Valley artist Joe Smith, well-known for his realistic paintings of West Coast scenes, is holding his annual spring show at Filberg Lodge from May 11 to 13.
This weekend is also the official season opener for the Filberg Heritage Lodge and Park’s 2012 season so there will be lots to see and do.
Smith’s paintings, done in either watercolor or acrylic, capture the essence of British Columbia’s spectacular West Coast. From the Comox Glacier to Cape Scott to the beaches of the Pacific Rim, the paintings on display provide a broad spectrum of the landscape that has become famous around the world.
For many who view his works, they can actually pinpoint the location depicted as Smith likes to paint scenes that would be familiar or are easily accessible for most people.
“I try to put enough energy into my paintings so that they will elicit some kind of an emotional response from the viewer,” says Smith. “I want my paintings to make people feel good about themselves and the world around them. Nature has the ability to do that, so many of my paintings are focused on natural settings.”
Although most of the paintings in the show are landscape, Smith is also well-known for his attention to detail in depicting architectural subjects. This has led to receiving many requests for commissioned pieces of people’s homes, boats and even their storefronts.
Along the same lines, Smith is also sought after by builders and developers to do renderings of new projects. Many of these the public never sees but on occasion the painting ends up on a sign like the one for The Timbers project in Crown Isle or put on public display for discussion like his concept for the proposed farmers’ market.
This year Smith was asked to come up with a design to be used on all the Vancouver Island MusicFest printed materials. To celebrate this achievement for the festival from July 6 to 8, Smith will give away two weekend passes for two.
Everyone who visits his show will have an opportunity to win a pass and take in all the great entertainment that has been lined up including such acts as Emmylou Harris, k.d. lang and the award-winning Sheepdogs.
With the weekend also being the official opening for the Lodge’s 2012 season, there are lots of other activities taking place at the same time as Smith’s show.
The gift shop will be open and the teahouse will be ready to serve a variety of delicious meals — don’t forget Sunday is Mother’s Day. And with spring flowers in bloom and the gardens tended, a walk along the paths becomes a thing of beauty.
Smith’s show will be open this Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Filberg Lodge is located at 61 Filberg Rd. in Comox.
— Joe Smith
