Okanagan Art Works - September 2010 by LizArt Studio

SEPTEMBER 2010

VOLUME 5 OF 1

This month’s cover: LINDA LOVISA

KINDRIE GROVE JEANINE HOLMES ARLENE HOWE LETA SHORES DAVE GRIFFITHS

communities – they make communities more attractive places to live, they help bring a community to life, they define a community’s unique characteristics, they attract tourists and they help communities compete economically around the world”. The Canada Council for the Arts

The Vision of OKANAGAN ART WORKS online magazine is to nurture, encourage, promote, and showcase the extraordinary talented artists who have chosen the Okanagan region in beautiful British Columbia, Canada as their home studio for creating original art. We also show appreciation to those who support local artists by collecting their work.

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“Arts and cultural activities are at the heart of

OKANAGAN ART WORKS September 2010 Publisher, E.I.C.: Liz Burnett and, until the right person walks through the door . . . All content and layout: Liz Burnett Contact info: Okanagan Art Works P O Box 20084 Kelowna, BC, V1Y 9H2 Tel.: 250.215 0929 Website: www.okanaganartworks.com Email / Submissions /Subscriptions: info@s2sartworks.com © All rights reserved.

OKANAGAN ART WORKS is published monthly on-line. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited. OKANAGAN ART WORKS makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information it publishes, but cannot be held responsible for any consequences arising from errors or omissions. Artists published in this issue of OKANAGAN ART WORKS are granting us permission to publish their work and images on the cover and throughout this issue via the internet as needed, to help bring attention to this publication and their work. Copyright of all the artworks in this issue belong to the respective artists.

This month’s cover: ‘Mystical Place’ by Linda Lovisa See page 23

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Liz Burnett: Editor/Publisher info@s2sartworks.com www.okanaganartworks.com Tel.: 1.250.215 0929 Welcome to the September 2010 issue of OKANAGAN ART WORKS. In this month’s issue you will meet our first Emerging Artist, Arlene Howe. Two and a half years ago she decided she was ready to learn how to paint. With unflinching dedication and hours of hard work, her ability to paint developed so much that her instructor offered to host a solo exhibition for her. This exhibition went exceptionally well resulting in eight out of eighteen paintings sold! Read Arlene’s story on page 34. An emerging artist needs an instructor and mentor and we are blessed in the Okanagan to have many accomplished artists willing to share their skills. Our cover artist, Linda Lovisa from West Kelowna took on the task of coaching Arlene. You can read more about Linda and her teaching style on page 22. Sometimes we have a need to “get-out-the-box” with the way we do art. Such an experience can often be quite demanding on one’s mind and soul. Kindrie Grove from Penticton went through such a change and talks about the remarkable result it had on her artistic style. Read her story on page 8 and let us know what you think of her new style. Have you ever thought of packing up and moving to another country to start all over? This is one of the most difficult challenges anyone can take one and it is pure resilience and a tough personality that will pave the road to success. In this issue we meet two South Africans who moved to Canada. Jeanine Holmes, see page 18, is an award winning goldsmith and has already been in Kelowna for a few years. Watercolor artist Dave Griffiths and his wife Wendy arrived merely a year and a half ago and no stumbling block is too large for them to conquer. Read their story on page 48. We also continue with our Okanagan public art awareness drive and introduce you to Leta Shores, sculptor from Oliver. Leta is the artist behind the sculpture of Premier John Oliver, seen in the center of Oliver as you drive through the village on Highway 97. Read her story on page 42. Enjoy!

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CALL FOR ARTISTS OKANAGAN ART WORKS – DECEMBER 2010 COVER ART www.okanaganartworks.com

Whose art will be on the cover of the December 2010 printed issue?

We are looking for a special cover for this Gift Edition. Here is your chance to get your artwork onto the December 2010 cover! There are a few simple rules to follow: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Any visual artist 18 years and older and residing in the Okanagan region, who has not been on the cover of OKANAGAN ART WORKS yet, is welcome to enter. All visual arts genre can be entered: paintings, fiber art, ceramics, sculptures, jewellery, etc. Your work will be judged by digital images. Images will be displayed on-line at www.okanaganartworks.com and judged by the viewers through Twitter and Facebook. Judging will be done on a points basis. Therefore, the sooner you enter, the better. th This competition starts on now and continues till November 15 . A feature article on the winning artist will appear in the same December 2010 issue. A CDN$25 non-refundable fee is due for every two items submitted by an artist. You can submit as many entries as you want. Cheques are to be made payable to Okanagan Art Works.

Print out, complete and submit this page to enter: DECEMBER 2010 COVER ART: NAME: ________________________________________ TELEPHONE: ____________________________ MAILING ADDRESS: _________________________________________________________________________ CITY/TOWN: ____________________________________ POSTAL CODE: __________________________ E-MAIL: ________________________________________ WEBSITE: _______________________________ TYPE OF ART: ___________________________________ NUMBER OF ARTWORK SUBMITTED: ________ TITLE OF ARTWORK: ____________________________ _ TITLE OF ARTWORK: ______________________ I HEREBY GIVE PERMISSION FOR AN IMAGE OF MY COMPETITION ARTWORK TO BE LISTED ON-LINE AS PART OF THE OKANAGAN ART WORKS - DECEMBER 2010 COVER ART COMPETITION. DATE: __________________________ IMAGES RELEASE SIGNATURE:  PAYING BY CHEQUE? PAYING BY CREDIT CARD? CREDIT CARD NO.: ____________________________ EXPIRY DATE: ________ SEND YOUR COMPLETED ENTRIES, IMAGES AND SUBMISSION FEES TO: OKANAGAN ART WORKS – DECEMBER 2010 COVER ART COMPETITION P O BOX 20084, KELOWNA, BC, V1Y 9H2 ANY QUESTIONS? CONTACT LIZ BY EMAIL INFO@S2SARTWORKS.COM, OR TEL.: 250.215 0929

OKANAGAN ART WORKS INDEX ON THE COVER 22 LINDA LOVISA learning, creating, sharing

CALL FOR ARTISTS December 2010 Cover Competition

KINDRIE GROVE saying more with less

OKANAGAN ART WORKS INDEX 18

JEANINE HOLMES bringing a feminine touch to metalworking

ARTISTSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; NEWS FCA Art Vision 2010

ARLENE HOWE on what it is like being an emerging artist

LETA SHORES creating (wo)man out of metal

DAVE GRIFFITHS showing the brilliance of watercolor

COMMENTS FROM READERS Cover Art 2010 comments

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Kindrie Grove saying more with less The transformation of a recognized art style to further a new form of expression can be a risky road to follow, especially if your artwork is well-known and purchased around the world. Yet, sometimes this change is a calling that cannot be resisted. Kindrie Grove talks about finding the place where she surrendered to this process. Kindrie Grove grew up on a horse farm in Calgary and started drawing at a really young age. With her mother being an artist and her father a musician, both parents extended their support of her natural artistic talent and her desire to pursue a fine arts career. “I know from as far back as I remember that I was going to be an artist,” she said. “There never really was another path for me. My earliest drawing was probably at the age of 4 when I tried to draw what I saw in a realistic fashion. But it was not till I was in grade 6, when I copied a Robert Bateman flyer, that I realized I could draw. At the time I was a bit in awe of what was happening. It felt like it was all about remembering skills. It was inexplicable how things came so easily. I did not have to struggle to do art at all. To me it was like uncovering what was always there.” Kindrie was firmly bound and determined to make a living from painting and in Grade 9 sold her first drawings. They were wildlife drawings that sold for $20 each. Realizing she could make money from her art was a pivotal point for her and in Grade 12 she was in her first gallery, the Lloyd Gallery in Penticton. Previous Page: ‘Polar Bear Face’, oil on canvas, 9” x 12” Right: ‘Old Soul’, oil on panel, 18 x 20 All artwork © Kindrie Grove

Being a strong supporter of wildlife conservation and habitat preservation, Kindrie always felt her art would be a tool to help her say what she feels. “When I studied at the College of Art and Design in Calgary, they taught me how to clearly say what I want to say with my art,” she said. “As a student I painted pictures about the ivory trade, rhinoceros horn trade, and so on. My instructor loved it, said she was so deeply moved, it turned her stomach. That was when I realized the visceral reaction my work created was the opposite of what I wanted to achieve. I wanted to convey the message but I wanted my paintings to be more positive, appealing and the message a bit more hidden.” Followers of Kindrie Grove art will recognize her style as a fabulously realistic rendition of African, Asian and American wildlife. They will be surprised to learn that Kindrie felt a need to ‘get-out-the-box’ and after six months of intuitive exploration, she is now producing paintings in a more open style.

Showing the difference between the old and the new Kindrie Grove styles. Previous Page: ‘Horsepower’, oil on canvas, 30” x 40” Above: ‘Full Steam Ahead’, Percheron Team, oil on canvas, 4 x 4 ft All artwork © Kindrie Grove

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Kindrie explains her experience of this transformation:

the connection to the soul of a work of art, less accessible.

“In all my painting and sculpting endeavors, it is essential to find the focus and heart of the work, to strive to uncover it or to allow it to come through in as pure a form as possible. With the technical aspects and skills inherent in applying paint to a two-dimensional surface to bring forth the illusion of a threedimensional object, it can be very hard to connect to the spirit of what you paint.

“Much of the way I worked for years was to build the skills of painting. Striving to see better and accomplish my goals with technical knowledge. Then, as the technical aspects of painting became less of an effort, they began to fall away from consciousness. Invariably, other things took their place, like a deeper recognition of the spirit and energy within the work.

“The greatest lesson that I have learned, through the process of painting, is getting out of my own way, to stand aside and allow the paintings and sculptures to come through in the form and shape that is their truest representation in this reality.

“You forget what you know, though it is still there somewhere in your unconscious mind, upholding and supporting the creative drives that propel you day after day into the studio. Then came the struggle of letting go… of allowing the spirit of the work to move through me, rather than from me. Those who are familiar with my work will no doubt be able to see the evolution of this process. I chose to plunge past what I know and into what I can only feel. I will admit that it was a very hard thing to do. If someone had told me that someday I would be painting what I feel, rather than what I see, I would have not understood fully what was meant.

“I am sure that for many artists, musicians and writers, this is a familiar struggle. For me, it is about finding the effortless flow of a painting onto the canvas or the emergence of a sculpture into being that is the most important. If I try to control the outcome of the work, that flow will cease and I will be left to move through the process with skill alone. Not a bad way to work, but one in which I find

“I have always worked intuitively, but to do so on a level where I have given over the reins to something much bigger than myself, meant surrender. The depth of the work changed. What used to be so much detail on the surface has fallen away and been replaced by essence within. Saying more with less. “Where this path of artistic expression leads, I am not sure, but I do know that I would not have found my way here if I had not chosen to let go and enter the flow.” Left: ‘Young Cinnemon’ Artwork © Kindrie Grove

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Part of the recent transformation and evolution in style for Kindrie is the decision to turn teaching into a larger source of income. “Teaching others how to create that 3-D image on a 2-D surface has opened up a doorway to a freedom I would not have come to if not for the teaching,” Kindrie said. “Teaching is how I share with others how to paint, how I share myself. With teaching I have become more inspired to work. When you teach you discover that even though you already know so much, you have forgotten some processes. This helps you revisit and reapply that to your own art. I find that teaching and painting go hand in hand and now I am painting more with less. Teaching certainly became a catalyst in my life and left me open to explore something different. I had to work through all the stuff that kept me trapped and attached to how I have worked before and now people find this new work more powerful than previous work. Kindrie Grove offers studio session classes every year from May to September. Students work on their own subject matter and with their own choice of material Kindrie acts as a mentor and a guide, helping to solve creative problems. She demonstrates everything from acrylic, to watercolor, to oils, and more, and teaches techniques and a way of working. She guides the artist to find that specific something that would work for them. At the end of the year she hosts an exhibition of everyone’s work.

“For instance, I always had a horse in my life until 6 years ago. When I no longer had a horse that was when I started to paint them. Now, with the new style I experience a depth and breadth of this work that I have not had before. To me it is a more powerful art and it is remarkable how quick the paintings happen. My style now is not as refined and resolved as before, but I feel it has more life and spark and my colour use has changed too. The underpainting is different and there is more paint on top. It feels almost as if, instead of finishing everything in detail, now it is more a purer translation of seeing. “Something else that happens when I do a piece so condensed, is exhaustion. It may now take only three days to do a painting, but then I am exhausted for 3 days afterwards.” Below: ‘Tosh the Shire I’, oil on canvas, 30” x 30” Artwork © Kindrie Grove

Above: ‘Cottontail’, oil on canvas, 9” x 12”

Artwork © Kindrie Grove

Above: ‘Wings of the Maya’, Greater Flamingos, mixed media on canvas, 4 x 3 ft

ftArtwork © Kindrie Grove

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“I am an artist first and I have to balance this with teaching. What I know as an artist I share as mentor and teacher. Everything stems and flows out of that and both feel like callings. To paint from an early age always felt like a calling. Now, to teach feels like a calling too. “I also know for a fact that 80% of what artists do is a learning skill. You can take courses, find a mentor, go online, or watch videos. You can learn how to be an artist by learning the skills and practice, practice, practice.” “Even though I now teach more than I paint, I have become more productive. When there is a restriction to paint, you do so when you can, and now when I do paint, it becomes very focused and intense.” Below: ‘Polar Gaze’, oil on canvas, 9” x 12” Opposite Page: ‘Young Black’, oil on canvas, 9” x 12” Artwork © Kindrie Grove

How do art followers respond to Kindrie Grove’s artwork? “People bring their own stuff to a piece of work, they see what they want to see. I may be clear with what I want to say but all of this is subjective though. As an artist I have come to recognize that and what I do is to reflect back to the viewer. Yet, what they see may be aspects of themselves. People send me letters after an exhibition reception, or leave messages in the guest book and for the most part the feedback has been positive.”

To contact Kindrie Grove for art classes, or about her paintings and sculptures, email info@kindriegrove.com More images of her work can be viewed at www.kindriegrove.com. All images in this article supplied by Kindrie Grove

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Jeanine Holmes bringing a feminine touch to metalworking When you have the technical ability to fabricate a beautiful 3-D object based purely on someone’s rough sketch on a piece of paper, you have built a path paved in gold all the way to someone’s heart. Jeanine Holmes has proved to not only be a highly skilled goldsmith, but also an award winning imaginative artist as well. For the last seven years The Alternator Gallery from Kelowna has been hosting the Wearable Art Gala (WAG) fashion show. Not your usual fashion show, WAG is known as the fun and funky artistic exploration of all types of body adornment. Jeanine Holmes entered three pieces in this year’s show. Her pieces were so appealing, she walked away with both the ‘Best Artist’ and ‘People’s Choice’ Awards. Congratulations! “Right from the start my pieces were designed to be big stage jewellery to attract attention from afar,” she said. “I knew they were going to be shown on a stage so they had to be visible from the back of the room. “I decided to forge and shape large copper pieces into soft curved designs. The idea was to take a hard material and ‘soften’ it up to look feminine. The curved shapes added an organic look and by adding chains to the design, it accentuated the femininity of the look. “I also thought of

how the models would be wearing these pieces. Three athletic women did a dance routine on the stage, much to everyone’s enjoyment. It started with two women walking onto the stage carrying the third woman on a pole between them. Various cartwheels and other dance routines were performed. There was an amazing response from the audience.” Visit YouTube to view the performance: http://www.youtube.com/user/MEDES22 This was not the first time Jeanine won a top award in a jewellery designing competition. In 1996 while still a student at Wits Technicon in South Africa, she won the prestigious De Beers Shining Lights Award for jewellery design. She has also been part of numerous jewellery and art exhibitions since. Previous Page, Left & Right: The waist band, arm band and necklace made as stage jewellery for the annual Wearable Art Gala held in Kelowna in July 2010. These pieces won the ‘Best Artist’ and ‘People’s Choice’ Awards for 2010. All artwork © Jeanine Holmes

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How did this all start? “I made my first piece of jewellery at age seven when I built a necklace for my mom,” Jeannine said. “I took my dad’s screwdriver and chipped away at some sandstone until I had a whole bunch of beads. Then I used the same screwdriver and chipped and twisted holes through the beads, strung them together and gave them to my mom as a necklace. Poor woman, she had to wear them. They were quite large, about one inch each. To protect her skin from the rough surface of the sandstone, I painted each bead with paint varnish. This created a sticky mess, but she still wore them. I was very proud of them. My mom is an artist herself, and allowed me to do whatever I wanted to. “I have always loved creating 3-D art, from a young age already. When we went camping I was always at the river sculpting with whatever I could lay my hands on. At school I excelled in the arts, more so than the academics. “At first I wanted to become a sculpture but my father advised that it would be better to blend my artistic passion with a revenue generating profession, so I chose goldsmithing. My mind happens to be very technical and

goldsmithing suits me very well. It also includes so many other elements that I like, such as 3-D art, design, math and science. It was the right choice.” Goldsmithing may be a hands-on art form, but at the same time it also requires a person to have great customer relations skills. You must be able to visualize a customer’s idea of a design and then be able to turn this into a piece of jewellery with your technical abilities. “I do my best work when a customer gives me the freedom to follow my own design style,” Jeanine said. “I still focus on what the customer wants and never make a piece that would rather suit my own needs. It is about the whole package, the interview with the customer, the evaluation of the customer’s personality, the lifestyle, past jewellery styles they liked. Every piece I make is so different. That is what I like about my job. Nothing is routine. “Passion is the essence of a true goldsmith, passionate about this craft, and equally as passionate about people. The two go hand in hand as the one is as important as the other. You need to know your customers needs, especially when they don’t know this themselves. This is what makes a good goldsmith.”

Jeanine Holmes can be contacted by email at jeanineholmes@me.com More images of her work can be viewed at www.jeanineholmes.com She is also the resident goldsmith at Coveted Designs, Spall Plaza, Kelowna. Images in this article partly supplied by Jeanine Holmes.

Above Left: White gold lady’s right hand ring with a blue topaz and round brilliant cut diamonds Above Right: Palladium wedding band with 2ct total weight Round Brilliant Cut diamonds, the centre stone is bezel set in 18k yellow gold Right: White gold custom made lady’s ring with tension set barrel cut onyx. Below Right: Yellow gold lady’s ring with a 1ct Round Brilliant Cut diamond. Below Left: 18K yellow gold rose inspired custom made ring with black Round Brilliant Cut diamonds. All artwork © Jeanine Holmes

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Linda Lovisa learning, creating, sharing When, as a young child, you are given a paint-by-numbers art gift, but you turn it over and do your own painting on the back, you will most certainly develop into a free thinking artist with your own individual style. Linda Lovisa recalls her natural evolution into becoming the well established artist she is today. Sometimes the desire to do art can skip a generation. Linda’s parents were mildly interested in art, but the encouragement and drive came from her grandfather. “My grandfather was very artistic,” she said. “He sent me paints when I was about 10 years old and I would send my finished paintings back to him to look at. I was doing dogs and horses all the time and then the one day he told me to go and do a landscape. I did not know what he meant. ‘Go out the backdoor and paint what you see,’ he said to me. So I did and it ended up looking very impressionistic. When he bought me paints, he would only buy the three primary colours, telling me it is the best way to learn about colour. As a child I wanted more than that, but it was the best thing he could have done for me. “I worked with primaries till I was eighteen. Living on an army base also made it difficult to get art supplies, so primaries worked very well. I remember the first time I walked into an art supply store. I did not know where to look, it was so overwhelming.” Previous Page: ‘Mystical Place’, 60” x 48”, acrylic Right: ‘Dancing Bunchberry’, 12” x 16”, acrylic All artwork © Linda Lovisa

Linda is a self taught artist strongly influenced by the Canadian Group of Seven art style. A second strong influence is impressionism. This is unusual considering that the Group of Seven artists were breaking away from impressionism by creating their own unique style. Nevertheless, Linda has a taste for both. On starting a career after high school, Linda went into the flower business for about twenty years. She still painted at home but working with flowers was a different way of being creative. The important point to reach was finding a balance between the flower business, family and art. She had a definite idea of where she wanted to go with her paintings and her heart was set to reach that goal. An artist, Pierette Dulude Bohay once told her, no matter how discouraged she was about not being able to paint as much as she wanted, it was not about how much or how little you produce. Even if it was down to only ten paintings a year, do not quit. This advice stayed with her for the rest of her life.

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Eventually one exhibition was followed by another and this growing artist identity led to her teaching her first art program. “There was this small community in Devlin, Ontario, where an old school house was used as the community center,” she said. “They asked if I would write an art program and teach people from their community how to paint. I was both thrilled and scared at the same time. I had never taught before and felt I was still learning so much myself, but I went ahead. I remember the school house had to be heated up with a wood fire three hours before we could use the building, it was so old and cold. But, eleven people turned up. They were between the ages of seven and seventy eight. I started by teaching colour theory the way I learnt it, which I since found out was the best way to learn it. As I was working in oils at the time, that was what I taught. Three hours, one day a week for three months, that is how long it took. The word spread and more and more people wanted to attend the classes. So I started a second day a week, then weekend workshops. I became immersed into teaching very quickly. It was also a huge learning experience for me. I was the one they looked at for instruction and I had to be ready to solve all their creative problems. I read books and studied different techniques as much as I could. It was a huge success.”

From a young age Linda was influenced by impressionism. However, from the age of sixteen to her mid twenties, she changed her style to painting more realistic and puts this down to peer pressure. “I suppose I wanted approval from others,” she recalls, “maybe even my parents, I don’t know, but I lost the looseness I always had in my work. What happened when I started teaching was that my art was moving full circle to where it started. I was exploring so many different areas and even though about seven years ago I felt I was a success as an artist, I felt I was not a true painter. “So, I went back to where I started by using only primary colours and painting freely. Today my strokes are bolder and everything feels so effortless. This change came so freely and easily and I can now say this is my style. This is where I have been going all along. Before my art was more impressionistic and some of it was realistic, but it has all evolved into a contemporary form of art. You could call it Canadiana, I suppose, as it reflects the style of the Group of Seven. It is a blend of their style and my own interpretation, a mix of both, but I have always been vigilant about developing my own identity. “When I paint I focus on the movement of the land, its patterns and shapes. To me it is so easy to see that. You have to look deeper at what it is you are looking at. When you look at a tree, look at more than just the tree. Look at all the shapes in everything you can see in that tree. I talk about this in the classroom situation and it opens up a whole new world to the students and makes them see stuff they have never seen before. “When an excited student says ‘I saw that in the clouds the other night’, that is my reward and I know they will never see the world the same way again.” Previous Page: ‘Break in the Storm’, 14” x 16” , acrylic Right: ‘The Storm, Black Mountain’, 72” x 24” , acrylic All artwork © Linda Lovisa

Previous Page: ‘Alpine Meadow’, 30” x 16”, acrylic Below: ‘Meandering Trail’, 20” x 18”, acrylic All artwork © Linda Lovisa

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All Linda’s paintings are of real places she has visited. Whether she had gone on a kayak trip, or a hiking weekend, she paints what she has seen. Sometimes she is asked to paint something she does not feel closely connected to, like for instance when she was asked to paint an Okanagan vineyard, shortly after she moved to Kelowna. She just could not. However, after a brief period of picking grapes at Quail’s Gate Winery, she saw the vineyard in a whole new way, and suddenly she was ready to paint the vineyard. She has to first feel and experience a place before she could paint it.

In My Dreams, I am Water In my dreams, I am Water, The land captures me, I carve her, the land, shaping her gently, Rolling over stones, swirling in pools resting calmly. Sometimes she lets me play, Casting me over ledges spraying the shoreline with droplets and mist, I escape briefly, Collecting on the moss and leaves nourishing the green.

Unlike some artists, Linda does accept commissions and finds her commission requests are usually for something similar to what the person has seen in her gallery. Even so, she still finds commission work tricky as she does not always know exactly what the client wants. For this reason she usually paints two slightly different paintings for each commission to give her client a choice. Even so, her bottom line with commissions is still to paint for herself first. She will not paint something she does not feel a connection with. Once she had to paint a commission of seven dogs in one painting and had to portray

The land captures me. When I rise, Against her will I change her dramatically, She reacts by changing my colour, I change her shape. I remain her captive, There are times that I escape her, Only to return as rain or snow, I follow at her will. In my dreams, I am water, Like a waved satin ribbon I flow. © Linda Lovisa

each dog’s own personality and its individual relationship with the owner as well. This commission took many months to complete and even though the clients were very happy, she found the experience nerve-racking and would not do such a type of request again. “Becareful what you accept as a commision,” she warns. “Sometimes you take on a painting that needs much more than what was clear in the beginning.” Next Page: ‘In My Dreams I am Water’, 48” x 36”, acrylic Artwork © Linda Lovisa

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As an artist and art instructor, Linda shares everything she knows with those who want to explore the world of art. “I love what I do,” she said. “For instance when Arlene Howe (see article on page 34) came to me, she was unsure whether she could paint or not. Everyone can paint. You just have to want to. It is a learned skill and can be a huge enjoyment in one’s life. “Arlene has such an open mind and was ready for any direction to go into. She threw her whole self into learning art and for two and a half years worked very, very hard. Where she is today is a huge accomplishment when you think of how she started out being scared of the white canvas and not knowing how to make a mark. It is really exciting for me to watch her amazing progress. “We have also developed a great relationship that allows us to openly interact with each other. I can easily talk to her about the little bad habits she is developing, and as a joke I would sometimes come over and inspect her brushes, as she can be so bad at keeping them clean. “The relationship I have with Arlene, I also have with many of my other students. I feel so fortunate about this. Teaching is a big part of what I do.”

Linda Lovisa can be contacted by email at llovisa@shaw.ca More of her work can be viewed on her website at: http://linda-lovisa-canada-art.com/ or at her gallery New Moon Gallery and Natural Transitions Art Studio at 2525 Dobbin Road, West Kelowna Tel.: 250.768 6618

Previous Page: ‘On my Own’, West coast trail, 36” x 24”, acrylic Below: ‘Little White from Myra Canyon’, 40” x 54”, acrylic All artwork © Linda Lovisa

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Local Artists’ News

UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS AND ART EVENTS ART VISIONS 2010 – October 7 – 16, 2010 The opening reception and award ceremonies will be held on Thursday, October 7 at the Rotary Centre for the Arts, 421 Cawston Ave, Kelowna. Kelowna's mayor Sharon Shepherd has graciously agreed to open Art Visions 2010. Following on the success of Art Visions 2008, and Art Visions 2009, the central Okanagan Chapter of The Federation of Canadian Artists is proud to bring Art Visions 2010 to Kelowna. This will be a juried show of up to 85 original pictures assembled from submissions received from Federation of Canadian Artists country wide. Our objective is to mount a National show of Quality, Current Canadian art. To attract top-quality submissions funds are being raised for significant prizes to reward excellence. A top prize of $2010 has already been committed and this year's total awards package currently is over $7,000 and is expected to increase by show time. Art Visions 2010 will be mounted in four of Kelowna's finest professional galleries located in the downtown cultural district of Kelowna: • • • •

Hambleton Galleries - 1290 Ellis Street, Kelowna, BC. Tel: 250-860-2498 Gallery 421 - 100-421 Cawston Avenue, Kelowna, BC. Tel.: (250) 448-8888 Turtle Island Gallery - #115 - 1295 Cannery Lane Kelowna, BC. Tel.: (250) 717-8235 The Evans Gallery and Framing - 571 Lawrence Ave, Kelowna, BC. Tel.: (250) 861 4422

Oliver Community Arts Council – 27th Annual Fall Art Show and Sale – October 2 and 3, 2010 Venue: Oliver Community Center Hall, Oliver, BC. Contact no.: Tel. 250-498-6388

Little Straw Vineyards, 2815 Ourtoland Road, West Kelowna is continuing their series of 10 twoweek art shows featuring a host of local artists throughout the summer till the end of October. Each show will have an opening reception on a Saturday afternoon from 3:30 until 6:00 with the artists in attendance.

NARAMATA BENCH ART STUDIO TOUR: Saturday Mar 20, 2010 - Friday Dec 31, 2010 - Nine Naramata artists have put together an exciting art studio tour. Pick up one of their colourful brochures at most wineries or the Penticton Visitor's Information Centre. Then choose which studios you would like to visit. For further information, call Dianne at 250 496-5188.

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Arlene Howe on what it is like being an emerging artist When a fleeting thought becomes reality, life can change in a wonderful way. Arlene Howe has always thought about doing art, but it never became a solid invasion in her brain till 2008 when she decided to take her first art class. Pure dedication and long hours of hard work bore fruit with her first solo exhibition in September. “When I decided to take up art, I first went to the Rotary Art Center and did a watercolor workshop over a weekend. That was such a happy experience, that I decided to pursue art more rigorously. I was told about Linda Lovisa, called her up and was asked ‘can you come Thursday?’ and that is how it really started. “The classes with Linda began in January 2008 and is ongoing. For three hours a week she guides me on this road and shows me in a very gentle way what she wants me to do. She has been so patient, encouraging and thoughtful, just what I need. I never feel dumb in her class. She is a good teacher and a good mentor for me to have. Now 2 ½ years down the line I am beginning to get what she means. She tests me often to see if I was listening, but she picks up my brush less and less now. From where I started, I am impressed with how far I have come. “My first painting was of an Okanagan vineyard (see image on right), but first I had to sketch everything to get the image into perspective. ‘Now it is in your brain and on your paintbrush’, I was told, and this made it so much easier than going straight to the canvas “I have never drawn before and perception was hugely challenging for me.

My first fence post was almost as big as the canvas. “In spring 2009 I visited Kenya with my daughter, Shannon and son-in-law, Pete. It was my first trip to Africa and an experience of a lifetime. I took hundreds of photos and wanted to paint so many of them. Linda helped with choosing the photos with good colour composition, showing me how to select the right ones. When I paint these photos, it fills me with joy, it fills my heart. I remember exactly where I stood before and after each photo was taken. I feel so honoured that Linda organized a solo show for me showing these paintings. Previous Page: ‘Chameleon’, 24” x 30”. This lush, luminous body of water was simply breathtaking! Below: ‘Okanagan Vineyard’, 18” x 24”. All artwork © Arlene Howe

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“Linda picked out about twenty five photos from my African trip and gave me the most challenging ones to paint. For instance, she chose the banana tree (see image on opposite page) and this started the tree workshop. ‘Oh, my, I could not do this’, I thought. Every leaf was so different, the colours, the shapes. She absolutely challenged me. I had never done that before, but she pushes me a little bit further every time. I’d say ‘Let’s do another flower’, and she’d says ‘No, don’t waste class time, do something hard’. The banana tree was photographed looking up at the tree, a different focus. It turned out to be the perfect choice. “Pete is from the Meru tribe and we went to Chuka, his village up north from Nairobi where his father has another home. They grow coffee, bananas, and mangoes and keep chickens, goats, and cattle. It is a very busy place. To celebrate the family reunion with Pete and Shannon, three goats were sacrificed to prepare for a huge party. Everything was amazing, so warm and fuzzy, just the neatest thing. They are absolutely extraordinary people who really made us feel like we belonged. There was no-one I met that I did not feel connected to and there was no resistance to us not being black. “Pete’s Grandma Cu Cu embraces everything African to me. No-one knows her age, maybe she is in her 90’s, but she is a true matriarch, a living legend. She speaks only Meru, but we communicated on an unspoken level. Her kind eyes radiated a gentleness and greatness of spirit and soul. To paint Cu Cu was very challenging (see image below). I had to learn a new technique of doing a lot of washes using traces of brown, sienna, white, and yellow. I would put one colour on and wash over it with a light brown wash. Then did another area and do a wash over that area as well. Trying to get the colour as close as possible to the photo was hard, very hard, but worth it. This was the first time I did animals and faces. Left: ‘ Cu Cu’, 8” x 10”. This painting was beyond doubt the most difficult I have done so far. No face is just one color, there are shadows, wrinkles, freckles. To get the true natural colour of someone’s face is difficult. Opposite Page: ‘Nairobi Beauty’, 16” x 20”. Banana trees are as common in Kenya as pine trees are in BC. This particular tree was a magnificent beauty, occupying a stately spot behind a rock wall in the family garden. Next Page: ‘Breathless’, 12” x 24”. Sunrise on safari was an experience like none other. All artwork © Arlene Howe.

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“I took it upon myself to take up art. If I did not like it, it was fine, I could always stop, I thought, but I soon realized I could do art. Through hard work and sticking to a plan, it started happening. If I can, anyone can, you just need to put in the hours. Is it for everyone? Maybe not, but if your brain says try, then do it. Look at my first piece and then look at what I do now. Things are very different now. This is a gift to myself and I want to get better and better. When I turn 60 I will go to Italy and take painting classes there. That is on my bucket wish list. You see, if you have the desire and drive for something, you will have the drive to accomplish your desire.”

To contact Arlene Howe, email: arlenehowe@shaw.ca Images in this article supplied by Arlene Howe. Previous Page Top: ‘Lake Nakuru Mare and Foal’, 12” x 24”. This youngster watched us for a moment, then kicked up his heels and followed his mother across the hot dry basin of a depleting Lake Nakuru Previous Page Bottom: ‘King of Masai Mara’, 16” x 20”. We came upon this magnificent young male lion. He continued with his nap, only occasionally lifting his eyes to look at us. Below: ‘Grazing Beauty’, 16” x 20”. This young giraffe was grazing within five feet of us while her family grazed beyond. Her markings were incredibly vivid and remarkable. All artworks @ Arlene Howe

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Leta Shores creating (wo)man out of metal Refined metal artwork can look deceivingly simple, but in reality it is a time consuming art requiring detailed planning, measuring, carving, casting and finishing. Leta Shores from Oliver knows first-hand how long it can take. Beautiful sculptures of perfect proportion look like they were easy to manufacture. They are not. Lifelike portraits of historical people, or those still living, are the most time consuming to create. If it is a fantasy sculpture, or an abstract, then it is different as these type of sculptures do not require the accuracy of detail the life-like portraits demand and therefore not the same amount of time. No matter what the purpose of the project may be, the ultimate goal to achieve in metal sculpture is that of creating music of form, light and sound with the design. Ultimately it should be seen as a work of art first, and then as an achievement of the person second. “As a metal artist, I can do anything in any size”, Leta said. “Public work, rendered sculptures, anything you want. But, no matter what it is, if it is not planned properly, and to the exact scale of the finished project, you are creating problems. To create a top quality sculpture is a lengthy process and this time is no shorter now than what it was 500 years ago. It should not be about the speed, but about the quality of the end result. When you think of it, the sculpture is going to be there for probably a 100 years. It should have lasting quality. I don’t have an interest in doing something that I will not be satisfied with and proud of.

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“When I create a large figure, the work will end up more realistically refined and detailed. Small scale works have limitations and I don't like spending more time on them than required to get the design and idea across. “To do woman, I create the marquette in the nude first, then the clothes get put on afterwards. I do this because I want the body to look believable. It is like asking, ‘where is the anatomy underneath that clothing?’ It is important to me that with figurative sculptures, the body is anatomically sound, with no wrong tilts, no matter how you turn the sculpture around. So I do them nude and then I dress them.” The delicate and feminine sculpture ‘Come Rain or Shine’ (see image on previous page) was done in this manner. This is a beautiful sculpture of a young woman holding an umbrella. Plumbing is discretely inserted upwards through the umbrella stem to allow an even light shower of rain to fall over the umbrella canopy so that the sculpture can be viewed through a thin veil water. Previous page: ‘Come Rain or Shine’, metal sculpture water fountain. Below: Details of ‘Come Rain or Shine’. Artwork © Leta Shores

Leta was fortunate to have acquired the job to do the town sculpture of Premier John Oliver, the founder of the town Oliver in South Okanagan (see images on following pages). First she built a head and shoulder portrait using various old photographs available in the town archives. It was requested that she do the sculpture showing him at the age of 65. This was a lengthy process and a condensed step-bystep description, with accompanying images, of creating this sculpture are on the following two pages. “This type of exact scale traditional monument making technique is worked in sections because of work space limitations, to ensure proper proportions, and because large works are often assembled on site requiring accurate fitting and the guarantee of good results,” Leta said. “In the desire to create the sculpture with as much volume, presence, and interest possible, the design with the recesses created by the open jacket and field plans being held, made the process from concept to completion more complex and time consuming, however more effective.”

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Figure 1(a) â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Read complete process explanation on next page

From left to right: Figures 2, 3, 4, and 5

Figure 1(b)

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The Premier John Oliver Monument Process 1. Old Archival Photos of John Oliver were used in the creation of the portrait work. 2. A portrait head study was first created in clay, and then a rubber and plaster mold was made to be used for a hollow resin casting. 3. A full body clay maquette (small model) was created to an exact scale using photos and numerous accurate measurements brought down from a live model reference. 4. Another mold was then made from the clay figure to use for the solid resin casting of the maquette shown in Illustration 1 (a). 5. Frames shown in illustrations 1 (a) and 1 (b) are used to transfer the measurements from the maquette to the enlarged sculpture using hundreds of plumb line, caliper, and ruled measurements, beginning with the large welded steel armature shown in part in illustration 1 (b). The armature must be very accurate as it is later used to support only a thin layer of clay. 6. Heated oil and wax based clay was applied with a trowel on to the mesh covered armature. After cooling and becoming harder, it is forcefully compacted, then modeled, carved and measured to shape working one stage, and one section at a time, shown in illustrations 2, 3, 4, and 5. 7. The finished clay sculpture shown in illustration 6 was created 3% larger than life size to accommodate wax and bronze shrinkage in the casting process, to ensure that the finished portrait monument was representing the man in a dignified manner, not smaller than life. 8. A mold was made from the finished clay work and a wax reconstruction was made at

a bronze foundry for use in the ceramic shell, lost wax, casting process. 9. The finished work can be seen on an elevated base at the Town Offices in Oliver B.C.

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Left: ‘For You’, short listed in an arts award competition. This is of a young woman blowing a good-bye kiss to a friend. This design is now available for purchase. Above: A close-up view of the young woman blowing a kiss.

What would Leta like to sculpt if she had a free-range opportunity? “I would probably do a story horse, reared up with huge wings stretching out behind it. Like Pegasus. That was my fantasy as a child. Then, when I start visualizing my own fantasy creation, I think, ‘do I physically want to do that? Imagine doing those wings ..’ I have always liked fantasy stuff and still enjoy watching animation. “One of my big dreams is to do a running Ironman sculpture for the local Ironman race. I love anatomy and this is totally what I would like to do.”

Leta Shores can be contacted by email at lshores@telus.net or through her website at: www.oliverbedandbreakfast.com Images in this article supplied by Leta Shores.

Two works in progress looking for buyers: Top Right: A rough marquette of a hockey player sculpture. The final product can be done larger than life and show any hockey hero’s face and.

Below: A marquette of a sculpture called ‘Follow Your Dreams’, of a young boy standing on his pony’s back and holding a glowing star up to the sky.

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Dave Griffiths showing the brilliance of watercolor Sometimes the biggest life change for an adult can come out of a child’s paint box. Add a tropical island vacation and there is no surprise that you end up riding the crest of a creative wave. For Dave Griffiths this creative wave is still rolling. When Dave and his wife Wendy were given a short vacation on the Maldive Islands off the west coast of Africa, he decided to take along his daughter’s set of school watercolour paints. On the island he spent a week painting different vacation scenes. You could not ask for anything more inspiring. The ocean was aquamarine and crystal clear, the water as flat as a mirror, and cute thatch buildings with white coral floors were dotted all over the island in between the palm trees.

“Pay me whatever you like,” Dave said to them.

Another couple on vacation on the island noticed Dave painting the landscape around him. They walked over, had a look, liked what they saw very much, and offered to buy it right then and there.

Encouraged by this experience, Dave returned to Johannesburg, found a great art instructor, and started on his road of becoming a sought after and accomplished artist.

They ended up paying him what he thought was a fortune and walked away with two of his paintings. This may seem like an ordinary story that happens to many artists doing plein aire paintings. The difference is, up to that point Dave had never painted a single painting before in his life.

Below: ‘Morning Practice’, 340mm x 620mm. There was a strange quietness when I painted this. It was as though the sound was muted because of the early hour! Opposite page: ‘Gasp’, 450mm sq. I had to leave white space in front and above this painting as closing off with dark edges all round seemed to make her panic! All artwork © Dave Griffiths

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Dave found that watercolor was his medium of choice. His creative skills flourished under his teacher’s guidance and soon he was ready to start exhibiting. His teacher suggested that he participated in the ‘Art-in-the-Park’ outdoor exhibition. Still working fulltime, he would get home at 4pm to start painting. By the time the exhibition came around, he had over fifty paintings ready to show. Within a week of the show running he had sold fifteen paintings, enough to cover his costs up to that point as well as the building of a special trailer for his artwork. “That was in June 2002 and I was still a newbie,” Dave recalled. “I remember after setting up in the park, walking over to where Louis Audie was exhibiting. To us in South Africa he is the doyanne of oils. I was standing

there looking in absolute amazement at one of his paintings thinking, this is what you want to do for your buyers. Your painting needs to suck them into a space. My face just dropped as I felt so unsure of my own work. “Louis came up to me, put his arm around my shoulders and asked, ‘What’s the matter, boet?’ I looked at him and said, ‘I think I’ve come to the wrong place.’ So, he walked with me to my art, looked for a while, then said, ‘There is no-one here who paints watercolor like you do. Your colours are outstanding. I’ve never seen anything like this.’ “That was the eye-opener for me. To get encouragement like that in the beginning of my art career, and then sell fifteen paintings at that show, that was incredible.”

Previous Page: ‘Wind-mill’,600mm x 340mm. These are typical colours of the upper Sonora desert, but it is actually the Karroo semi desert in the Cape in South Africa. Below: ‘Goose step’, 400mm x 700mm. This was a ‘dusty, noisy, and smelly’ painting about the geese waddling and quacking on their way to the market Next double page: ‘Wild’, 440mm x 700mm. This watercolor required many, many washes to achieve the steamy, sweaty sheen and dusty back-ground that makes this painting vibrate with the wild energy of the horses!! All artwork © Dave Griffiths

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In 2009 Dave and Wendy immigrated to Canada and settled in Kelowna. It did not take long for Dave to become an active artist in the Okanagan. He has already had his first solo exhibition and was a participant in the recent Artwalk show in Lake Country. The watercolor medium is not something you can easily learn on your own. Responding to numerous requests for help, Dave is now also teaching his watercolor classes again. Dave’s Credo: Watercolor is the medium of choice. None of the other mediums allow the capture of translucence and light as do watercolors. Art should bring beauty and meaning and a sense of breathlessness and awe into our lives. That is why it is important that what takes my breath away in an image is what I must communicate to those who see my work. For this reason, colour and light and contrast should be heightened so that you ‘see’ more than is there, that you may taste and feel and smell the moment as well.

For Watercolor Classes, or Paintings by Dave Griffiths, contact him by email davewend@shaw.ca Phone Number: 778 478 7709 Cell Number: 250 317 3295 All images in this article supplied by Dave Griffiths.

Left: ‘Little Tug’, 450mm sq. The coming storm was awesome, but so was the implied courage of the little Tug! Above: The artist, Dave Griffiths. Opposite Page: ‘Spring’, 445mm sq. A black swan came out of the water where my little Granddaughter & I where standing. There was a lot of hissing from swan to protect the cygnet, and laughter from us as we fled! All artwork © Dave Griffiths

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DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY?

The December Cover Art contest is generating a tremendous amount of interest. Here is a cross section of some of the comments received from readers:

Click here to visit WWW.OKANAGANARTWORKS.COM and complete the comments form. It is as easy as that.

Looking forward to each issue! Arlene

Wonderful selection of art Judy

Great pieces of art! Sheila

I appreciate the hours of dedication put into each of these works of art. Dayle

Are these all Okanagan artists? Sharon

Looking forward to seeing the Dec issue with one of these choices on the cover. Donna Who is the artist for piece No. 1? Theresa Fabulous choices!!! Marilyn A good selection of different art. Rene I actually feel that No. 1 and No. 10 are really wonderful pieces but not for a December Cover. The whimsical style and content of the 3 pcs. I voted for are most appropriate for the purpose intended. John This is a fun idea and good contest. I love the magazine. Evelyne Beautiful art. Beverly

All entries are great....however, the owls and eagles caught my attention Flo A wintery or "holiday" cover choice for December please. C. I choose 10 because it reminds me of our beautiful valley Laura The owls and the eagle are quite unique types of art compared to the usual, paintings. John 33 looks so real like a winter night. 31 is also very real. Can almost sink in the snow. In 12 the concentrated expression on the girl's face reminds me of my kids learning the guitar. Phyllis Great work! Myasenik You have a lot of fine possibilities. Marian

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They are all lovely and good luck to the winner. Elaine It is very hard to choose and I was trying to pick the ones that pertained more to the Okanagan life-style Sharon The amount of work in the quilling projects is amazing. Bonnie No. 33 is totally awesome! Thomas

How many times have we looked up through the trees and seen a picture just like this. Very Good! Allison There are a good number of the art works which would be deserving I A fine selection to choose from Miriam Exceptional choices Lynne

Tough decision. I tend to like the clear bright colors of these pieces, and the realism Avril

It was very difficult to choose and I felt the calibre of art was fabulous. I would like to extend my appreciation to all the artists who submitted. Anne

Beautiful work! Christina

Love 33 and 25 Jennifer

All are beautiful, thank you for the opportunity to vote! Monica

Interesting art selections Dianne

Very difficult choices to make. The Mother Teresa picture won (for me)because of the essence and emotion of the work. Brilliant and inspiring! Brenda Awesome! Kimberley Very novel idea. Thank you I enjoyed the participation. Good Art! Kim Looking forward to seeing which talented artists work is chosen. L Beautiful artwork! Dorothy There are several that would work. Dave Great Work!!! :) Mary

Loved viewing the art work, it was hard to choose. They are all great choices Jacquie Since this is an Okanagan magazine, I think the cover should depict a scene from there and I much prefer scenery to some of the other art displayed here. However, all these artists are very talented and they should be very proud of their work!!! Donna What a good selection! Hard to choose. Darryl Refreshing art and gives wonderful depictions of winter. Upbeat Patricia Some very difficult choices Esther All the artwork is beautiful... Lynn

Okanagan Art Works

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