Salt Spring Island artist Jeannette Sirois will be on display for her second solo exhibition at West End Gallery this month.
Sirois’ vibrant and painstakingly detailed botanical drawings are a sight to behold, as noted by Amy Boyle of West End Gallery.
“Spending thousands of hours in the studio, her coloured pencil pieces on paper are a testament to her dedication, patience and passion,” Boyle said.
Sirois earned studied design with distinctions at Concordia University and has her art teacher certification.
Using nature as her guide, Sirois renders the intricate blooms plucked from her garden including tulips, irises and poppies. She’s created work for public installations, gallery exhibitions and private collections and continues to push her work into areas that give the viewer opportunities for dialogue around issues related to social change, the speed of our lives and the peace instilled from the natural environment, Boyle said.
The Sirois exhibition of new paintings opens Aug. 22 and runs until Sept. 3.
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This month the Avenue Gallery in Oak Bay is hosting oil-painter Mary-Jean Butler, potter Geoff Searle and sculpture and design artist Janis Woode.
Butler is a West Vancouver artist whose paintings reflect the rugged landscape of British Columbia’s mountains and coastline, said Heather Wheeler.
Her education in fine art and graphic design play a strong role in the stylization of her work, which depicts the landscapes and trees, cliffs and water that surround her studio, Wheeler said. Butler’s objective is to shift the focus from the broader landscape and rather explore the many subtleties that arise within small croppings, details, shifts between light and seasonal changes.
Janis Woode’s work stands out for her use of metal and other unique materials, which date back to her schooling at Emily Carr. That triggered a desire to learn to weld which opened the door to articulate her artistic vision, she told Wheeler, and Woode has worked with metal ever since.
“My hope is that my sculpture draws a common thread for the viewer, a thread that ties us together as people no matter how individual our experiences may be,” Woode said.
Searle’s pottery is a treat in sculpture. A non-conformist, Searle’s creativity and curiosity has led to some exciting work that puts him at the forefront of clay innovation, Wheeler said. His work has found its way throughout the world from galleries in Vancouver and Victoria and is in the hands of numerous private collectors.
For fine-art photography, consider Kevin Boyle’s exhibit at Winchester Galleries at 2260 Oak Bay Ave. this month. The award-winning Vancouver-based artist’s pieces are showing until Aug. 12. Boyle’s art ranges from capturing the haunting charm of dilapidated farm buildings on the prairies, to long exposures of cattle moving in impossible lines.
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Madrona Gallery at 606 View Street (and Trounce Alley) is currently presenting Colours of Summer XI. This annual group exhibition brings together a selection of contemporary and historical works of paintings, drawings, and sculptures.
West End Gallery is open Monday-Friday 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1203 Broad St.
The Avenue Gallery at 2184 on Oak Bay Avenue is open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
