SAC hosts first show of season

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This article was published 02/10/2023 (631 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Steinbach Arts Council is hosting its first show of the season and it’s a double header. Artists Jacqueline Robert-Choptuik and Cheryl Kunzelman premiered their paintings and drawings on Sept. 15 to a large crowd.

“The Steinbach Arts Council is always excited to feature the work of artists from within our community. This exhibit is no exception – its incredible work by two very talented artists, both new to our gallery. We’re proud to support the work these artists do, and cultivate an appreciation of visual art in our region,” said SAC executive director David Klassen.

Based in Niverville, Jacqueline Robert-Choptuik is an internationally known artist who has a fine arts degree from the University of Manitoba. She has been an artist for 35 years and is influenced by the Group of Seven, Emily Carr, and Salvador Dali. She has worked in multiple mediums but her recent work, Beachland, is a mix of acrylic, glaze, and coloured ink.

“Now Beachland is a series inspired by the ocean sunrises and sunsets of Nuevo Vallarta Mexico. I want people to have a desire for serenity because I find that in today’s society technology and commercialization is so pervasive and I just want to take people away and let it be travelling or inspire them to go visit somewhere,” she said.

Beachland is a dreamy collection of art work that plays with landscape, light, and water. One of the pieces that garnered a lot of attention was a piece depicting a woman under the water with her dress flowing around her.

“I think (art has) just been in my blood for so long it’s a form of therapy for me and relaxation and I’m just thrilled that people like my work.”

The former train conductor has seen parts of Canada that most don’t get a chance to experience. Not only does she plan to visit China but Napa Valley as well. She said travel inspires.

“I’m going to Napa Valley as well and I’m hoping to get a lot of really beautiful photos there that will inspire me. A lot of (artists) do things in Manitoba. There’s lots of really great artists that do great things in Manitoba and I used to do that too. But I want people to be inspired to travel. To go out of the box. To see the world. A lot of people – a lot of Canadians – go to Mexico. If it reminds them of a holiday they’ve taken or something having to do with that then I’ve succeeded.”

Cheryl Kunzelman has loved art all her live and has created pieces since her early years but it’s only in the past three years that the self-taught artist has become a professional.

“I guess I’m very creative and I always want to create something and (art) gives me that outlet of being creative. I’ve always created different things. Not just painting, I’ve done all sorts of creative things right now its painting,” she said.

In her recent exhibit, A Few of My Favourite Things, Kunzelman uses panpastel to draw her art work. Panpastel is a highly pigmented powder, much like eye shadow, that is applied with a sponge to textured paper. Kunzelman’s work is a collection of portraits, flower studies, and animals that have a velveteen look to them due to the panpastel.

“I’ve always been drawn to drawing with graphite when I was in high school that’s what I started with just graphite and I thought we’d play with charcoal, but then I wanted to incorporate colour. Then I found out there was such a thing as coloured charcoal, but it didn’t give me the colour that I wanted so in my research I found out there was something called panpastel…The colours are very bold and bright depending on what pallet you use.”

One of Kunzelman’s most interactive drawings is one of a group of tree frogs. She has a book out for people to name the frogs based on their facial expressions.

“One of my favourite animals is frogs and my family will attest to that. My family nickname since I was a child was toad.”

What inspires Kunzelman are beautiful photos. She is in a wheelchair due to progressive MS and is not able to travel.

“It inspires me to look at photos of nature and things like that. My company, Capture Reflections, I thought long and hard about the name, but what I try to do is capture a moment in time. If your child is growing up so fast you want to capture this cute moment. So that’s my photos that I paint.They’re not just school photos. I try to capture a candid scene like a funny face that a child is making or some kind of moment in time.

“(It’s) much like a photograph, but the funny thing is I’ve always said to people why would anyone want a painting from a photograph it doesn’t make sense to me and I had it explained. When you paint it you can take a little bit of artistic licence and you can put your own little touches and flairs and it brings it more to life somehow.”

Beachland and A Few of My Favourite Things will be on exhibit in the Hall gallery at the Steinbach Arts Council until Oct. 20.