More than 200 pieces by local artists will be part of this years Garibaldi Art Club’s Fall Show and Sale.
The non-juried show is open to all members of the club, who enjoy it because they are able to put in any of their work that has not been seen within the last couple of years.
“It allows people who are maybe just new at painting or entering the show, as well as those more experienced to put their work in,” said Diane Speirs, who took over as president of the art club in September.
Speirs will have five pieces on display.
She will have four pieces arranged on panels, including one mixed media, one acrylic still life and two alcohol inks. Another of her alcohol inks will be in the small painting section for works less than eight-by-10-inches.
Speirs enjoys working with alcohol inks because of the bright colours they produce and also they gives her the opportunity to be extra creative.
“When I do a still life or a landscape or something like that, I’m using basically a photo of something that I’ve seen or doing something up from outside. But when I am doing the alcohol inks, it really just stretches my imagination,” said Speirs.
“Alcohol ink, it’s a different painting style and the medium is different,” she added.
“For one thing, it’s an ink so that makes it different from the paints. Usually when I paint with it, it paints really bright colours,” she said.
“It’s much more kind of spontaneous kind of art.”
Speirs uses Yupo paper instead of canvas to paint with alcohol inks.
“It’s basically a plastic paper, so the ink doesn’t soak in. It sits on the top and that’s part of why it ends up being so brilliant in colour,” said Speirs.
Speirs explained that alcohol ink is not a medium that brushes easily.
“It tends to flow very freely so I’ve been doing things to make the paint go more where I want to direct it more,” she said, like tilting the paper or moving it around with air.
Spring Has Sprung and Fancy Fuchsias are two alco-ink pieces Speirs will have in the show.
Spring Has Sprung is made up of daffodils and tulips lots of yellows, purples and reds.
Fancy Fuchsias is also very bright and colourful with pinks and greens.
Both are part of Speirs’ Bohemian Series of paintings that include very bright flowers, sunflowers and one that is a bit more abstract.
Her mixed media piece is called Attached. The viewpoint is looking down under the water along the side of a boat where there are seashells and a starfish.
“It’s very dimensional that painting,” said Speirs.
Speirs will have one acrylic painting in the show, a still life of a dried rose flower arrangement.
New this year at the show will be smaller works displayed flat on tables.
“I wanted to find a way to put more art work in and these ones may be priced a bit less expensively. So it was a way of getting more art work in the show,” said Speirs.
Opening night for the Garibaldi Art Club’s Fall Art Show and Sale takes place from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Nov. 16. The sale runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. from November 17 to 18.
The show has been taking place for more than 50 years.
“It’s a chance to see new artwork that’s been done in Maple Ridge. Some people like to follow different artists and it’s a chance for them to see what new work that people may be doing,” said Speirs.
There will also be new artists for art lovers to discover.
“And if they like art work it’s a chance to also pick up things in time for Christmas,” Speirs added.
There will be a great selection of art cards, paintings of all mediums and ceramics.
Refreshments will also be available.
A raffle for a gift basket including four hand-quilted table mats, a hand-painted plate, chocolates, a gift certificate, a small original painting, art cards, bookmarks, chutney, honey, wine vinegar, candles, mugs, earrings and gourmet coffees and teas, all donated by the artists.
• The show takes place at Fraserview Village Hall, 22610 116 Ave., the corner of 116 Avenue and 227 Street, just off the Haney Bypass.
