Growing up in the Victoria area, painting local landscapes as a child before turning to portraits in her teens, “I’ve always wanted to be an artist,” says Oak Bay’s Ann Redford-Nolte.
Her artistic passions took her to the Vancouver School of Art and Queen’s University, before working for Group of Seven’s Arthur Lismer at the Montreal Museum of Fine Art.
Working as a portrait painter, Redford-Nolte’s subjects included such luminaries as Zubin Mehta, members of the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, poet Irving Layton and designer Jean Andre.
“It was fabulous – I was areally a part of the art world,” she says from her bright home studio, a corner suite flooded with natural light.
Returning to Victoria, work and family life kept Redford-Nolte busy for many years, but retirement has allowed more time to focus once again on her art.
Her landscapes and portraits adorn many Victroria-area homes walls, in addition to collections across Canada, in the United States and Australia.
“I retired and a friend said, join the Sketch Club, and it’s been great because you meet all these really interesting people,” she says.
The oldest art group in continuous operation in Western Canada, the Victoria Sketch Club celebrates its 107th year with its annual spring show opening Tuesday, March 15 at Glenlyon Norfolk House.
Past members have been notables such as Emily Carr, Jack Shadbolt, Max Maynard, Samuel Maclure and Ted Harrison. Continuing the tradition tofay, current members include prize-winning signature members of the Canadian Federation of Artists.
Redford-Nolte looks forward to bringing some of her newest work to the club’s exhibition and sale.
Applying a variety of brightly hued acrylics to a blank canvas, shapes and images begin to emerge, she explains.
While her colours remain vibrant, the subject and feel is decidedly more whimsical compared to earlier works.
“I still love doing landscapes but I’m finding more and more that these interest me more.”
“I just love colour and movement,” says Redford-Nolte, who has exhibited in the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, the Vancouver Art Gallery, the london Art Gallery and others.
The Victoria Sketch Club exhibition and sale features more than 100 paintings.
Join the artists from 7 to 9 p.m. March 15 at the Glenlyon-Norfolk School Gym, 1701 Beach Dr. for the opening night. The exhibirtion is open daily through Sunday, March 20.
For more information visit victoriasketchclub.ca
