Wordless Wednesday: Shine a Light

stained glass lamp by Margret Billings

Coy Koi .. whatever

Oh I just clapped my hands with glee when I saw the detail on Myrta Hayes' ceramic vessel on display this week.

The puns I could have.

Coy?
Koi?
Coy koi?
... and the joke about goldfish being red, not green which only sounds funny if you understand french ...

... which I don't (gasp)

Quelle couleur sont les petits pois? 

Les petits pois sont verts. 

Non, ils sont rouge, le petit poisson rouge.

Wordless Wednesday: Berry Delicious

berry-red chunky necklace by Urszula Petrykowska

On Reflection (it gets in the way)

Reflection is a total pain sometimes, and no more so than when trying to capture one of watercolour artist Elizabeth Wallace's beautiful and vibrant compositions.

Sometimes it's too tempting just to rip the back off the painting and click away at the image shelled from under the glass ...

But don't worry. I do restrain myself. All the framing in the giftshop is of highest quality, and untouched by yours truly. Since I can't capture the beauty here, you'll just have to pay a visit in person yourself.

Consider yourself invited!

Wordless Wednesday: Snug and Warm

macro detail from Beryl Hickinbottom's cozy woven shawl

Happy Thanksgiving

From us to you

October's Featured Artist: Denise Dupre

"Plowed Fields"

Watching the multiple colors from a prism or a piece of crystal or sparkling off a diamond in the sunshine, or noticing a rainbow after the rain, these are what fills me with wonder and joy.

"End of Summer"

"Floating Land Forms"

   

The full spectrum of color in all of it's beauty is what inspires my paintings.

"In the Fairy's Garden"

I am passionate for color and enjoy fulfilling this passion through my abstract work.   

"Two Roses"

To learn more about Denise Dupre, click here. To open this post in your browser, click here.                                                                                             

Not so Wordless Wednesday: Cathy Rycroft, Naturalist and Painter

While photographing Cathy Rycroft's exhibition at Port Moody's City Hall today, I was struck by her deep love of the four-legged, finned and feathered. When you look at the eye of an animal she has painted, you can't merely glance; you are captivated by the gaze. It honestly felt as if I was the object of scrutiny! Experiencing a painting like this can only happen if an artist knows his or her subject very, very well.

Cathy's creations feel so natural...depictions of animals painted on wood and stone. You can see the grains and twists in the burled wood and the pattern of the stone, whether crystalline or marble. It's apparent that she chooses the subject for a particular material carefully.



Cathy has been painting for over 20 years and you can find more of her work in the Blackberry Gift Shop in Port Moody. She also paints on canvas and more of her work can be found on her site, Cathy Rycroft: Equine Artist. The slide show above features work currently currently on exhibition at City Hall.

Enjoy the detail in Cathy's work, her knowledge of anatomy, and her ability to animate the creatures she paints.

The essential joy of being with horses is that it brings us in contact with the rare elements of grace, beauty, spirit, and fire.   

                                                                             — Sharon Ralls Lemon

Welcome new artist, Stephen Tobin

Welcome new Blackberry member, Stephen Tobin, who joined the society last month.
Stephen is a photographer and prints his images onto metal.
They are certainly worth visiting the giftshop to take a closer look.

Like all of us, Stephen will be able to take advantage of more space soon. The annual Christmas Marketplace is coming up at Port Moody Arts Centre. For November and December, the gift shop wanders across the main gallery to take up residence in the 3D gallery at the front of the building. All our artists can spread their wings a little as there is space for even more work.

Opening night is Thursday, Novermber 14th from 6 to 8pm.
See you there for the grand reveal!

Wordless Wednesday: Berry Berry

woven wire and red beads by Luci Gimenes