Wordless Wednesday: floral parts

detail from flower, Valerie Simons

All the tens: one hundred, a Blackberry Artist celebration of Port Moody's centennial year

detail from woven beaded cuff by Luci Gimenes

This June, the Blackberry Artists are celebrating Port Moody's City Centennial with an exhibition in the library display space.

Our theme? Why, one hundred of course!

painting by Valerie Simons

Will it be one hundred brush strokes, or one hundred beads? One hundred hours of artistic blood, sweat and tears (sounds a bit Damian Hirst so maybe not)?

Or maybe one hundred trees, bears, orcas or buttons? Who knows?

Whatever it is, it will be inspiring and inspired. We live in amazing corner of BC after all, and can't help but be tickled creatively at every corner.

Stay tuned for exhibition details!

Wordless Wednesday: I am behind you, I always find you ....

detail from work by Cathy Rycroft

bonus if you can name the song and artist!

Butting into a cheeky subject

elements of bullying captured by Cathy Rycroft?

At the heart of it all, art captures one person's interpretation of the world surrounding them. This is why creating art, choosing to reveal it and appreciation of the various genres is a truly personal experience.

cultural inspiration or political tirade? by Vicki Allesia

As an artist, the simple act of opening your sketchbook, hanging that framed picture, placing the sculpture, setting up your craft table is like exposing your soul. What you have labour over in seclusion is revealed to the world and lays bare your values, spirit and essence. Suddenly you're open to judgement.

too much emphasis on body hair? by Pat De Couto

Likewise, censorship is a very personal experience. In the early days of Etsy, the online market, sellers were appalled to discover that mature subject matter would be hidden in site search functions, and that classification was out of the artist's hands. As in the wider population, nudity was confused with pornography, and even the definition of the latter became muddled. What one artist saw as a creative rendition of human form equated to a hard-core exposé by another. Body parts should be clothed, was the underlying message, and flesh exposure scrutinized.

"Think of the children," is the usual excuse given.

too cheeky? provocative to bears? by Tom Reid

So which body parts are OK, and how much? And what about religious, violence, political or other sensibilities? A recent encounter with censorship within the society got some of us wondering. Luckily we haven't had to tell Michelangelo to move into a different subject matter but should we be concerned with what our members choose to create? It's a topic that most cooperative artist societies face and it's difficult to confine to only one definition of "what is appropriate" without limiting artistic growth and exploration only to subjects suitable for children.

twin orbs - far too suggestive? by Sandra Ho

Our gallery space isn't suitable for exploration of hard core imagery, but is a little butt cheek or areola going too far?

eye-wateringly fine detail - fetish or medical illustration?  from Myrta Hayes

Stop Press! Art at Council: Dan Severance

Dan Severance's vases alongside stained glass by Margret Billings

Port Moody is titled City of the Arts, and the Blackberry Artist's Society is proud to contribute regularly to the cultural scene. Recently this included a 'visit' to council by three of Dan Severance's extruded ceramic vases as seen above.

Having our artists' work presented to city council is a great opportunity to introduce the community to the creative talent around them. It's a good reminder that yes, we do have artists in our midst and that they have work that is worth supporting. It also allows us to present challenging pieces, to provoke a discussion on the arts in general and local creatives in particular.

And now that Port Moody city council proceedings are recorded and archived, we can share our passion and inspiration with a much wider audience. Check out Item 1 at the 2:30 mark in this video to see Dan's work in the spotlight.

Thanks for viewing.

Wordless Wednesday: May Perspectives

from the floor - view towards our card display; artist cards, blank for whatever use you require

Shelf of treasures for Mother's Day

Fear not! We have plenty in stock for last-minute Mother's Day gifts in store. In fact, much more than just a shelf-full.

We have unique artist treasures of jewellery, cards, paintings and silk scarves ...

We're open 12 noon to 4pm every day, so if you dash in quickly, you can even make that last minute purchase on your way to mom's for lunch.

Next year, be a little more organised?

Wordless Wednesday: Luci Gimenes jewellery display at City Hall

work by Luci Gimenes

All work on display at City Hall is for sale: phone the gift shop 604 931 2008 ext: 102 to arrange purchase.

May's Featured Artist: Pauline Doyle

It is very hard not to form attachments while snapping away the photography for the blog - while all the work in the Blackberry Gift Shop is beautiful, awesome and stunning, some of it also has a cheeky personality. Into this category goes work by Pauline Doyle, May's featured artist.



And I'm talking mainly about her frogs. Whether the stretched out lithe and leggy versions or the little squat barrel-shaped ones, they all readily engage the lens.
As I'm sure you've seen on the blog.



Her other work pushes the envelope of working with mud too. Is that a head of state gazing down from the wall? and are the soft boxes as soft as they look? Dinosaurs??



Pauline's work is on display for the month of May. I urge you to come in and engage with it in person (and then, of course, take it home).

Wordless Wednesday: pocket money treasures (for Mother's Day)

Don't forget Mother's Day, kids! Plenty of $12 and under pocket money items and cards for you to choose from in the gift shop (open 12-4pm every day).