Vivian Chamberlin is a force to be reckoned with. At 81 she keeps a schedule that would tire a much younger person. And she loves every minute of it.
Chamberlin, a talented artist, is having a show that runs from Nov. 26 to Dec. 11 at Gift of the Eagle Gallery in Gibsons.
"For as long as I can remember, I have enjoyed painting and drawing, fascinated with all the different ways of expressing light and dark I see in the world around me," Chamberlin said.
She finds the hours spent in her studio magical.
"It leaves me with a sense of awe when something works," the Gibsons woman said. And she must be awestruck often because she has an amazing body of work. "I enjoy doing happy paintings. I live near the sea and find lots of inspiration just walking the beach, watching the people around me or tending my garden," she said.
And not surprisingly, these are the dominant themes in her art. One of her paintings, Harbour Mood, captures the essence of the Gibsons marina, complete with the requisite family of ducks swimming by.
Chamberlin alternates between watercolour and acrylic as mediums for her art. She's also successfully experimented with acrylic ink. She finds the strong colours exciting.
Not one to sit back and enjoy her past accomplishments, Chamberlin takes a course every year.
"I take a workshop for the impetus I get from a good teacher and the people who attend and love painting as much as I do. I can't imagine not painting," the gifted senior said.
She has been an active member of the Federation of Canadian Artists for several years and has exhibited at their gallery on Granville Island.
Chamberlin has been an important part of the local art scene for many years too. She was the president of the arts council when the organization opened the doors of the Sunshine Coast Arts Centre. And she has been involved with the Gibsons School of the Arts for the six years it's been in existence. It's a program she's passionate about.
"It's a really worthwhile thing, and I'm very happy to be part of it," Chamberlin said.
She relishes spending time with the instructors who come from all parts of the U.S. and Canada.
Chamberlin considers her good health a blessing. She does her part to keep fit by swimming as many times a week as possible.As part of her membership in the Gibsons Landing Co-op Gallery she volunteers three shifts a month whenever she has art on exhibit.
It's something she's happy to do. An upbeat person, Chamberlin enjoys visiting with the many tourists and locals who visit the gallery on Marine Drive.
She's thrilled to be showing at Gift of the Eagle. She considers it an honour to have so much of her art in one place for folks to see.
Chamberlin is an active member of the Gibsons United Church. Her art graces the meeting room there, adding beauty to the plain surroundings.
If your home or office needs a work of art to reach its full potential, make it a date to attend the opening of Chamberlin's show. Come and see what a lifetime commitment to art looks like.
As her husband Ray says about the avid artist, "It's all she's ever done!"
