Cork and Canvas

I will be taking part in Cork and Canvas, a fundraiser by Richmond Hospital Foundation. Here is their description: "an exquisite evening of sipping, bidding and buying. Sample superb wines and peruse art from some very talented local artists. Proceeds benefit a critically needed MRI for Richmond Hospital, so please call for your tickets today! 604-244-5252
Admission: $35
Date: April 17, 2008
Time: 5pm-8pm
Place: MS Lecky UBC Boathouse (Rowing Club)
7277 River Road, Richmond "

There will be some art auctioned and some artists (including me!) will be there with art for sale with 50% going to RHF. I'm planning on bringing quite a few of my little fruits and veggies that are popular for dining areas and kitchens. Some people like to buy them in pairs or sets. Quite a few are just 6"x 6" and are $95. All are originals, one of a kind. Just for fun, several have the produce stickers on the back of the canvas.

Aerial View

Richmond Art Gallery recently had its fundraiser "Mirror, Mirror II" which is a silent auction of member's works. The theme this year was "Little Landscapes and Miniature Worlds" - with no size limit. Interpretation was left to the artists. As I had traveled over to Victoria on a day trip on a float plane, I had some interesting photo references looking down on the Gulf Islands. To me, it looks like looking at a model railway set-up. You see the trees from a different angle. Rocks that form a beach are visible underwater for an extended distance. The whole landscape looks Lilliputian. So, that became my inspiration for "Aerial View, Gulf Island". And, happily, it was purchased. An artist friend has suggested I do a series - so that is something else to think about.

Artist's Statement

"Portraits of Local Artists" is over now, but I thought I would post my artist's statement from the show. (Guess who forgot to keep a copy before?)

I decided to paint portraits of Richmond artists when I was delivering flyers about Artists Among Us. One person said, "Who is an artists around *here*?" I thought then of all the really good artists who often aren't recognized in their hometowns. For starters, we have a marine artist who is known worldwide, a sculptor who sells in New York and painters selling in Vancouver, back East and in the U.S.

To increase awareness of local talent, I decided to do portraits that would indicate the type of work of each artist. The style of the portraits would be simplified for three reasons. One- the show would have unity in spite of varied backgrounds. Two- I could work from a drawing from life and not take too much time from artists who would rather be working on their own works. Three- the style conveys a "Time magazine famous persons profile" and creates a moment in the spotlight effect.

I wanted each painting to be like a billboard for the artists and the cumulative effect to show the wide variety of talent right here in Richmond. Of course, this is really just the tip of the iceberg as 20 artists are only a fraction of the total number of artists in the community. I'd like people to think about buying real art and supporting living artists. For a modest price, people can have one-of-a-kind art instead of mass-produced reproductions. They can choose a piece with personal appeal. No one can promise escalating values in the future, but if a person loves the artwork now, then in ten years they will still love it and have had ten years of enjoyment.

There is often the tendency to feel "real" art must be imported but we need to realize the value of local artists. in 1893, John H. Twachtman spoke to a class graduating from an American art academy and said, "Some day some of you will become painters, a few of you will do distinguished work, and then the American public will turn you down for second and third rate French painters." I would hope that in 2007, people would think for themselves and discover the talents of Richmond artists.

Loraine Wellman

Waiting...

This 20" x 16" painting is being used on the poster and catalog for this year's Artists for Animals silent auction fundraiser. And, yes, you can bid on the actual painting when the advance viewing for the fundraiser opens October 22 at Autumn Brook Gallery.
The bidding for both the silent auction and a live auction - paintings ,yes, but also sculpture and other fine art - is on Sunday, October 28th. It all starts at 5:oo pm with the live auction at 7:oo pm. There will be refreshments so it all makes for a good evening raising funds to pay veterinarian and medical expenses for animals in crisis. This event is organized by the Kensington Foundation. You can read about how they got their name on their website.
Autumn Brook Gallery is located at 1545 W. 4th Avenue in Vancouver.
I was pleased to have my painting selected for the poster and catalog and to be part of this worthwhile endeavour. The painting is called "Waiting" - and whether the cat is going in or coming out is up to the purchaser to decided. Maybe, in the meantime, the cat is waiting for attention to this good cause!

Portraits of Local Artists

My major work, this past year, has been creating portraits of local artists with the backgrounds showing something representative of their work. Today, the show has been hung in Richmond City Hall, where is will hang through October 29th, 2007. It is always exciting to see one's work spread out in a larger space. The paintings represent artists who work in a variety of media and style - as a sort of "tip of the iceberg" of what is available out there. I'm hoping that the exhibition will help make people aware that there is a lot of good work being produced by contemporary artists at really affordable prices.Wouldn't it be nice to have offices and businesses displaying work by local artists?
Also, all those eyes looking at the local politicians are asking for recognition and hoping that the Art Gallery can be funded to stay open in evening hours!

New Painting

This is the artist statement from the exhibition:
My painting is called "Enduring" because it is about something that has lasted, rather than changed. The Japanese words for "Murakami", "garden". "enduring" and "living history" are carved into the textured fence while English written words are hidden throughout the painting. I have painted this garden before because it is an expression of a free-spirited woman making her statement. I thought a re-interpretation would show that some things continue on. I wanted to celebrate a piece of living history that continues while change occurs around it.

"Enduring"

The current show in Richmond Art Gallery is called "Changing City" and is a juried show. It replaces the former "Artists Among Us" as well as the user-group shows.I decided to focus on something enduring, rather than what was being changed. My painting is about the Murakami Garden by Britannia Heritage Shipyard. It was created by a Japanese immigrant woman, an independent spirit. Instead of something confined and rigidly organized, this garden is a riot of colour and plants. I wanted the painting to go beyond the visual impact of the flowers, so I incorporated the Japanese words for "enduring", "Murakami", "living history", and "garden" by carving them into the raised texture of the fence posts. Then I also wrote English words into the foliage. It was an interesting challenge and the painting was accepted into the show.

Next, after the show ends on July 6th, there will be Open Studios for the artists in the show who indicated that they were interested in having them. This is a chance for people to visit where the artist works, see their set-up, and also see other paintings.The Open Studios are on July 7th and July 8th from Noon to 4 p.m. each day.I will be participating - and hoping that people will come to see my work.