An exhibition of nature-inspired works by Gibsons-based artist Meghan Walley now on display at the Gumboot Café offers glimpses of her background as a full-time archeologist.
Her clean lines, whether in pencil, marker, or gouache, reveal a scientific attention to the beauty of life’s complexity. In other frames, she has painstakingly preserved specimens themselves: a sprig of Hylocomium splendens (glittering woodmoss) offers a fecund counterpoint to the solemn austerity of its bleached background, adjoined by Walley’s handwritten label.
“I was spending a lot of time out in the forest observing all these species, and something just clicked,” said Walley. “I started out with a lot of pen and ink — my archaeological illustration was mostly pen and ink. And then I started painting in watercolour, and that’s when I really got into painting natural subjects and discovered that watercolour was a medium that really made sense for me.” More recently, she has branched out into digital illustrations and printmaking.
Works like Portrait of a Hummingbird — the intimate closeup fills the frame, pictured from below the bird’s beak — have their genesis in Walley’s curiosity and extensive research. “Sometimes it’s that I want to learn more about a specific ecosystem or a specific animal, and [illustrations are] a way to start learning about birds or whatever thing I’m interested in,” she added.
Working from the Living Room Studio in Gibsons, she plans to enter the world of museum exhibit development, fusing creative work and scientific illustration. Meanwhile, she has also cultivated a poetry practice (“I want to keep developing that as kind of an outlet”); a selection of nature-infused verses appears alongside the images on the Gumboot Café walls.
“Small shell from ancient sea,” she writes in Fossil, “cradled, safely now / as though she has not lived / a life one million times as long as mine / and lived just as fine / in sand and rock and shore.”
Meghan Walley’s In the Artist’s Studio remains on display at the Gumboot Café until May 31.
Kestra members compose themselves
The Kestra jazz ensemble of Martin Nemcovsky (bass), Regan Haydu (drums), Steve Giltrow (guitars) and Ken Grundenberg (saxophone) will perform an all-original lineup of compositions during a concert at St. Bartholomew’s Anglican Church on June 7.
“We have written a number of them specifically for this concert,” said Giltrow. “We are covering everything from blues, swing, ballads, bebop and Latin. And they’re all tunes you can tap your toes to.”
The quartet members are all local musicians who have been playing music together for several years. Kestra is distinguished by its scrupulous musicianship and the ability to forge an immediate (though unassuming) connection with audiences.
Kestra plays on June 7 at 7 p.m. at St. Bart’s in Gibsons. Tickets are available in advance ($20) at the Medicine Shoppe in Sechelt, the One Flower One Leaf gallery in Gibsons, or by browsing local listings on Eventbrite; or by paying $25 at the door.
Watch for wizards
Not missing a beat after their triumphant performance of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in March, the Chatelech Music Theatre Ensemble has hatched up a condensed version of The Wizard of Oz to end the school year in emerald style.
“The kids put this together in just eight weeks compared to the usual four to six months!” exclaimed director Sara Douglas.
The musical is based on the book by L. Frank Baum that recounts a Kansas girl’s quest after befriending an anthropomorphic Tim Man, Cowardly Lion and Scarecrow, and illustrates (among other things) the perils of second-hand footwear.
Performances of The Wizard of Oz take place on May 26 and 27 (7 p.m. both nights) in the theatre at Chatelech Secondary School. Admission is by donation.
Poynter’s finest hour
Acclaimed coast artist Jan Poynter was honoured this month as a top-three finisher in a prestigious show of landscapes mounted by the Federation of Canadian Artists. Her diptych work Golden Hour is part of her Sound of Light series, and depicts the overlook of the tidal shore of Granthams Landing.
“The Golden Hour — so much celebrated by painters throughout history,” Poynter wrote after receiving the distinction. “I hope I have captured it to share this spectacular natural place with all of you.”
The show continues at the Federation of Canadian Artists gallery on Granville Island until June 1.
Four-part choir harmony
Four accomplished choirs will be performing in the next week.
The Coastal Lights Choir, under the direction of Kenneth Norman Johnson, will perform on May 23 (St. Bartholomew’s Church) and May 24 (St. Hilda’s Church), at 7 p.m. both nights. Pianist Anneka Bonser will accompany the ensemble in a program titled Rise Up. Tickets ($20, $15 for youth aged 18 and under) are for sale at the Sechelt Visitor Centre, from choir members, and at the door.
Two groups directed by Janice Brunson — A Cappella Strait and the Choralations Children’s Choir — present a concert of choral music (and words) about human encounters and longings and aspirations, both as individuals and as members of a group. The two concerts also take place on May 23 (St. Hilda’s Church) and May 24 (St. Bartholomew’s Church), at 7 p.m. both nights. Tickets ($20) are available by e-transferring funds to [email protected], and at the Sechelt Visitors Centre, One Flower One Leaf Gallery in Gibsons, or at the door.
The Suncoast Phoenix Community Choir, directed by the indefatigable Sara Douglas, invites music lovers to join them for its spring concert (Spring, Sweet Spring) on May 30 (7 p.m.) at St. Hilda’s Church in Sechelt and May 31 (2 p.m.) at Calvary Baptist Church in Gibsons. Admission is by donation (with a suggested sum of $20)
The Pender Harbour Choir, also led by Kenneth Norman Johnson, will celebrate its 53rd year with concerts on May 31 (at the Pender Harbour School of Music) and June 1 (at St. Hilda’s Anglican Church in Sechelt), at 7 p.m. both nights. The choristers, who always embrace material well-suited to their coastal environs, will present music under the title: Beginning to See the Light. Tickets ($25) are available from choir members, at the EarthFair store in Madeira Park, and at the door.
