Three intriguing paintings by local artists have been awarded prizes from the Federation of Canadian Artists (FCA) and a show with those paintings and other submissions will be hung for sale at the Old School House until March 8.
The Arrowsmith chapter of the FCA mounts two juried shows annually to showcase their finest work which is reviewed by their peers who have signature status within the organization.
The paintings range in styles and media and are selected for the show based on artistic merit, creativity, originality and excellence in technical skill.
First prize at the Spring show went to Lisa Danesin for Silverware No. 55, made with watercolours and silver ink.
This is part of a larger series with a number of influences including the ocean, the West coast and Japanese woodblock prints. Danesin was a print maker in the past and said she is fascinated with Japanese prints, with pattern and with fitting an elegant design into a small space.
Second place went to Cindy Mawle for her piece Forest Lanterns, made with acrylic paints. She said she came across the flowers during her yearly retreat to Cortez Island.
“I was walking trail behind cabin one day and the light was coming through the trees and lighting them up they were like little forest lanterns and the squirrels were coming out and stealing them and munching on them and it was just kinda neat.”
Third place was awarded to Ros Ross with her oil painting Sweet Peas. She said she had spent a day at Butchart Gardens where she took about 300 photographs. The next morning she was having breakfast at home and looked up to her husband with an arm full of sweet peas.
Awards of excellence in the show went to Pat Carroll, Denise Macdonald and Lisa Danesin.
Also exhibiting during the same time frame at TOSH, work by Elsie Griffiths and Pat Scrivener.
Griffiths, former owner of the Lemon Tree Studio Gallery in Courtenay, has a vast repertoire of painting techniques under her belt and is currently enthused about painting abstract naturalism. This technique uses luminous and fluid ink on watercolour paper to produce free-spirited and abstract paintings.
Scrivener is an award-winning Parksville artist who is self taught and loves to experiment. She creates highly textured abstract paintings and also teaches experimental mixed media.
For more information about TOSH call 250-752-6133 or visit www.theoldschoolhouse.org.
