Joanne Gauthier’s much-anticipated solo exhibition of new paintings opens Saturday, Oct. 7 at West End Gallery.
An Exhibition of New Paintings runs Oct. 7 to 19.
Gauthier was introduced to the life of an artist from an early age and worked diligently pursue that passion at the University of Quebec. Her dedication and endless creativity have sustained her throughout her career and are what drives her to continually push her own boundaries. In this recent series of paintings lush floral imagery is principally inspired by colour. “I make small sketches that I reproduce to scale,” she says. “When I apply color, I want to create color contrasts often compared to the central color of the composition. Creating interest around this color and then making it vibrate to the maximum until an almost surreal atmosphere emerges.”
West End Gallery features a solo exhibition of new paintings by Rod Charlesworth Oct. 21 to Nov. 2. Engaged with and aware of the extensive history of Canadian landscape painting, Rod Charlesworth is committed to providing his viewers with a refreshing, often celebratory approach to the landscape. His work consciously comments on beauty and the ephemeral within the landscape, done so in a manner of mark making which is unique to his visual vocabulary. Although the places depicted, for the most part are within Canada, Rod hopes that viewers engage with the work not only in terms of place, but also in formal terms with regards to paint materiality and mark making.
“It’s just paint, have fun with it,” he says.
While acknowledging his education and technical training in Fine Art at the Okanagan University College in Kelowna, Charlesworth largely considers himself self-taught. His vibrant patches of colour, the rugged terrain of the Western landscape, and snowy rinks with children at play capture a uniquely Canadian cultural identity. Rod has departed from his previous colour palette by making one small change to his under-painting, producing dramatic effects, resulting in fresh and vibrant new landscapes. “What initially inspired me to paint was how we all see the world differently,” Charlesworth says. “I wanted to create my own visual language that could be used to portray the Canadian landscape in all of its rugged subtleties.”
Join in the opening reception Saturday, Oct. 21 with the artist in residence from 1 to 4 p.m.
Find the West End Gallery at 1203 Broad St. or at westendgalleryltd.com online.
The Community Arts Council of the Saanich Peninsula’s ArtSea Festival starts Oct. 13.
The Sidney Fine Art Show Oct. 13 to 15 at the Mary Winspear Centre kicks off the annual ArtSea Festival that runs to Oct. 22.
The festival starts with the Fine Art Show and wraps up with the studio tour. Throughout the festival, coffee shops throughout the Peninsula invite you to not just drink coffee and talk to your pals but create some art while you’re at it. Doodle, draw, write, colour or whatever. There will be jars of pens, pencils, felts, crayons and blank postcards waiting for your creation. There may even be a few “real” artists hanging out to give you the idea. Then you can “post” your card in the box provided. Art will go on display in each coffee shop for all to see and don’t forget to post on Instagram – tag #artseafun. It’s all happening at: Brentwood Bay Village Emporium Fresh Cup in Saanichton Melinda’s Biscotti, North Saanich Serious Coffee, Sidney The Georgia Cafe, Sidney.
The ArtSea Fall Studio Tour runs Oct. 21 and 22 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. The self-guided tour of artists’ studios in Sidney by the Sea, Central and North Saanich is an opportunity to visit and learn more about the creative process from painters, sculptors, jewellers, weavers, potters, carvers and more. Check out their latest works, ask questions learn more about the artist’s passions and perhaps find a special piece as a memory of your adventure.
Visit cacsp.com for map and details.
The Avenue Gallery offers Blu Smith, The Path of Least Resistance, Oct. 26 to Nov. 6.
“Painting provided a creatively freeing and deeply personal, therapeutic release for me. For a young man who had a hard time communicating, this non-literal medium was a perfect fit,” Smith says. “My voice as an artist was found, and it was during this period I knew I wanted to be an artist.”
His mature style as an abstract painter began as an exercise to free himself from the technical constraints of realism. Nonrepresentational abstraction became a creatively freeing direction that evolved into his unique voice as an artist. “My work has a strong base in colour and composition. My pieces are constructed or built as if bricks and mortar in a building. Every painting is a building block in the foundation of what will come next.”
Brent Lynch paintings are showcased Oct. 4 to 11 followed by a Patty Ripley showcase Oct. 11 to 18.
Gage Gallery Arts Collective offers Cusp and other mixed media paintings by Heather Midori Yamada.
Cusp opens Tuesday, Oct. 10 with an artists reception Oct. 12 from 5 to 8 p.m. and runs until Saturday, Oct. 28.
The recent small paintings represent movement from one place to another, transference, evolution, shifting … sentiments, ancient memories are revealed in shadows, in the scraping away of old matter, in allowing the new to come to light. Using acrylics and texturizing mediums, sometimes the Japanese washi papers are all but obscured. Gage Gallery is open Tuesday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 pm. daily.
Linda Darby’s new exhibition City Light is runs Oct. 31 to Nov. 18. The Victoria artist looks at the way high density growth has altered our way of seeing light in an ever-changing city landscape. Starting with the elemental forms inherent in urban buildings and skyscrapers, Darby experiments with arrangements of hard-edged forms and shifting planes. She paints using a tonal palette that reflects heightened illumination to evoke a range of meanings and associations of city living. To Linda, painting is about the relationship between image, memory and place. City Light offers fresh perspectives, awakening viewers to the beauty of light in our urban location. The opening reception is Thursday, Nov. 2 from 5 to 8 p.m.
The Robert Bateman Centre presents Edging Forward: Reconnection, Reconciliation, Regeneration starting Oct. 10 and running a full month. Edging Forward: Reconnection, Reconciliation, Regeneration is a creative collaboration between artist and author. After realizing there was something missing in sustainability discussions, an artist and an author came together to explore the thread of love. There is enough evidence and social innovation to act now, but what is holding us back? How do we leap towards new sustainable pathways?
Responding to the core themes in Ann Dale’s forthcoming book, artist Nancyanne Cowell explores how love and emotion is blended with science. Through luminous brushwork, her oil paintings merge the abstract with the figurative. They emphasize how our existence is inherently linked to nature and illuminate the beauty of this relationship. A compelling story has the ability to shape and influence the world around us. By blending art with science, this multi-media exhibit shares how collaboration and compassion can help us leap forward to a more sustainable world.
Vessels opens this month at Alcheringa Gallery. Vessels are intrinsically crafted to move us, through their functional capacity to hold, store, and protect or through perhaps their form and beauty as art pieces. This exhibition explores the commonalities and differences in cultures across the Pacific Rim in the way vessels are adorned and celebrated for various purposes. An eclectic mix of contemporary handcrafted artwork that allows you to explore, discover, and delight in the many forms that vessels may take. The exhibition runs from Oct. 14 to Nov. 8 with an opening reception on Saturday, Oct. 21 at 2 p.m.
Curated by Darren Pottie, it features a selection of new work from the Northwest Coast, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea and Alaska. Allow yourself to become familiar with new artists, and let yourself be amazed by the talent of those we have worked with before. Works include ceramics, woven cedar bark, bentwood boxes, lime gourds and a ceremonial feast platter.
Artists in the exhibition include: Ake Lianga, Angela Marston, Gillian McMillan, Jacythne Two-Bulls, KC Hall, Mark Preston, Patrick Leach, Sage Paul, Silas Coon, Trevor Angus, Trevor Hunt, Wilson George and more.
Alcheringa Gallery, 621 Fort St. is part of a much-loved art event in Victoria, the annual Victoria Gallery Walk, established in 1998 takes place at Alcheringa Gallery, Madrona Gallery, University of Victoria Legacy Art Galleries, West End Gallery, Winchester Galleries Ltd. and TAG - Trounce Alley Gallery on Saturday, Oct. 21 from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 22 from noon to 4 p.m.
Visit alcheringa-gallery.com for more.
Madrona Gallery features the work of Meghan Hildebrand in an exhibition titled “lorafauna”. Lorafauna pays tribute to the marvels and mysteries of the coast and forest. Using animal and mythical motifs, symbolic landscape elements, and a highly tuned colour palette, these paintings portray the stories of dark and light just under the surface of familiar places. Hildebrand has had over forty solo shows, including a retrospective survey at the Yukon Arts Centre 2012. Her work has been acquired by public and corporate collections internationally. This exhibition will feature over 20 new works by one of Canada’s leading contemporary artists.
Lorafauna opens Saturday, Oct. 14 with an artist reception from 1 to 4 p.m. Find Madrona Gallery at 606 View St. or madronagallery.com online.
Opus Art Supplies offers a workshop on the Millefiori Technique with polymer clay with Wanda Shum on Oct. 8. In this demonstration Wanda will show a unique technique which she describes as a combination of ‘sculpting and painting’ to create rolls of repetitive patterns using polymer clay.
Shum is a B.C. grown artist who was formally trained in Electronic Communication Design at the Emily Carr College of Art and Design; She has been an independent artist for over 18 years with a variety of works to her name. All of her work has embodied an attention to detail in form and function. Her works are recognized for their bright and whimsical qualities.
Join Shum as she collages different colours of clay together to create canes that you can slice and reveal an image or design. She will then take the slices from her pattern canes to use in a variety different applications. Space is limited and registration is required.
Visit Opus Victoria or contact 250‑386‑8133 to register for workshops.
