FAIRWINDS PROFILE

Picture Perfect

by Sandra Jones photos by Rae-Anne Guenther

FOR A SPIT OF LAND SO SMALL IN STATURE, NANOOSE BAY PUNCHES WELL ABOVE ITS WEIGHT CLASS WHEN IT COMES TO JAW-DROPPING SCENERY.

I paint in fits and starts. When my brain is into it, I’ll paint for four or five hours a day. My table is on wheels and on a nice day I just push it through the doors onto the patio and paint from there.

RICHARD ALM, Federation of Canadian Artists, Signature Status

With its ancient trees and weathered rock rimmed by the tidal blue of the Salish Sea, it’s no wonder Fairwinds draws those with an artist’s eye and a penchant for painting.

Artist Richard Alm moved to the community from Vancouver three years ago and discovered a wealth of inspiration. “Moving here gave me a whole new range of subject matter. I’ve always been an outdoorsy guy and I’ve painted lots of trees, forests, and streams but now it’s right outside our door. My wife Bonnie and I are just discovering the Island and haven’t even touched the surface.”

For this prairie boy turned painter, the road to Fairwinds was a winding one. “I grew up in Saskatoon and majored in fine arts at the University of Saskatchewan. But I knew early on that there was no money in art,” recalls Richard.

Instead his career was an epic adventure that included jobs in sales and marketing and culminated in ownership of an ad agency that worked with worldwide brands such as Hyatt Hotels. The original agency morphed into an exhibit design and management company and went on to create 3D exhibits for world fairs including Vancouver’s Expo 86.

It wasn’t until 2003 that Richard’s thoughts turned back to creating his own art. “In the early days, I got accepted into the Federation of Canadian Artists and was painting big canvasses. After I had been painting for five years, I noticed that Robert Genn, a well-respected artist with the Federation, was offering critiques for $40.”

Richard paid the fee and met with him to ask for his opinion on his work and where he fit into the milieu of artists. “He told me, ‘You’re about page three of a 783-page book. But why are you painting all of these big paintings that nobody can afford? I want you to go and buy 300, 11" x 14" canvasses. When you’ve finished them, you’ll have a style that people will recognize.’ ”

Richard took his advice, or at least some of it. He bumped into Genn the following spring and gave him an update. “I told him two things: The first was that one of my big 12 x 4 foot canvasses was the feature at the Harmony Arts Festival. The second was that I was now up to #37 of my small canvasses and he was absolutely right. When I was working small and doing two or three at a time, I could see the improvement.”

The ultimate compliment came later when Richard presented Genn with a painting he had done of the artist. “He told me he was going home to give it to his wife and they were hanging it on the wall. So I went from ‘page three’ to having a piece in his house,” laughs Richard.

Today Richard’s work can be found in homes far and wide while the walls of his own home showcase more than 100 paintings. The house seems custom-made for the work of an artist and the walk-out lower level, with an abundance of light, ideally suited for his studio.

Propped on an easel facing the patio doors in his studio, his latest work is a study in the scenery just beyond. “I paint in fits and starts. When my brain is into it, I’ll paint for four or five hours a day. My table is on wheels and on a nice day I just push it through the doors onto the patio and paint from there.”

Robert’s skill and passion for sculpting, painting, and illustrating translate into an ability to think outside of the box. “I get tired of painting on flat surfaces so I’m now working on a framed canvas that is inset with another framed canvas. It’s like putting a whole bunch of canvas bits together to make one structured canvas piece. There’s a lot of trial and error.”

Active in the local arts scene, Richard has joined a group of 15 Nanoose Bay artists and his studio is a featured stop on the tours that typically run twice a year in non-pandemic times. “I also mentor a group of aspiring artists and we meet and talk about art.”

But it’s not all work for this prolific artist. “I like to fly fish up near Qualicum Beach and Bonnie and I are both golfers. We’re on the Fairwinds course three times a week.”

It’s the combination of people and place that Richard loves. “We lived in Vancouver for decades and never knew our neighbours. One of the things we were looking for was a real neighbourhood and we’ve found that here. Now we know all of our neighbours. Plus we were able to sell our 1800 sq ft condo and buy this 4600 sq ft. home for half the price.”

And of course, there’s the showstopping environment. “This is like heaven. Spectacular scenery is out the door and a block away – what could be nicer?”