Friendship and diverse creativity at the core of Flying Colours

T.W. Buck tbuck@ahnfsj.ca

The history of the Flying Colours arts group in Fort St. John is as rich and bright as the artists and artwork it produces.

Sandy Troudt was lucky enough to get to participate in workshops along-side the North Peace Arts Group, which was an active, respected, and a creative force in the local art community for many years. That group ‘faded’ out during the mid 1990s, leaving a void that needed filling in the local arts community.

After Troudt retired from teaching in 1999, she began to look for different places her and her friends would be able to hold workshops. Most places around town were out of their price range, and that’s when she approached her good friend Miep Burgerjon about using her shop at her country home that is roughly 10 miles from Fort St. John.

Burgerjon welcomed them in, saying, “It was free to use but we had to clean all the grease and the grime out of the shop.”

One afternoon, while they sat outside and enjoyed lunch, the discussion was brought up: With all the interest in their workshops, maybe it would be a good time to start another arts group here locally.

“We wanted to go forward with a new brand, a new name,” recalls Troudt. “For me, Flying Colours kind of symbolized how we were going to go forward with enthusiasm, zest, and an eagerness to learn and continue to nurture an artistic community. To me the image symbolized a banner of joy.”

That was 2008 and the artists that make up the group today explore a little bit of everything, which only adds to the diversity and inclusive energy that comes with being a member of Flying Colours.

Some of their artistic expressions consist of watercolour, acrylic, and oil painting, as well as jelli prints, printing on fabric, wood, clay, and wood sculpture along with the use of many other media.

The sharing of knowledge and experience has always been a major part of Flying Colours. This group welcomes everybody, no matter what medium or what interest they have. There is someone in this group that can help any person progress their artistic expression.

“There is something for everybody, no matter who you are, what your goals are or what your background is,” says Troudt. “When I think about it, I’m often blown away with how far the collaboration has come. We had lofty goals, and we continue to meet them,” Adds Burgerjon, “A lot of artists do work in kind of, a solitary manner, and that’s not unusual. But our group is unusual in that it is very inviting and diverse.”

Flying Colours currently holds workshops in the conference room of the North Peace Cultural Centre Friday and Saturday, between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. though the group is looking for more suitable accommodations for their workshops. During the summers, members meet weekly in backyards or other scenic spots for plein air sessions.

“Our most immediate and pressing concern is to find a place to get together and work. We all used to meet in my shop, which had three windows to open. There was no running water, so we were running back and forth with pails on a driveway that was often icy,” explains Burgerjon.

Coming up on April 7, artist Alison Newth’s first solo exhibit opened at Peace Gallery North, displaying her mastery of colours in a collection of beautifully painted landscapes appropriately titled Landscapes of the North

The group also brings in renowned artists selected by the group two or more times a year. These workshops are open to members and to nonmembers if space is available. This summer, our members have chosen to bring in two expert printmakers, Alain Costaz and Victoria Edgarr, from Victoria, to spend five days teaching a variety of printmaking sessions for our First Annual FSJ Summer School.