauty in imperfection. Emily has become an advo-cate for habitat. Through her paintings, she hopes to make people more aware of the delicate balance between animal and environment. She is a member of the Artists for Conserv-ation and generously donates work to organizations such as Ducks Unlimited, Nature Conservancy of Canada, and the Af-rican Wildlife Foundation.
The future holds promise for this industrious artist. Emily is ne-gotiating with several Peace Region venues for group shows
of painting and photography. In previous years, Emily has ex-hibited at the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie, Centre for Creative Arts, Beaverlodge Cultural Centre, and presently at Peace Gal-lery North and Grande Prairie Podollan Inn and Spa. She is also a member of the Grande Prairie Guild of Artists. Attrib-uting her success to her supportive family and remarkable friends, Emily states that she would love to be able to do her artwork on a full time basis.
Pondering aloud, she asks, “How great would that be?” For art lovers and for Emily, this sounds like one very good idea.
The Lookout, Emily LozeronGrizzly Splash, Emily Lozeron
Chipping Sparrow, Emily Lozeron
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Tending the Roots of Your Well-being
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Grant Berg &Paul QayutinnuaqJANUARY 28 – APRIL 26, 2015
SHOW ON DISPLAY IN THE
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2014 performance on Churchill Square the traveler © Tony OlivariesDetail: It Was Good While it Lasted 2014 Gateway by Nickelas Johnson and Aaron Paquette
art of the peace 12
Gift Shopwatercolours,
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Spring 2015• quilting
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MayArtists at School and Creations, Inc. Show
JuneChristina Wallwork and Friends Show
JulyHines Creek Artists Show
AugustMembers’ Annual Summer Show & Sale
Vicki Hotte BFA
Original Art from the Peace Region
Available at the Beaverlodge Cultural Centre
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Tel: (250) 782-2601 | www.dcartgallery.ca101-816 Alaska Ave, Dawson Creek, BC V1G 4T6
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The Mattsons
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On a stretch of blue highway in the Peace Region, you will discover the hamlet of Rolla, British Columbia. This unassum-ing collection of houses and historic commercial buildings ex-udes a magical, mystical presence on the quiet rolling prairie. Many talented artists and musicians call Rolla their hometown, but have since left this farming community for “brighter lights.”
Rolla is also the home of the Mattson family. Mother Emilie and sons Karl and Dean share the land of the working ranch one and a half kilometres from the town. The family homestead has seen generations of Mattsons thrive and create a sustainable lifestyle that demonstrates hard work, dedication, and cre-ative output. An understanding and appreciation of the land is evident in their artistic pursuits and environmental interests.
The Mattsons are three very strong individuals who are connected by blood and artistic vision. They work separately but passionately support each other’s endeavours. After par-ticipating in several joint ventures, Emilie, Karl, and Dean had the wis-dom to realize that their strengths were grounded in working separ-ately. Thus they have developed a respect for each other by working together while working apart. Quot-ing from the synopsis of their upcoming exhibition at the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie in March 2016, “Although living in the same geographical space, individual response to the physical and spiritual has resulted in unique imagery. Differing styles ex-press a similar feel to the struggles, anxieties and challenges that are inherent in the human condition.”
To fully understand and appreciate this family dynamic of indi-vidual but cohesive artistic beliefs, a visit to the Mattson ranch is necessary. Coming into the Mattson enclave is like entering a monumental work of art in progress. Emilie believes that your life is your art, and that sentiment is evident as we make our way past monumental metal sculptures and modified rustic architecture to Emilie’s studio. We sit in front of the woodstove drinking wine and talking about family history and the world of art, while two domestic birds flit about the space and grand-children enter the studio and sit quietly in the background.
“I always considered myself an artist.” Emilie begins. She was interested in art from a young age and attributes her parents for nurturing this interest, by not discouraging but rather con-
gratulating her on some of her en-deavors. By accepting her artistic nature, her parents supported an environment of free and authentic creativity. Consequently to answer the question, ’Why do you create art?’ Emilie’s response is “I was never told not too.”
There is an interesting history of the Mattson family that Emilie likes to tell. Her grandmother came to Prince Rupert from a small town
in Norway. She left her husband and travelled to Edmonton, where she was forced by poverty to abandon her two young-est children—Emilie’s mom and her younger brother. The two children were adopted by an elderly couple near McBride B.C., where they lived a very secluded life in the bush. Em-ilie’s mother met her future husband when she was sixteen. They were married after the war. Emilie described her mother as “rock solid”, very reclusive, and a profound influence on her
DIFFERING STYLES EXPRESS A SIMILAR FEEL TO THE STRUGGLES, ANXIETIES,
AND CHALLENGES THAT ARE INHERENT IN THE HUMAN
CONDITION.
THREE VISUAL JOURNEYS—ONE BLOODLINE
WRITTEN BY ANDREA JOHANNSON PHOTOGRAPHY BY KARL MATTSON
(Left to Right) Dean, Emilie, and Karl Mattson
art of the peace 15
life. Though their house was a quiet one, Emilie remembers re-ceiving paint-by-number kits for Christmas and an easel from the Sears catalogue. Emilie’s mother never found out what happened to her birth mother but was visited by her sister from Norway when she was sixty-seven.
Emilie received no formal art training; She took only two art courses in high school by correspondence. But she feels that the motivation for her art is instinctive. She says that she cre-ates “to please myself. I never feel compelled to measure up.”
Of vital importance to Emilie is having her own space “away from the kitchen table.” She and Dean built her studio twenty-seven years ago and she says it has been her salvation. “Every girl needs a space of her own, for the good of her soul, and as a place to store all her stuff. I spend a lot of time here whether I get a lot done or a little. I can just come out here and start messing around. There’s always something to do.” Having her studio thirty feet from her house makes it convenient for Emilie to access her warm and light-filled area at any time.
Emilie’s studio is full of her amazing creations, some com-plete, others ready to be repurposed or reimagined. One of her most powerful pieces is a tribute to her mother. A metal skeletal form with bone china fingers is enthroned on a wheel-chair—a single large crystal hanging in the skull cavity, captur-ing the light that represents the “spark within.” Emilie has dis-played this piece outside on a mirror and says that when the sunlight catches it “it just shines.”
Emilie draws, paints, and works in clay, epoxy, and metal. Perhaps the most intriguing medium she uses is cow pla-centa. Since the Mattson homestead is a working ranch, Em-ilie’s use of this material seems both natural and practical. Dur-ing a late-night calving episode where the cow placenta was tossed aside, Emilie noticed that the light in the calving barn was shining through this discarded material and the effect so intrigued her that she decided to incorporate it into her art. Ex-amples of her use of cow placenta can be seen in many of her sculptures. It is reminiscent of stained glass, giving an ethereal, translucent quality to her sculptures and assemblages. Emile will either place the membrane between sheets of glass, at-tempting to preserve the original colour or dry the placenta, cure and shape it like leather to form specific objects (as in her sculptures Hangin’ Out the Wash and Hangin’ In, where a free-flying kite is rendered in placenta). The preservation of the original colour and posterity of the material still challenges Emilie, but appeals to her desire to always be tested.
Even though Emilie humbly professes that she doesn’t weld as well as her sons, she has managed to produce some stel-lar sculptures. Her welding skills grew out of her need for cer-amic sculpture bases. From found metal farm objects, Emilie’s welded metal sculptures evolved. These sculptures are a hybrid of the real and the fantastic. Representational cows or horses or people are sheltered in other-worldly forests (as in Under the Tree). As we look at her works-in-progress, Emilie states that if a piece takes a tragic turn, she will just reinvent the piece until she achieves the result she wants. She’s definitely not worried about mistakes being made and, in fact, embraces the challenge.
Not only does Emilie excel at mixed media constructions, but she is adept at drawing and painting. Her two dimensional
Placenta 3, Emilie Mattson
Runaway 1, Emilie Mattson
art of the peace 16
work is loose and moody, colours dark and intense, the line sinuous. The style is reminiscent of the sixteenth century painter El Greco. Her spirit of freedom translates into the way Emilie encouraged her sons Karl and Dean to be involved with art. They were prompted to draw at a very young age and to develop their own individual styles.
Dean Mattson is a poet, musician, songwriter, carpenter, and artist. Even though his work readily sells—Dean has sold more than 150 paintings throughout North America—he never thinks of his paintings as a source of income. Dean reveals that he was very interested in cartooning when he was a young boy. He went to Emily Carr College of Art and Design, where he was intrigued by colour theory. This appealed to the mathematical side of his psyche. He says, “Colour is a science to me.”
Dean’s paintings are full of symbols outlined by bold, dark out-lines harkening back to his cartooning days. They are full of in-tense areas of colour—reminiscent perhaps of aboriginal art-ist, Norval Morrisseau. Symbols weave their way throughout
all of Dean’s paintings. We are presented with fish, mountains, rivers, boats, trestles, and mysterious groups of figures called ‘watchers.’ Trains gleaned from old books about British Col-umbia railways show movement, indicate a journey and “are always headed in some direction.” The symbols form a rich, decorative pattern across the picture plane, all held together by colour. Dean says he has a “style within a style.” He de-scribes some symbols as more “cartoony” than others. Yet Dean’s paintings are full of mystery and joy. The symbolism ex-presses an active narrative; his vernacular bright and magical.
As Emilie Mattson says, “People do art in a lot of different ways.” Approaching Dean’s property, we keep this epithet in mind, for rising out of the land, we see an assortment of old buildings that Dean has collected over the years. Standing as they are, these structures seem like monolithic sculptures growing from out of the ground. These dwellings are often gifted to Dean. They are the source and inspiration for the re-purposing of architectural details; or they may be salvaged for future projects. His own studio has benefitted from his homely collection; the two storey space has morphed into a cozy sin-gle level dwelling. In fact, the entire area is “reclaimed every-thing” from the windows to the decorative metal grates. Dean knows the origin of every board in the house, and proudly points out his grandfather’s tools displayed on the wall. Ex-plaining that the building is in its “tenth incarnation” he adds that, “it’s not the way most people’s places look.”
Dean displays his fine woodworking skills on smaller projects. He is presently working on wooden trunks for his daughters. Revealed in this work is the attention to detail and excep-tional craftsmanship. When finished, they will display decora-tive metal features and leatherwork, the mark of a true artisan.
Walking into Karl Mattson’s space, Scavenger Studio, is like walking into a world that is part futuristic model shop, part
The Red Canoe, Dean Mattson
Sweetwater 905 Logo, Dean Mattson
art of the peace 17
salvage yard. The colossal Lost sculpture dominates the space, and we are all drawn to her majesty and intrigue. Lost is a monumental work that has participated in many exhib-itions. She conveys the overriding message of environmental sensitivity that inspires Karl to create. A fabrication of welded metal parts and found objects, Lost is used by Karl to deliver a similar message in different ways. Whether her head is set on fire, or images are being projected from her cranium, she is delivering the same message of awareness of how one treats the land. Presenting this concept is such an important driving force for Karl that he has included a tangible “communication device” in the form of a metal box on Lost.
Karl is also the mastermind of a series of Life Pods—metal sculptures that are actual working emergency devices he has created to house his family in times of crisis. Several breath-ing tanks are attached to each pod, with the ability to sustain life for several hours. The ability to breathe in a possibly toxic environment is an underlying theme in many of Karl’s pieces (Lost is equipped with breathing tanks as well).
Karl has also enjoyed success as a documentary film maker. Sisters of Karnataka, Industrial Evolution, and Keeping the Peace are some of his better known productions. Karl con-siders his immersion in documentary film making as a great learning experience and plans to become involved with chal-lenging and abstract art film projects, with powerful environ-mental messages. The environment is always at the back-ground of Karl’s work, no matter what media he chooses. “This country has already become different because of the slow, steady march of the gas situation. I’ll make statements about it. Somebody has to.”
Karl’s paintings are soft in rendering and dark in atmosphere. Several of his paintings are self-portraits and deal with the
duality of the mind: representing two alternate realities, the canvas is often visually divided in two. One side represents an existence more dangerous and foreboding than the other. Karl is interested in both these domains, but chooses to embrace the one that incorporates the light, in a world that chases away the dark shadows.
From March through May 2016, Emilie, Karl and Dean Matt-son will be exhibiting at the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie. The show is called Expedition and deals with “three visual jour-neys—one bloodline.” You can see that these three artists have very different ways of expressing themselves, yet there is an underlying connection in their work. Expedition reveals how different yet how connected this talented family is as they make their way through life. Dean emphasizes that since “we [each] have our own ideas” working collaboratively can result in some conflict they would rather avoid. Yet they all seem to be inspired by the power of the land, the importance of be-ing environmentally aware and the ability to demonstrate their resilient family ties.
The Mattson family embodies the definition of individualism; yet at the same time they are “family strong.” They each live their art every day in the most authentic manner, as they ride through life with conviction, moving forward while looking back.
Vessel in Snow, Karl Mattson Lost, Karl Mattson
art of the peace 18
Grande Prairie, AB
780.876.4737
Ceramic Artist
Come ENJOYthe FUN!
www.mcnaught-homestead-heritage.com
Saturday, April 25th, 2015Annual Gala Fundraiser
Sunday, July 26th, 2015Annual McNaught Festival + IODE Strawberry TeaLive music, art demos, exhibits & children’s activities
Saturday, October 24th, 2015Ghost WalkHalloween fun for families
2015 Special Events:
�Art Retreats �Hiking Trails�Historical Art Studio/Schoolhouse�Newly Restored Barn
McNaughtHomestead Heritage
Come ENJOYthe FUN!
�Art Retreats �Hiking Trails �Historical Art Studio/Schoolhouse�Newly Restored Barn
McNaughtHomestead Heritage
EMAIL: [email protected] WEBSITE: sandytroudt.comACRYLIC WORKSHOPS AVAILABLE
Sandy TroudtPAINTER/PRINTMAKER
art of the peace 19
Sweetwater905Arts & Music Festival
CELEBRATION OF MUSIC, LITERARY, VISUAL AND PERFORMANCE ART
WRITTEN BY ANDREA JOHANNSON
It’s that burgeoning time of summer when the wind blows sweet over the prairies and the long awaited festival season begins. The gentle, quiet country landscape is patiently wait-ing for the kick-off to the wild and raucous Sweetwater905 Arts and Music Festival—an eclectic gathering of madden-ingly talented artists, musicians, writers, farm folk, circus en-tertainers—converging on the Mattson family ranch outside of Rolla June 13th—15th, 2015, 16km north of Dawson Creek, 1.5km west of Rolla.
If you are fortunate enough to have met the Mattsons (Emilie, Karl, Dean, and beyond), you will under-stand how this uncommon assem-bly came into existence, and why it’s been such a huge success since its inception.
For some cosmic reason, Rolla is a hotbed of artistic talent. Combine this with the fearless entrepreneur-ial spirit of Emilie Mattson, and you have the makings of a dynamic collection of vibrant souls. In 1997, Emilie Mattson and Donna Kane took on the responsibility of putting together a festival to represent the artists in northeastern British Col-umbia. Thus Sweetwater Moon Festival was born. Musicians and artists used the Rolla Community Hall (exterior beautifully painted by Emilie) as their showcase, where a small but ap-preciative audience was entertained by local talent. The fes-tival eventually moved to the Mattson farm on September 9th, 2005 and was appropriately called Sweetwater905. Now the festival could kick up its heels; entertainment would be
presented in a less structured fashion. Through hard work, great organizational skills, and lots of willing volunteers, Sweet-water905 has grown every year yet still retains its homey, in-timate atmosphere.
Dean Mattson explains that the original intention was to attract music and art to the community. Artists could come to Rolla instead of area residents having to seek entertainment in lar-ger urban centres. Also, the Mattsons and other local talent could be celebrated.
Karl adds that they like to keep the combination of talent “fairly diverse.” Diverse is an understatement. Eclec-tic performers Severn Suzuki, Nora Curiston, and Roy Forbes are among festival alumni performers.
This year will feature a cool mix of bluegrass, country, folk, and just plain wild music performed by King
Crow and the Ladies from Hell, Noosa, and Folky Strum Strum (to name a few). Check the website at Sweetwater905.com for a complete list of entertainers and ticket prices.
Writer Ian Coyote is back by popular demand and poet Lorna Crozier will be performing on stage. And of course the agri-cultural arts are represented. As they say, “Bring your trac-tor, bring your milk cow!” Last year butter churning and horse packing were demonstrated. Be prepared to see a circus act or two cavorting across the grounds.
THEY LIKE TO KEEP THE COMBINATION OF TALENT
“FAIRLY DIVERSE.” DIVERSE IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT.
art of the peace 20
Visit Albert’s Loft, the big red barn that morphs into a gallery/writers’ platform. While the barn is used all year round for spe-cial events like concerts and movies, it is the showcase for vis-ual artists from the Peace Region and other areas throughout the western provinces.
Kit Fast, curator of the Dawson Creek Art Gallery, is organiz-ing the visual arts segment this year, as he has done for the past four years. He works closely with the participants and en-courages newer and emerging artists who might not show in a mainstream gallery to exhibit their work at this distinctive and vibrant event. As well as being able to view the Mattson’s art on the festival site, there will be at least four artists set up in the barn. Peace Region artists Tabitha Logan, Stephen Ferris, Amy Gothard, and Caily Oldershaw, will all be in attendance.
Kit is also co-ordinating a special guest event in the loft. Last year, local artist Peter von Tiesenhausen showed one of his video installations in the upper level. In past years this area has hosted mini film festivals. There will also be a plein air demon-stration on Saturday afternoon in front of Emilie’s studio. Art-ists will set-up around the grounds, displaying, selling and dem-onstrating their work. Painter and printmaker Mary Mottishaw and photographer/mixed media artist Kit Fast, who have had several shows together, will also be exhibiting in the Red Barn. Kit welcomes any artists for the Saturday open air event and any questions can be sent to him at [email protected].
Emilie Mattson’s studio will be open to the public, where she will show works in progress and finished pieces as well. Don’t miss the glass and cow placenta coffin that she is working on for a Mattson family group show at the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie in March 2016.
Karl and Dean will take time from their hectic festival duties to talk to attendees during the weekend about their own work, and, with some advance notice, would be pleased to show people their studio spaces.
Keeping with the Sweetwater 905 theme, children will have the opportunity to participate in various arts and crafts projects; that is, when they aren’t being engaged by the children’s en-tertainers. This atmosphere makes for a family-friendly week-end. It is on Father’s Day after all!
“The Sweetwater festival is a truly unique event,” says Kit Fast. “It is drawing an ever increasing audience over the years. It is different and special because it brings art, history, family, and farming together; and holding it all together is the music.”
Sweetwater905 Festival. Photo by Karl Mattson
Sweetwater905, Dean Mattson. Photo by Karl Mattson
art of the peace 21
phone. 780-532-0355
email. [email protected]
address. 9506 77 Avenue Grande Prairie, AB T8V 4T3
TaylorMarj
Cinder CreationsCindy Nychka
Art & jewellery created from leather, various metals & polymer. Custom leather products.
Exhibitions: May 2015, Centre for Creative ArtsJuly 26–Aug 20, 2015, Beaverlodge Cultural Centre
Various workshops availablePlease call for information
780-518-4135 [email protected]
10302 99 Street, Peace River, Alberta T8S 1K1780.624.4261 | [email protected]/visitors/museum
Summertime traditions!
Preserving our heritage at the
PEACE RIVER MUSEUMArchives & Mackenzie Centre
view recent work at marymottishaw.com
mary mottishaw mixed media artist, painter, printmaker
Active member of the PRCFCA & PWS
Roche Miette – Jasper National Park
780-228-3741 please call for information
Beaverlodge Cultural Centre | Peace Country themes and wilderness vistas
art of the peace 22
SEVEN DAYS IN THE ART WORLDA VIVID ETHNOGRAPHY BY SARAH THORNTON From the time of the Abstract Expressionists to the financial melt-down of 2008, the market for modern art enjoyed an unprecedented giddy ride; where living artists commanded headline-worthy prices for their work. Canadian author Sarah Thorton brings us on a dizzying “twirl” through this contemporary era in Seven Days in the Art World.
This book is organized into seven units, making for one hectic week of exhibitions, auctions, and interviews. From a sociologist’s perspec-tive, we are made privy to different opinions of artist, curators, collect-ors, and dealers involved in the international art scene.
In her unbiased presentation, Thorton enables us to experience life in the statusphere (to quote artist Tom Wolfe). We see that art “has this other value (unlike gold or diamonds). Art is trying to sell you yourself. Art is what makes life worth living.”
Seven Days in the Art World reveals many controversial attitudes. It reminds us just how subjective this world of art can be.
art booksin review
WRITTEN BY ANDREA JOHANNSON
9839 103 Avenue, Grande Prairie, AB T8V 6M7 Located in the Montrose Cultural Centre
P: 780-532-8111 | F: 780-539-9522 | E: [email protected]
For a complete list of exhibitions visit aggp.ca
The Alberta Foundation for the Arts (AFA) has supported a provincial travelling exhibition program since 1981. The mandate of the AFA Travelling Exhibition Program is to provide every Albertan with the opportunity to enjoy visual art exhibitions in their community.
Three regional galleries and one arts organization coordinate the program for the AFA:Northwest Alberta: Art Gallery of Grande PrairieNortheast and North Central Alberta: Art Gallery of AlbertaSouthwest Alberta: The Alberta Society of ArtistsSoutheast Alberta: Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre
The Alberta Foundation for the Arts Travelling Exhibition ProgramTREX For the 2015/2016 Travelling Season
the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie Presents Three New Exhibitions:
Generously Supported By:encana
natural gas
™
Margaret’s MountainElisabeth BelliveauUntitled, Elisabeth Belliveau
Home is Where the Art Is: Art of the Peace Group ExhibitionVarious ArtistsPeace River Corner, Angela Fehr
Margaret Shelton: Block PrintsA Collection from the Alberta Foundation for the ArtsFishing on the Bow, Margaret SheltonCourtesy the AFA Collection
art of the peace 23
The History of Encaustic paintings is ancient. Encaustic art has provided western civilization with some of its oldest exam-ples of paintings from Egypt and Greece. Ship builders were among the first to use wax to seal pottery vessels and the hulls of their ships. It was only a matter of time before natural pig-ments landed in the wax, more wax was added—and the en-caustic art form was born.
There are two types of wax: beeswax and cold wax medium. Each offers its own challenges, advantages, and beauty.
Working with beeswax requires a solvent to make it workable. Encaustic paint consists of coloured pigments, beeswax, and dammar resin. It is heated from 160o to 200o on a hot plate or with various heat tools into one cohesive piece. There is also a cold treatment that combines beeswax, pigments or oil paint, and odorless mineral spirits, referred to as cold wax with no heat required. This wax medium has been used by oil painters to produce a thicker, more opaque paint application.
The fluid movement of encaustic has delicious organic surface textures that can be layered, buffed to a high shine, carved into, collaged, and endlessly manipulated to change shape. Brushwork or applications need to be heat fused. Encaustic layers set up immediately, so there is a very short wait time to
artceteraWAXING CREATIVE WITH ENCAUSTIC
WRITTEN BY PATRICIA PETERS ARTWORK BY PATRICIA PETERS
Antipasto, 12” x 12” Encaustic on wood Alberta, 12” x 20” Cold wax
art of the peace 24
add another layer. There is also that wonderful scent of bees-wax and honey that you are familiar with. The aroma is much like natural beeswax candles.
Cold wax medium is beeswax and odorless mineral spirits (OMS), which combine to make a thick paste. This cold wax medium is added to oil paint at about a 1:2 ratio. This can be increased up to 75% medium if one is seeking a glaze ef-fect. Cold wax has more control and is less fluid, though it still will slide.
My encaustic method often uses layers to build images or sections eliminated to reveal its history or design. Textures can be also be organic, matt, opaque, and rough, or clear as transparent glass, if one uses transparent oil paint. I use silicon blades, wedges, oil-sticks, and various wood tools, (but no brushes) to create my images. There is no pleasant honey scent in cold wax application, and there is an extended drying time depending on the thickness of the paint applica-tion. This longer drying time has advantages and disadvan-tages: the ‘open time’ enables adjustments and refinements,
but requires patience waiting for it to dry. Both hot and cold wax require a firm surface so that the wax does not crack and fall off, and so it will take the abuse of inscribing/distressing. Good substrates for encaustic include wood panels, ceramic, and some applied papers, gessoed canvas on board, mixed media panels, terra skin (stone), and Arches Oil paper. Papers and fibres fuse beautifully with the encaustic wax and thus can be used in a sculptural manner.
I have also found that the two different wax methods can be combined to add contrast, particularly if one does not want to apply heat. For ex-ample, some encaustic mono-prints are too delicate to re-heat, so the cold wax can be employed on the final layer.
Be prepared to protect your skin, clothes, and workspace with both wax methods. Working with wax as a medium can be challenging and rewarding all at the same time. Encaustic painting offers many opportunities for an artist to take risks and reap surprising and beautiful results.
ENCAUSTIC PAINTING OFFERS MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR AN ARTIST TO TAKE RISKS AND REAP SURPRISING
AND BEAUTIFUL RESULTS.
Orca in the Breach, 10” x 10” Encaustic and plaster Red Sky in the Morning, 20” x 30” Cold wax
art of the peace 25
HELENA MULLIGANWhile Helena Mulligan’s humanesque sculptures on the lawns at Grande Prairie Regional college are larger-than-life, she her-self may be described as a humble and rather self-effacing art-ist. Though her art has epic proportions, she diligently prefers to work quietly and unobtrusively in her home studios.
Helena works between two studios; one is dedicated to fiber art and the other to paint, clay, concrete, and pastels. At times she is torn between the two. In one she can get her hands dirty. In the other she must be fastidious.
She describes her work in the paint and sculptural studio as “harder but more rewarding.” Projects in this studio rarely evolve into Helena’s original inner vision. “I guess God takes over at some point,” she muses. Working with styrofoam, clay, rebar, chicken wire, and more, Helena fulfills commissions from all over Alberta. A current focus is on creating clay figures in groups. These figures seem to have wordless conversations between each other.
In her fiber studio, Helena renders patchwork quilts, woven mats, and textile art pieces. Helena “draws” with the colours and patterns contained in well-chosen fabrics. Her tidy fastidi-ous self finds an expressive home in fibers; as her grittier, fier-cer self is released in her paint and sculpture studio. Dynamic in her unassuming way, Helena Mulligan alternates between the two studios—as her inner voice dictates.
For Helena Mulligan who does not remember a time when she did not do art, to create is to be. As a sign on her clay stu-dio reads, “The impulse to draw is as natural as the impulse to breathe.”
Best of Three
StudiosTHREE REGIONAL ARTISTS
WRITTEN BY JOANNA MOEN
“THIS IS THE PLACE OF CREATIVE INCUBATION. AT FIRST, YOU MAY FIND NOTHING HAPPENS THERE.
BUT, IF YOU HAVE A SACRED PLACE AND USE IT, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF
IT, SOMETHING WILL HAPPEN.”– JOSEPH CAMPBELL
Hel
ena
Hul
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. Pho
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ebbi
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ourv
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art of the peace 26
SHAUNA HOFFOSSure, Shauna Hoffos likes to put her feet up. In spite of being a successful painter and mixed media artist, she’s also human. But don’t let the pose fool you. This artist is a hard worker.
Shauna’s diligence is a result she believes, of being raised as an Alberta farm girl. Coupled with her natural urge to create, her palettes include but are not limited to canvas, wood, stone, house design, her garden, yard, and even the food she pre-pares. For Shauna Hoffos, her life is art. Her studio extends beyond four walls and spills inquisitively into the world she moves through.
She can’t describe a typical day in her studio because there isn’t one. In her earlier years as an artist she dedicated her-self to eclectic experimentation. As she sought to discover her truest inner voice, she wandered through nature and there she discovered found objects on her fourth generation farm—and, she travelled to foreign lands.
In time, a common thread began to emerge. This authentic theme (which she continues to pursue) spoke to her of her passion for the written word—scripts in different languages and fonts which she observed in her travels to Europe and Northern Africa.
In her work she began to marry script with elements of Na-ture and found objects. Rusted and “ruined in the glory of their former function but still holding the character of their original purpose, and of the people in whose hands they had been wrought,” these articles of former use on her farm and home find their way into her pieces.
Now, when she finds an item or idea which arouses her pas-sion, she confidently weaves these into her work.
DAN ARBERRYDan Arberry is a mark making man.
On any given Saturday or Sunday morning, you may find him sauntering, coffee mug in hand, into his home studio. He will begin by contemplating the two or three pieces he is currently working on. He may ask of his pieces “What is working or not?” “What marks do I like? Where can I repeat these marks for effect?” “What new marks is this piece asking for?” And Dan—along with so many artists—will inevitably ask the ar-duous question, “How will I know that this piece is finished?”
Dan began his “grinding of pencil on paper” as a boy. When not drawing in the margins of his notebooks, friends were ask-ing him to do drawings for them. Later he was schooled at Alberta College of Art and Design. There, he focused upon drawing and a monochromatic approach to colour.
These days Dan is deeply exploring colour relationships in his mixed media still life pieces applied to birch board plywood. Dan’s personal mixture of media includes the layering of graph-ite conte sticks, pencils and pastels which are blended and moved within the piece as he sprays on a treasured “super-se-cret” cocktail of fixative plus mystery liquids of his choice. He uses the spray bottle as a mark making tool of its own, along with brushes, spatulas, blades, and/or knives.
When valued artist friends arrive at his door, Dan extends his studio to the front room. Ensconced in comfy sofas with re-cent works in plain view, conversation, comment, critique and suggestions are exhanged. Such camaraderie along with the work itself, assist Dan in arranging his thoughts and emotions. This balance can be felt in the calmness of his studio space- where Dan Arberry continues to make his mark.
Dan
Arb
erry
. Pho
to b
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elan
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inca
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Sha
una
Hof
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Pho
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rook
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art of the peace 27
Art of the PeaceOPPORTUNITIES
Become a MemberMembers of Art of the Peace will receive a magazine mailed directly to them, notifications on ongoing activities, news, and op-portunities, and special member rates to the Art of the Peace Symposiums. Register online at artofthepeace.ca or call 780-532-2573 for details.
www.artofthepeace.caBeaverlodge, AB
BEAVERLODGECULTURAL CENTREEXHIBITS & EVENTS
MAIN GALLERYJanice LutsenkoMay 3rd – 28th
BRHS Art Students ShowMay 31st – June 18th
Penny Boden June 28th – July 23rd
Janice and Jim FisherJuly 26th – Aug 20th
Christina Cedar and Melanie HellumAugust 23rd – September 24th
MINI GALLERYApril SmithMay 3rd – 28th
Chris DeheusMay 31st – June 25th
Cindy NychkaJuly 26th – Aug 20th
Sam KittAugust 23rd – September 24th
PROGRAMSA variety of courses are offered on an ongoing basis. Please call 780-354-3660 or visit BeaverlodgeGallery.com for information and registration.
OPPORTUNITIESBeaverlodge Craft ClubPottery and Weaving GuildsBasement of the Cultural Centre$70/year membership; supplies are additional. For information, call Lynne Brown 780-354-2371 (Weaving) or April Smith 780-354-8477 (Pottery)
Gallery exhibition and gift shop sales opportunities are available. Call 780-354-3600 for info.
MCNAUGHT HOMESTEADEXHIBITS & EVENTS
Annual McNaught Festival & I.O.D.E. Strawberry TeaJuly 26th
Ghost WalkOctober 24th
OPPORTUNITIESThe Schoolhouse Studio is available for retreats, classroom, gallery or meetings. For info call 780-512-6316 or visit McNaught-Homestead-Heritage.com
Dawson Creek, BC
DAWSON CREEK ART GALLERYEXHIBITS & EVENTS
School District #59mixed mediaApril 28th – May 15th
34th Annual Art Auction GalaMay 8th, opening 6 pmAt the Fixx Urban GrillFor more information call 250-782-2601
DC Potter’s Guild and Guests: eARThMay 19th – June 12th
Summertime Membership ShowJune 16th – July 30th
TREX Exhibitions:The Printmakers and Joane Cardinal-SchubertAugust 1st – August 25th
Surface Tension: views on waterAugust 28th – September 5th
Society for Community Living and Guests: AbilitiesOctober 6th – October 16th
OPPORTUNITIES Exploring Art Opportunity for all adults. Partici-pants learn from each other and are inspired and challenged by working within a supportive group of interested individuals. Optional workshops with instructors. To sign-up call 250-782-2601.
For information on opportuni-ties for exhibition, visit online at DCArtGallery.ca
Fairview, AB
FAIRVIEW FINE ARTS CENTREEXHIBITS & EVENTS
Artists at School and Creations, Inc. ShowMay
Christina WallworkJune
Hines Creek Artists ShowJuly
Members’ Annual Summer Show & SaleAugust
PROGRAMSCall the Centre for details on programs, courses, and events at 780-835-2697, email [email protected], or visit fairviewfinearts.com
Fort St. John, BC
PEACE GALLERY NORTH EXHIBITS & EVENTS
Mary Parslow: Deep ImpressionsMay 15th – 30th
Tara Brulé and Alan White:GraffitiJune 12th – 27th
Miep Burgerjon and Lorna PennerJuly 10th – 25th
Mary Mottishaw and Kit FastAugust 7th – 22nd
Printmakers of the Peace Region: Karta IISeptember 11th – 26th
OPPORTUNITIESFor information call 250-787-0993, visit npcc.bc.ca or email [email protected]
COMMUNITY ART COUNCIL EXHIBITS & EVENTS
Take a FlightStreet Banners DowntownMay – September
Mother’s Day Herbal PotsAt NE NEWSApril 12th – May 8th
ArtwalkJune 19th – July 18th
OPPORTUNITIESThe Fort St. John Arts Council is open to everyone and meets every third Wednesday of each month at 12 pm at Artspost. For more information, call250-787-2781 or email [email protected]
Grande Cache, AB
GRANDE CACHE TOURISM & INTERPRETIVE CENTREEXHIBITS & EVENTS
Robert Guest:Winter on the WapitiJune 24th – August 26th
Palette Pals Art Show and SaleSeptember 2nd – 7th
PROGRAMSPalette Pals Art Club Workshop: Portraits— Animals/HumansDate: June 5th – 7th, 9am – 5pmCost: $150
Visit GrandeCache.ca orGrande Cache Palette Pals Art Club on Facebook.
Grande Prairie, AB
CENTRE FOR CREATIVE ARTSEXHIBITS & EVENTS
2015 Wearable Arts ShowSeptember 26th
5 Alarm Photography ExhibitionSeptember 25th – October 4th
CENTRE GALLERY The Peace River Federation of Canadian ArtistsMay
Art Squared CFCA FundraiserJune
Stephan FerrisJuly
CFCA Group Show:Gnomes and GardensAugust
Peace Watercolour SocietySeptember WALL GALLERYCindy NychkaMay
Senior Class WatercoloursJune
Jamie GuayJuly
Abelone EdwardsAugust
Lynn LeCorre-DallaireSeptember
PROGRAMS The Centre has classes for everyone: beginner, intermediate or advanced oil painting, sewing, photography, pottery, and clay. Check out CreativeCentre.ca or call 780-814-6080.
CHECK OUT WWW.ARTOFTHEPEACE.CA FOR MORE DETAILS, LOCATIONS AND HOURS
Exhibitions Opportunities
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OPPORTUNITIES Gallery ExhibitionAre you a Peace Country artist looking for an opportunity to show your latest collection of work? The Centre’s Wall Gallery has several openings in the 2015 lineup. Please contact the Centre for information.
Looking for instructors to teach a variety of classes. School programming available.Exhibition opportunities are available!
GRANDE PRAIRIE MUSEUM EXHIBITS & EVENTS
The Story of Benson’s PointPermanent display
The Business ExhibitPermanent display
Senior Tea DanceJune 2nd
Canada Day CelebrationJuly 1st
Heritage DayAugust 3rd
PROGRAMSVillage Interpretation Heritage TourJuly 14th, 16th, 1:30 – 3:30 pm
Memory Lane Guided Walking Tour (Downtown)July 13th, 15th
Tours and school programming available. Phone 780-532-5482.
GRANDE PRAIRIE REGIONAL COLLEGEEXHIBITS & EVENTS
Exhibits throughout the year in the Glass Gallery.
PROGRAMSThe Fine Arts Department at GPRC offers courses in music, art and drama with a focus on student learning and success. We offer a range of programs in both traditional and new medias. Call Tanya at 780-539-2443 for more information.
ART GALLERY OF GRANDE PRAIRIEEXHIBITS & EVENTS
An Te Liu: In AbsentiaMay 7th – August 2nd Ken HouseGo: BeaconMay 7th – August 2nd Phillip Woolf & Graham French: A Joint Exploration of Lands, Oceans and SkiesMay 7th – August 2nd
Peter von Tiesenhausen: Ether and ProcessionMay 21st – November 1st Elisabeth Belliveau: Margaret’s MountainAugust 13rd – November 1st Bibi ClementAugust 13th – November 1st
Wilf PerreaultAugust 13th – November 1st
Upcoming and current exhibitions can be found on aggp.ca
QEII HOSPITAL,THE COURTYARD GALLERYEXHIBITS & EVENTS
COURTYARD GALLERYJim Stokes May – June
Kiren Nikki Sangra: Star GazerAGGP Travelling ExhibitJuly – August
OPPORTUNITIESLooking for talented artists to display their 3D or 2D works in the Hospital Cubes or Courtyard Gallery. Please call Fiona Munroe 780-830-4855.
High Prairie, AB
HIGH PRAIRIE & DISTRICT MUSEUMEXHIBITS & EVENTS
Alberta Culture DaySeptember 25th – 27th
OPPORTUNITIESIf you are interested in showing your work at the High Prairie & District Museum please call Dar-lene Adams at 780-523-2601.
Peace River, AB
PEACE RIVER MUNICIPAL LIBRARY AND CULTURAL CENTREEXHIBITS & EVENTS
Sue Cloake-Millar and Miles McSweenMay
Peace of Art ClubSummer
ZentanglingApril 16th – MayFree. Registration Required.
OPPORTUNITIESIf you are interested in showing your work at the Peace River Mu-nicipal Library and Cultural Centre please call 780-624-4076.For exhibition opportunities, contact Raylene Snider at [email protected]
PEACE RIVER MUSEUMEXHIBITS & EVENTS
Toy Stories Until September 19th
When a Tree Falls in the ForestOctober – April, 2016
MONTHLY ART WALLGrimshaw High School Art Students May
Beyond the Heart Club June
Sue Cloake-Millar July
Joanne MacQuarrieAugust
Verne MacRobertsSeptember
Alberta & BC
EDMONTON, ABEXHIBITS & EVENTS
The Works Art and Design FestivalJune 19th – July 1st
RED DEER, ABOPPORTUNITIES
Series Summer Arts SchoolJuly 6th – 31stRed Deer CollegeFor more information contact 403-356-4900 or visit rdc.ab.ca/series
KELOWNA, BCOPPORTUNITIES
The Alternator Centre for Contemporary ArtThe Alternator accepts exhibition proposals from artists and cura-tors. Visit alternatorcentre.com for details on how to submit.
SALT SPRING ISLAND, BCOPPORTUNITIES
The Salt Spring National Art Prize (SSNAP) Call for submissions for two-dimensional and three-dimen-sional work. Deadline is May 31st. For more information, visit: saltspringartprize.ca
TUMBLER RIDGE COMMUNITY ARTS COUNCILEXHIBITS & EVENTS
Spring 2015 Peace-Liard Regional Art Council Juried Art ShowMay 1st – 30th
GENERALOPPORTUNITIES
artrubiconFor opportunities, exhibitions, events, visit artrubicon.com
Alberta Federation of ArtistsFor information about grants and other resources available from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, visit www.affta.ab.ca
Society of Canadian ArtistsOpen call for submissions for the 47th Open National Juried Show. Deadline is May 22nd. For more information, visit societyofcanadianartists.com.
Open Call for Submissions
Welcoming applications from all professional artists – from the traditional to those who work in new and digital media
47th Open National Juried ShowGainsbrough Galleries, CalgaryJuly 25th - Aug 8th, 2015
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Due: May 22nd, 2015
Check out the 2015 Open National Juried Online Exhibition April 1st - July 15th
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I have always sensed a deep, spiritual connection to the land and have inherently resonated with paint-ers of a similar passion. Like many Canadian artists, my early heroes were Emily Carr, Tom Thomson and Robert Genn. Their imagery via direct contact with nature has resonated strongly within me.
Genn’s solid patterns and dynamic counterpoint has helped me shape a looser style; and through his online letters “The Painter’s Keys,” poignant ideas and practices have been discovered, exam-ined, and shared.
Upon relocating to Grande Prairie, I recognized that I had to change my palette in order to capture the ar-ea’s intense magenta skies or the contrasting deep yellow light that flashes through the dark silhouettes of spruce trees. In learning to do so, I was taught the colours of the prairie sunsets, the nuances of the Northern Lights, and the shimmering reflection of a kayak skimming across a mountain lake.
When painting a landscape, I am not attempting to reproduce the “view,” but rather am having a conver-sation with the imagery being presented. My integra-tion of colour, shape, and pattern is of primary con-cern. I ask questions, respond to what is happening, work my way through technical passages, and feel my way through life’s changes, grief, and joy.
That is the business of the soul—to help us pay attention, to delve deeply into ourselves, and seek answers beyond our current level of consciousness. Accordingly, I relish discovery and experience, as I endeavor to transfer the feeling to canvas. I have found that when the context of realism is put aside, abstraction within a variety of media applications, more quickly addresses those feelings and possi-bilities; it allows greater exploration of colour, or as-serts textures begging to be touched. The response from the viewer is considerably more visceral…a connection is made.
Within the adventure, life has infused me with an intense sense of curiosity, awe, and gratitude. My hope is that through whatever talents I’ve developed, my paintings may reflect my deep sense of wonder.
Patricia Peters
“EVERY ARTIST DIPS HIS BRUSH IN HIS OWN SOUL, AND PAINTS HIS OWN CHARACTER
INTO HIS PICTURES.”– HENRY WARD BEECHER
Winter Aspens, Patricia Peters
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gprc.me/finearts
#103, 9839 – 103 Avenue, Grande Prairie, Alberta T8V 6M7 | PHONE: 780-532-8111 | EMAIL: [email protected] | FREE ADMISSION
GALLERY HOURS: Monday – Wednesday: 10 am – 6 pm | Thursday: 10 am – 9 pm | Friday & Saturday: 10 am – 5 pm
Sunday: 1 pm – 5 pm | Holidays: Closed
ART GALLERY OF GRANDE PRAIRIE
We hope you will be inspired to visit the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie and continue our journey of exploration, inspiration and preservation of the human spirit through art. Since 1975, the community has created an engine for creativity; one that will never cease to expose the minds of this community to the newest, the most innovative and the most beautiful creations of our society and it is our honour to continue protecting, nurturing and enhancing that legacy. The future of the Art Gallery is just as surprising, enlightening, rewarding, exciting and mysterious as is the experience of art itself.
Photos by: Teeple Architects
AGGP.CA