The 2012 Images art show and sale will take place at Rotacrest Hall on Nov. 24 and 25. Laura Leeder and Carol Schloss will be guest artists at this year’s show.
Leeder’s watercolours evoke a feeling of timelessness and serenity through her portrayal of vintage lace, teacups, porcelain, flowers and fruit. She uses complex colour in a quiet still life format that calls to the tranquil centre in all of us.
Her love for the Creston Valley is celebrated in her newest watercolour paintings, a series featuring some of her favorite locally grown fruits and flowers. Her teacup painting, Miss Ambrosia, was chosen for the 2012 Columbia Basin Culture Tour poster and her teacup series was recently featured in a U.S. issue of TeaTime magazine. Leeder shares her painting experiences in her blog at www.lauraleeder/blogspot.com.
Schloss, a signature member of the Pastel Society of America, joins the Images show for her second year.
“I’m finding that trees are figuring prominently in my work lately,” she said. “I have fond memories as a teenager climbing into an old apple tree to read and view the world from a different and leafier perspective.
“Trees are everywhere, (at least in this part of the world), and easy to take for granted, and yet these mysterious green beings are really solar factories that reach to the skies and down into the earth to blend the elemental energies of earth, sky, air and water, feeding us all, sheltering, warming, filtering air, moderating weather. No small feat! They’re the oldest living things on Earth and will probably go on to survive us all!
“I’m awed by the size and longevity of the cedars here, the flexible strength of the firs under weighty snow, the lushness of the fruit trees in this valley and their sensitivity to weather. The power of nature shines through their branches and seems to energize everything around them. What a privilege to be here and to tap into some of that mysterious energy!”
Eileen Hirota continues to enjoy the beauty and abundance of the Creston Valley. A recent painting features cows, which is new subject matter for her — influenced by living out in the country amidst these curious ones. Her usual love of flowers, people and animals keep surfacing with her trademark bright colours and textures. Teaching classes at the college, her studio/gallery and Adam Robertson Elementary School this past year has been keeping her open to experimental, creative possibilities.
Ute Bachinski’s outdoor work is a lively exploration in pastel of land and sky, turbulent clouds being a favourite subject. Her studio work in watercolour confirms her abiding love of food, and its rich forms and colours.
James McDowell works from his studio gallery, McDowells’ Hilltop Gallery, located on the family farm outside Creston. A self-taught artist working primarily in acrylic on hardboard, McDowell draws inspiration from all that surrounds him. His works encompass a wide variety of styles from realism to non-representational and they glow with the touch of a true colourist.
Karen Arrowsmith has had a busy year, which included the opening of a new studio, the Arrowsmith Gallery in Boswell, and surgery for a new hip. Arrowsmith’s focus this year was on more detailed paintings done from her photographs, some from her trip across Canada and others from pictures taken locally. Her subject matter ranged from scenery to portraits with some still life in between.
This year, Gunda Stewart has been exploring various pouring vessels, from tiny soy sauce servers to teapots and jugs. These complex forms have been challenging from both an aesthetic and a functional perspective. She has also been experimenting with several different glazes, including a beautiful cedar ash glaze.
Elaine Alfoldy has made artwork using watercolour, acrylic and fabric batik during 2012.
“My subjects come from flowers throughout the year, landscapes, people and animals I see in our farming valley,” she said. “The floral gardens of my home and gallery that inspire my paintings are small though filled with variety. Caring for them and studying them over many years gives me the confidence as I paint that I will interpret them with feeling and an understanding of their structure.
“My Farm Lady continues to enjoy working on her farm both outside with her land and animals and inside busy with her domestic pursuits.”
Andy Alfoldy has enjoyed a productive year in the studio, painting in watercolour.
“We’re fortunate to live in a corner of the world that offers up an endless variety of inspirations to challenge the artist’s eye and mind,” he said. “I strive to reflect what I see and feel in this cornucopia of images and activities.”
The artists look forward to the annual Images art show and sale, at which Marion Schulz’s smile will greet visitors as they enter Rotacrest Hall from 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Nov. 24 and 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Nov. 25.
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