By Lawrence Loiseau
With winter on their minds, artists of the Cariboo Artists' Guild were installing their December showcase selections at the South Cariboo Business Centre, at 475 Birch Ave. in 100 Mile House, on Dec. 6.
The theme for this month's showcase was “Stillness,” a display featuring 15 paintings from 15 different local artists.
The guild creates the theme, which the artists then must paint, says showcase organizer Leslie Ginther.
“They voted on 'Stillness' last fall. The vote came down to 'Christmas traditions' versus 'Stillness' and 'Stillness' won.
“Nature is quite prominent in the pieces. There is a lot of quiet winter lake and misty themes, fitting the peaceful life in the Cariboo.”
Despite the presence of family during Christmas time, winter is a quiet time of the year for many Cariboo artists, she explains.
Ginther's submission is titled “Cariboo Stillness,” a pastel-tinted watercolor of trees and fields. For her, the assignment very much suggested hibernation.
Susan Kruse, another local artist featured in this month's showcase, says she enjoys Showcase exhibitions because they “provide the challenge of painting things they might not otherwise have done.”
While she frequently paints wilderness scenes, this year's theme motivated her to paint, uncharacteristically, a nighttime scene. Depicting the Cariboo's Northern Lights, her entry is an acrylic work, titled “Wilderness Solitude.”
“I wanted to capture a moment in time.”
Kathy Crawshay was one of the few artists that depicted human figures in this year's pool of participants. Titled “Moving Stillness,” her mixed media work is full of oranges, reds and yellows, and it captures both the stillness of winter and the activity of holiday season. It was Crawshay who suggested the theme of “Stillness.”
Another work that stands out is Cheryl Fremlin's “Sunrise Passage,” a watercolor depicting the Inside Passage in the Lower Mainland. Fremlin recently returned to the Cariboo after living in Comox on Vancouver Island for six years.
“We missed our family and friends in the Cariboo.”
Fremlin confesses she loved the misty forests and the ocean down on the Coast. The vast forests really suggested stillness, she explains.
“At the same time, I also really love the snow and the brightness of the Cariboo.”
These four artists offer just a taste of what's on display at the showcase. If you are interested in viewing the other works on display, note the exhibition ends Jan. 3.