Creative Spaces Visit North Shore Artists in their Studios < O Belinda Bruce Joan Skeet The Shadow by Joan Skeet F o r m a n y o f us, a n e w year signals fresh starts a n d n e w directions. F o r J o a n Skeet, it's time to showcase n e w w o r k resulting f r o m a recent sense o f rebirth. C r e a t o r a n d instructor o f an innovative art p r o g r a m for elderly a n d A l z h e i m e r patients, J o a n spent 12 years encouraging others to mine their creative spirit. N o w she's m i n i n g her o w n . R e t i r i n g f r o m c o m m u n i t y health w o r k last J u l y released the floodgates o f creativity, a l l o w i n g her the time a n d f r e e d o m to be m o r e e x p e r i m e n t a l i n her art. T h e rush o f ideas a n d n e w p a i n t i n g s has been so consistent that J o a n is h a v i n g a h a r d time k e e p i n g u p . " I a m n o t really sure where m y ideas c o m e f r o m ; they seem to evolve o u t o f the ether a n d gel into imagery i n m y m i n d , but they are i n f o r m e d by m a n y things - light, shape, texture, e d u c a t i o n , other artists, music, life experiences, a n d so o n . A l l o f this educates a n d refines artistic vision b u t after that it is pure instinct, based o n practice. " M y p r o b l e m isn't lack o f i n s p i r a t i o n o r ideas b u t t o o m a n y ideas. O v e r the years I've learned that d i s c i p l i n e a n d severe mental e d i t i n g is essential f o r m e t o p r o d u c e w o r k that I a m h a p p y w i t h . I a m c u r r e n t l y e x p l o r i n g n e w avenues o f e x p r e s s i o n u s i n g elements o f collage a n d d i g i t a l imagery i n c o n j u n c t i o n w i t h t r a d i t i o n a l o i l painting techniques." O n e result o f her e x p l o r a t i o n s is a series o f " s h a d o w " p a i n t i n g s . T r a n s l a t i n g d i g i t a l images o f s h a d o w s to canvas i n layers o f collage, she begins by b u i l d i n g u p the canvas surface w i t h v a r i o u s materials i n c l u d i n g gesso, a c r y l i c s , c o l o u r e d p e n c i l , p a i n t , tissue paper a n d g o l d leaf, a n d then completes the piece w i t h o i l s . A n o t h e r p r o d u c t is 2 0 " b o w l " p a i n t i n g s , each w i t h a different decorative m o t i f a n d a n element e m a n a t i n g f r o m the b o w l . B i r d B o w l , Bee B o w l , R i c e B o w l , T h r e a d B o w l , etc. J o a n describes these w o r k s as the " j u x t a p o s i t i o n o f t e x t u r e , everyday objects a n d images i n a w a y that is unexpected a n d creates a n e w experience beyond the s u m o f the p a r t s . " J o a n spends m o r e time t h a n ever at her s t u d i o , located at L o n s d a l e a n d First. She w i l l be s h o w c a s i n g w o r k f r o m the s h a d o w series at the D i s C o v e r y e x h i b i t i o n " T h e s e A r e M a d e f o r W a l k i n g " , J a n 9-Feb 5 at the Seymour A r t Gallery. O p e n i n g reception: January 10, 2 0 0 6 , 7-9 p m . WHO: Joan Skeet WHERE: Her studio, 604.984.8740 Olivia Creighton All My Love. Too by Olivia Creightor In order to create there must he a dynamic force, and what force is more potent than Ic ·ci - I g o r S t r a v i n s k y W h i l e Valentine's D a y m a y have become a n o v e r b l o w n c o m m e r c i a l i z a t i o n o f r o m a n c e , at the core, it's still a celebration o f love. In these increasingly d i s t u r b i n g times, m a r k e d by violence a n d mistrust, we need reminders o f love's p o w e r to heal a n d t r a n s f o r m . A f t e r 9 / 1 1 , artist O l i v i a C r e i g h t o n felt that focusing o n positive sentiments w o u l d be a g o o d antidote t o the t r o u b l e d atmosphere. "I felt o v e r w h e l m e d by the constant b o m b a r d m e n t of negative a n d c o m p l e x images. I chose the theme to c o n trast a l l o f the darkness: L o v e is a l l y o u n e e d . " O l i v i a s t u d i e d a r t at E c o l e D e s B e a u x A r t i n M o n t r e a l u n d e r A r t h u r L i s m e r o f the G r o u p of Seven. She m o v e d t o V a n c o u v e r a n d c o m p l e t e d her studies at the V a n c o u v e r S c h o o l o f A r t , n o w E m i l y C a r r Institute o f A r t a n d D e s i g n . D r a w i n g o n the " h e a l i n g creativity a n d a m a z i n g f o l k l o r e " o f her Irish r o o t s , O l i v i a creates r i c h , c o l o u r f u l imagery a b o u n d i n g w i t h m a g i c a l creatures, f l o w e r s , s o n g a n d m u s i c . O v e r the last few years, i n her basement s t u d i o , O l i v i a has p r o d u c e d a series a b o u t love i n its m a n y i n c a r n a t i o n s . T h e v i b r a n c y a n d d a n c i n g m o v e m e n t o f her w o r k reflects a desire " t o a w a k e n the love that abides i n o u r h e a r t s . " M a n y w o r k s i n the series i n c l u d i n g The Food of Love, Melodic D'Amour, All You Need is Love a n d Speak to Me of Love capture the buoyant, joyous feeling of caring for another. She describes her w o r k as " w h i m s i c a l a n d h u m a n . " W i t h her l o n g , m u l t i - h u e d hair a n d bright eyes, O l i v i a is a spritely e m b o d i m e n t o f her w o r k . O t h e r w o r k includes French Reveries, a series revelling in the F r e n c h c o u n t r y s i d e , f o l l o w i n g her recent travels to France. She is n o w w o r k i n g o n a series o f m i n i a t u r e canvases a n d teaching w o r k s h o p s at the Silk Purse G a l l e r y . WHO: Olivia Creighton WHERE: Her studio, 604.984.8740 18 January | February