Sherry BezansonFor the chronicle
There’s no shortage of ideas at the Waterfront Gallery, not since The Short Show went up Jan. 2. Running to Jan. 21, the exhibit celebrates all things short, which – it turns out – is a pretty long list.
Imagine short stops, being caught short, short-legged pets, the state of being short of cash, the consideration of all things that are short-lived, the short end of the stick, feeling short-circuited, or perhaps the sense that last summer felt too short…
Artists were challenged to interpret “short” and how it manifests in their lives or in their art, in a show sponsored by the Ladysmith Health Food Store.
Patt Scrivenner, an island artist with a studio in Parksville, was opening night speaker. A regular on display at the Waterfront, she’s a prolific, mixed-media artist who paints almost daily and hosts workshops.
She uses strong colour and design, creating vivid abstract paintings with rich tactile surfaces.
Scrivenner explained how her compositions are built up in layers and may include texture gels, text such as dictionary pages, altered photographs, handmade papers, old maps, sheet music and vintage papers.
The desire to create has been a strong passion in her life, Scrivenner said. She has taken many art classes and found working experimentally and intuitively has allowed her emotional responses to guide her art.
Raised on a farm near Carrot River, in northern Saskatchewan, she exhibits a love of nature and solitude in her work. As a child she spent many hours painting, drawing and doing crafts.
In 2014 she received her signature status (AFCA) with the Federation of Canadian Artists.
The Waterfront Gallery is operating on its winter schedule: Tuesdays to Sundays, noon to 4 p.m. More info at ladysmithwaterfrontgallery.com
