The St. John's United Artists, a group of painters who gather to learn and encourage one another, hosted their second annual show last week at the Seaside Centre.
"We tried to get everyone in the group to exhibit last year," said oil painter and calligrapher Eileen Berczik, "but we just couldn't."
This year, most of the group, 12 artists from a flexible group of 19, turned out to meet the public at a Friday reception and to show their work, some for the first time.
Berczik has been painting all her life, but after moving to the Coast in 1995 she was further motivated by an artist friend and by her involvement in the group.
Watercolourist Isobel Gibson leads the St. John's Artists. Her displayed work revealed an expertise in the depiction of light and shadow, particularly in the scenes of winter at Rossland where the artist's husband grew up. She admits she's a snow lover but the summer view of the sunset from their home at Selma Park was also evocative of nature at its most dazzling. Gibson is modest about her role in the group where she leads occasional mini-workshop during their Thursday sessions."She's our teacher - without her we'd fall apart," said one participant.
Another member of the group, George Burton, also shows years of expertise in his realistic nature depictions that leap from the canvas. Burton was given a gift of an oil paint set in 1938 from his future wife, Rose, and he taught himself how to use it. Now at age 87, his time is taken up with caring for his invalid wife, working in his garden and doing his painting. A recent work that showed Brooks Cove at Halfmoon Bay was among the best in the bunch.
At the artists' reception, participant Doris Biddle had lots to laugh about. She retired three years ago from hairdressing and turned her attention to painting full time. One of her paintings, The Winning Bet, showing the lively details of a horse race had just won an art competition sponsored by the Cloverdale Racetrack. Though it was not on display, Biddle exhibited a variety of other work ranging from still life to portraits in watercolour, oil and pastel.
Although most have taken up landscapes as their subject like Donna Stevenson, Shirley Lonergan and Sandra Sharkey, a few have branched out. E. Abercrombie is pushing away from mountain and water portrayals to the edge of impressionism.
Robert R. Moore, one of three men involved with the group, lets his imagination take hold of the brush. Though the pictures are realistic depictions of bears, orcas and owls, the creatures are shown in far-flung galaxies. His Sombrero Galaxy is a smoky blue, water-laden, ovoid planet, another world that is quite fascinating.
Alvin Thompson displayed his painting of Zion Park in the fall, Judith Donnelly, her still life of apples. and Mary Westoby, her Mare and Foal.
The styles are diverse, even when two artists use the same medium to depict nearly the same scene. The diversity makes Gibson happy.
"I was the one who started the group as a water colour class," says Gibson, "but they're sure not copying me."
The group meets on Thursday afternoons at the St. John's United Church in Davis Bay and their five-day silent auction of art was designed to raise funds for the ongoing building problems of that church. If interested in joining the group, call Gibson at 604-740-8028.
