When people walked into the Butterfly Brushes event on March 20, they were met with 51 blank canvases.
Soon enough, thanks to a lot of laughter and a little bit of wine, those canvases were filled with bright oranges, yellows and deep purples as people laughed and tested out their art skills under the supervision of artist Cheryl Gauthier.
The event was a fundraiser for the 100 Mile Hospice Programs. People were able to try out their art skills as they painted a sunset over a lake and trees. The fledgeling artists were guided by Gauthier, who donated her time for the event.
Despite all working from the same picture with the same instructions, the results were surprisingly different. And despite some claims from the participants that they didn’t know what they were doing, every painting turned out surprisingly well.
“Everybody I talked to has said they really, really enjoyed it,” says Val Clemont, Board Director for the 100 Mile District Palliative Care Society.
The event raised $2,000 for programs run by the Palliative Care Society. Clemont says the money is a huge help in running the programs.
“It’s becoming our signature for one of the fundraisers. We have our incredible memory tree that we raise funds with as well so we’re really hoping that the community will continue to support us,” she says.
“It just puts a fun spin on things. When we are talking about hospice often it’s with sadness in our hearts, however, with Butterfly Brushes it brings some fun into the whole theme of everything.”
Clemont is hoping to host another Butterfly Brushes event in May, although she doesn’t have a date yet.
Still, she’s thrilled with the success of the evening.
“It was really exciting, it was a labour of love from my perspective, I tell you.”
The event will help the hospice continue to support patients and their families.
“I want to thank all the ladies and the one gentleman, Joe, for coming and believing in us and supporting us,” she says.
