Painter Greg Swainson is continuing with his yearly tradition — holding a special art sale at his Qualicum Beach studio with 20 per cent of proceeds earmarked for Haven Society.
A former high school art teacher and Alberta College of Art and Design graduate, Swainson began holding these sales more than 10 years ago after the loss of a young family member, he said.
Swainson started by donating 20 per cent to Edmonton’s children’s hospital. For the past three years, Swainson’s donations have been going locally with Haven Society benefiting.
This year’s sale, which will also include $30 off regular prices for buyers, will take place from Oct. 27-29 at Raintree Studio and Gallery (5101 W. Island Hwy.).
The sale will feature about 50 of Swainson’s watercolour work, which generally focuses on florals and landscapes as well as other images from the Island or trips.
“I tend to paint things I think I can recreate rom nature based on creating a positive emotion,” he said.
A mainstay of his work is getting vibrant colours out of his paints, tending away from a more typical, lighter watercolour esthetic.
Swainson continues to teach some workshops with high school classes, and says it’s often his students that notice the changes in his style before he does.
The most recent comment from his students is that he’s getting looser, “which I think is a compliment,” he said with a smile.
Often choosing to paint up-close images of a group of leaves or flowers, Swainson said he’s focusing detail on the focus on his painting, while allowing secondary or background portions of the image to remain less defined.
This helps in directing the viewer’s eye, said Swainson.
He also noted his loosening up includes a greater acceptance of mistakes, which cannot be reversed as much as with other media.
So, rather than trying to reverse them, he works to capitalize on them.
“Your degree of happiness has to be flexible, and your degree of success has to be flexible,” he said, at least as far as executing your original idea.
The exhibit and sale of Swainson’s new work runs Oct. 27 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., and Oct. 28-29 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information about Swainson and his studio, go to raintreestudio.ca/index.html.
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