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N O R T H ^ ^ V A N C O U V E R It is easy t o be taken up by the romance of the lifestyle of this man whose focus in recent years has been on painting and risking his life t o get to the places he wants t o paint. He, in turn, is engaged fully in the romance of the vistas he discovers on his adventures. N o t for Onley, a quick photograph t o be copied later in a cozy studio: " T h e finer characteristics of a scene, its loose freshness, can only be achieved by painting outdoors. So many artists make studies, take them home t o use later, only t o get it half right. A n agility is called for which can be lost in the studio. Outdoors, I am faced with the fleeting effects of light and atmosphere t o be captured quickly o r not at all." Although Onley has travelled extensively, painting distant lands, something about British Columbia has a particular appeal for Onley: "British Columbia is a land with a soul.There is no other place in N o r t h America where you will find among its inhabitants such an instinct to protect nature and such a determination to set an example of conservation for other countries." Onley's personal style of painting is recognized and appreciated throughout the art world. His paintings have been shown in the Tate Gallery and Royal A l b e r t in London, the Library of Congress in Washington, D C , the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, and the Museum of Modern A r t in N e w York. Toni Onley's British Columbia is published by Raincoast Books and retails at $29.95. Maureen Curtis is a freelance writer and chair of North Shore Recreation Commission. N o r t h Enabling artists in o u r c o m m u n i t y since 1 9 6 9 Call to North Shore Gardeners*. Spring 2000 Garden Tour The North Vancouver community Arts Council is soliciting North Shore gardeners to participate in an Art in the Garden Tour scheduled to take place in late May. We want to put visual art, two-dimensional and three dimensional, in beautiful gardens for a one-day tour combined with roving musicians. Prizes will be for the best gardens in various categories. A previous deadline of December 10 has been extended to February 1st. Questions? Please contact the Arts Council office at 988-6844. ATTENTION: Visual Art Lovers Come and check out our Art Rental programme! You can rent a piece of original art for your home or office for as little as $8.00 per month. The maximum monthly rental cost is $20.00. We have over two hundred pieces in our collection representing over sixty-five artists. Most of the artwork is also available for sale. If you decide to purchase a piece you can deduct up to three months rent from the cost of the art. The collection includes oils, acrylics, watercolours, pastels and photographic art, abstracts, still lifes, landscapes, collages, and monoprints. There is a size, style and price to suit all needs. The next Art Rental date is Monday, February 11 from 12 noon to 8 pm in Presentation House Gallery. Come and check it out - any questions call us at 988-6844. To find out more about the above call: Vancouver C o m m u n i t y A r t s Council Presentation House Arts Centre 333 Chesterfield Ave., North Vancouver, B.C. V7M 1T3 Phone: 604 988-6844 Fax: 604 988-2787