Exhibit shines light on artistic evolution

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 09/11/2019 (2058 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Some musicians hide their early demo recordings under a mattress, and Hollywood directors have been known to closely guard their film school projects, but that’s not an attitude shared by the visual artists involved in a new exhibit that opened Wednesday in Steinbach.

Artistic evolution is the theme of Arts Journey: Then and Now, an exhibit on now through Dec. 20 at the Steinbach Cultural Arts Centre.

Fourteen members of the South East Artists are displaying an early work and a recent work, in the hopes of inspiring artists of all stripes to keep on keeping on.

Gary Holden, who founded the artist collective in 2009, said he wants younger artists in particular to be encouraged by the growth and determination on display.

“I always found inspiration in other peoples’ work,” he observed.

Holden dabbled in oils as a teenager, then set art aside to pursue sports and other pastimes.

He picked up his paintbrush again when he retired, and was startled to see how much his new works resembled his old.

“There were hard lines, poor compositions, heavy paint. I knew right away that something’s missing here.”

For Holden, the key to artistic growth was finding a tutor who instructed him in the layering techniques used by “the old masters.”

Pretty soon, something clicked.

“I realized I’m painting shapes and colours, not hard objects,” he said.

The two paintings Holden selected for the exhibit, landscape vistas entitled “Country Church” and “Prince Edward Island”, were completed 61 years apart.

“I still have a soft spot for that little painting,” he said as he hung the 1958 work on the gallery wall.

Gerald Redekop’s two paintings were done 60 years apart.

“Fisherman,” (1959), was completed with what Redekop figures were paints leftover from a paint-by-number kit.

But the early work was nearly lost to time, until he stumbled across it while tidying up one day.

His second painting in the show, “Europe City – Sunday Morn,” was finished earlier this year.

“I’ve learned a lot about vanishing points and perspective,” he said as he beheld the two works side by side.

Redekop said he’s learned not to panic over an errant brushstroke.

“Don’t let a little mishap stop you. You can always fix it.”

Ginette Perron, a watercolourist from Ste Anne, joined the group in 2013.

“Most of my inspiration is from photographs,” she said.

Perron began drawing as a girl, and transitioned to watercolours 19 years ago. Twelve years separate her submissions, “Cardinal” and “Walk in the Woods.”

Perron said she doesn’t let self-doubt creep in to her artistic process.

“It’s a hobby, fun. I don’t have no pressure,” she said with a chuckle.

She recommended artists battling insecurity join an artists’ group.

“It’s good, the group here encourages each other.”

Holden agreed, saying the interactions between artists during their weekly Tuesday morning gatherings leave everyone richer.

“It reinforces your reason for painting. It helps you concentrate on your work and the feedback you get helps you evolve.”

“When you paint on your own, without that feedback, you’re constantly wondering, ‘Well, am I heading in the right direction? What do people think of it?’”