SPRING 2021 NEWSLETTER
As with everyone, our art studio was significantly impacted by the COVID pandemic. All shows and events were put on hold and traffic into the studio ground to a halt. Through all of the craziness of 2020, we have been given the gift of time to explore new techniques, participate in some online classes and develop a new body of work.
We cannot emphasize enough how much your support has meant to us. By subscribing to our newsletter, attending our Square Foot Show and collecting our paintings, prints and cards, we are energized to keep creating.
The ARTWRX Studio/Gallery is a unique entity in the Comox Valley. We are 9 artists sharing a beautiful space, the creative journey and our knowledge. The advantage to you is that you are able to see a collection of unique work in one location and are able to learn about each artists unique process.
We welcome you to the studio every Saturday 11:00AM to 4:00PM and by appointment.
ARTWRX Studio/Gallery is also being featured at the Comox Valley Airport. The show will go up on Monday, May 3rd and will be displayed until mid October. All paintings in the airport show are available for purchase.
We will be participating in the Central Island Studio Tour, in the last weekend in May. The tour will be virtual but provided COVID protocols allow, we will welcome visitors by appointment.
Masks are mandatory in our studio, guests are limited to 10 at a given time and hand sanitizer is provided.
SHARON LALONDE
Taking over as principle artist at ARTWRX Studio/Gallery has been exciting on many levels. Organizing the business component of the studio as a Not-for-profit is intended to give the maximum benefit to the artists. I’ve learned so much about the process of incorporating and have had fun getting the new branding rolled out.
My creative focus has been to transition my work from representational to somewhat more abstracted. To this end, the year of the pandemic has been a perfect opportunity for me to participate in courses with Louise Fletcher and Nicholas Wilton. I hope to have some interesting new pieces to show at the Central Island Studio Tour and at the Comox Valley Airport.
I am in the process of creating a body of work that will be shown at the Pearl Ellis Gallery, September 16 to October 9. The title of the show is “Land in Transition” a series of abstracted West Coast Landscape.
I am excited to be the featured artist at the Beaufort Winery, from April 3 to the Thanksgiving weekend. Did you know you can take a picnic to the Beaufort Winery, enjoy tasting some of their award winning wines and purchase a bottle to enjoy in their outdoor setting? Look for information about my reception planned for July, as long as Covid protocols allow.
ANOUK HARTWELL
The best thing I could have done for my art career was join ARTWRX Studio/Gallery. Before I was painting away in my one room suite with minimal natural light. Now I have resources from eight other artists who gladly share their knowledge.
The Square Foot Show in 2020 included a painting I created of the boardwalk at Paradise Meadows in Strathcona Park. This year I plan to start a series of boardwalk paintings of the same area.
In between canvas paintings I will continue painting on cork ball caps. My images will include views from Vancouver Island mountains, oceans, rivers and forests.
I do take some commissions at certain times of the year, so contact me if you have been thinking about owning one of my paintings.
I hope to spend time backpacking and camping amongst the stars and natural surroundings that spark my creative energy.
MAGGIE ZIEGLER
I love spring on Vancouver Island! Everything blooms and renews itself. This year the colour and change of season is especially welcome after a long winter of isolation and Covid. The pandemic has been hard on everyone. I feel especially fortunate to live where I do and have my art practice to keep me focused (or distracted lol!). Creativity is endlessly therapeutic.
My process continues to evolve as I shift into multi-media, combining digital platforms, traditional paint and mediums to create small original works.
I’m still loving my fluid acrylics and koi and have started a new farm animal series of works. To say I’m having a good time would be an understatement.
I really miss Artisan Markets and connecting with people at the shows. I’m hopeful that we will see a return to art markets soon! In the meantime I’m embracing the virtual world. I’m looking forward to 2 online shows later this summer and fall – look for links on my website later this spring. I’m busy getting work ready for this plus the Comox Valley Airport in May and of course the annual Square Foot Show in late fall.
I started at Art Alchemy Studio in 2013- 2014, left briefly and returned in 2016 and have been painting here ever since. I’m so grateful to Lucy Schappy and Helen Utsal for the amazing opportunity to be included in this creative space. I’m excited to be part of the transition to ARTWRX Studio / Gallery with Sharon Lalonde and the rest of the beautiful creative souls – my studio tribe!
SHEA KOTILLA
I made a big step into spring this year! Finally, after much urging through the last two years, I have busted the bank and signed up for an online art course.
During these last two years I have followed two artist’s newsletters and wondered which to choose for an online course, Nicholas Wilton and Louise Fletcher. Through that connection, I learned of artist, Gabriel Lipper, and after his three part free course, I was hooked and signed up. This was because I love the style of art he makes.
He is an expert at mixing representation with abstraction. He uses human figures a lot and plays with colour in a really fun way.
At the present time I am being stretched like an elastic band, snapped back. I am remaining a little looser, broader, have pulled my hair out in frustration and resistance but have retained more and more exciting new tips and tricks for my tool box. I hope to share some “before” and “after” paintings in a while, but for now I will struggle, shake and shift.
I hope to spend some real time with friends and family this summer! Kayaking, camping and biking are on my list too!
JULIETTE SAINT PLANCAT
Growing up as a traveller on a boat with my family, exploring and observing has been engraved in my DNA. Being an artist I enjoy exploring all mediums, and observing all techniques.
Although my past work focussed on abstract subject matter and knife painting, This year I am taking a different path, working on a different subject, birds!
Birds have always been a subject of fascination to me. Growing up surrounded by the sea, birds, (especially coastal birds) were always near, showing off their incredibly diverse shapes, colours and behaviour.
I have had the privilege of encountering birds like the Wandering Albatross or the Blue Footed Booby, inspiring me to create works with the promise of one day being able to participate into protecting these fascinating animals.
I am also working on pet portrait commissions, portraying a forever lasting memory for each of my clients to keep.
If you are interested in getting your own pet portrait, feel free the contact me though my email: contact@juliette-art.com or my Instagram: @juliette.saint.plancat
LARISSA MCLEAN
With Covid I have had to re-think the way that I create and teach art in the world. I have small classes set up out of my home studio @Passionstems at the Mill. I have also been given the opportunity of time, during the pandemic so I have picked up where I left off with art school, 20 years ago. I am learning as much as I can to offer more of a range of materials and areas to assist others, in the future.
My current focus is with plant dye, making my own pigments, painting on silk scarves, needle weaving, rug hooking, felting and mixed-media. Who knows when I’ll be given this kind of time again? I am creating a body of work that emerged from working on pine needle baskets. Collecting needles from around the Comox Valley got me outside and was therapeutic. The central design of the circle became very holistic for me. The idea of nesting, being comforted in a time when comforting and hugging doesn’t happen a lot, is significant. These mini projects transformed into prints of the bottoms of each basket, like a finger print pushed into gelatin or a gelli-plate which I then printed on rice paper and collaged into circular paintings of flowers. The movement and stitching shapes are perfect for creating abstracted backgrounds.
The weaving led to the textures of rug hooking and now I am creating tapestries and mix-media pieces with fabric in my paintings. Who knows where it will take me?
Hopefully everyone is staying safe and finding healthy creative outlets for themselves, cheers, Larissa.