Summer/Fall 2020 plein airs |
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Summer may be almost over, but plein air is not! Thanks to Rand Harrison and Avis Rasmussen for coordinating the summer program, scheduling 14 sites to paint and sketch, and to Val Lawton and Rand for the Art Connections newsletter, which kept members informed, connected and showing 'n' sharing during these strange Covid-19 times. Also many thanks to Geoff and Barbara Buck for making your scenic gardens available to us for the final paint-out wrap-up on August 25th and for sharing the perfect pears from your orchard. We will be continuing with plein air, through the Fall as long as the good weather continues. The schedule will be sent out weekly and it may be subject to changes, due to weather or other considerations. Questions? Contact: Avis Rasmussen ( avis.rasmussen37@gmail.com) Rand Harrison ( randharr@telus.net) |
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 | Starling Lane Vineyard
The week's plein air was held at the Starling Winery, whose history dates to the days of “Hanging” Judge Begbie, who acquired this parcel of land in 1859. Governor James Douglas, representing the British Crown, signed the documents for the transfer of title from the Crown to Judge Begbie. |
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 | A good number of VSC members made it out to the tucked-away beach at Telegraph Cove, and may have noticed old pilings on the shoreline. These were put in place by the Giant Powder Company, a San Francisco-based explosives manufacturing company, in response to a dispute involving the US and Britain over the Oregon Treaty boundary around the San Juan Islands (aka, the Pig War). This lovely little bay was used by the company to bring in explosives in case things got out of hand. The difficulties began when an American farmer shot a British company's pig in 1859. Happily, the only blood shed in this skirmish was the pig's. |
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 | Craigdarroch Castle is Victoria's iconic castle and was built between 1887 and 1890, on a hill overlooking the city. Craigdarroch proudly announced to all that owner Scottish immigrant Robert Dunsmuir was the richest and most important man in western Canada. Known as “bonanza castles,” enormous homes such as Craigdarroch were built for entrepreneurs made extremely wealthy during the industrial age. Dunsmuir's fortune was made from Vancouver Island coal. He died in 1889, leaving his estate to his wife Joan, who lived in the castle until her death in 1908. |
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 | Geoff Buck's Garden
Club members were welcomed to the garden of Geoff's lovely 1955 Uplands bungalow (one of the few still remaining), where we had the option of sketching Geoff's luxuriously treed garden, the nearby cove (Loon Bay), or the Royal Victoria Yacht club. |
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 | | View of the Royal Victoria Yacht Club from Loon Bay |
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History Corner
by John Lover |
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The Island Arts Club on its formation in 1909 faithfully reflected the upper crust of Victoria society, and it was subsequently led by a succession of presidents prominent in the social and professional life of Victoria. The scene changed somewhat in 1936 when this role was filled by one C.F. Barker, about whom we knew very little until we had the good fortune to be contacted by Nanaimo resident Brian Excell. As a small boy living in Richardson Street, Brian recalled a next door neighbour whom he described as “a reserved and distinguished white-haired gentleman of short medium height.”
This was Charles (Charlie) Frederick Barker, born in London, England in 1873, and who at the age of 13 immigrated with his family to Vancouver. Brian had actually produced a very creditable short biography of Barker, and  was seeking further information to fill in some gaps on his subject. By chance we had just received another query from someone asking about some Barker paintings in his possession, which we were happy to refer to Brian.
Thanks to Brian, we now know that Charlie was an avid cyclist. In the 1890s he was on the executive of the Vancouver Cycling Club and peddled to victory in three provincial championships on the Canadian made “Red Bird” cycle. He had no trouble getting employment in a bewildering succession of positions – purchasing clerk, salesman, timekeeper – sometimes travelling abroad as far as Australia.
However, Barker’s true interests lay in art and painting, and in the late 1920s he took lessons from two artists well-known in western Canada, John Radford and John Clarke Innes. Around about 1930, the Barkers moved to Victoria and Charlie became manager of the Durable Mat Company where he showed talent as an inventor in designing new mats and being awarded a U.S. patent in 1935. He still diligently pursued his art career and in 1931 joined the prestigious Island Arts and Crafts Society, becoming a regular exhibitor in the Society’s annual shows from 1931 to 1938, and again in 1941. He served one year as Society President in 1936-'37, and his work was shown along with Emily Carr and others at an exhibition at the Vancouver Art Gallery in 1939. In 1941 he was listed in the publication “Who’s Who in Northwest Art.”
After 1946 Barker worked briefly as a clerk at the Yarrows shipbuilding site. During this time he enjoyed more time to paint and teach and these were his most productive years as an artist. Painting in the “realistic” tradition best suited his tastes, he had mastered composition and practiced a delicate, spare watercolour technique. His subject matter consisted largely of local seascapes and landscapes. Whilst watercolour was his preferred medium he was also proficient in oils.
It seems that Barker had long yearned to be regarded as a professional painter, and, interestingly, after his death in Victoria in 1953, his death registration lists his occupation as “art teacher,” stating that he had been practicing this for the past ten years.
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The Power of Art Gallery 5 Turns 10
Exhibit continues to October 2020, including the art of VSC members Niramon Prudatorn and Maureen Ness. Located on the 5th Floor Blanshard Wing. |
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Hearts Alive Summer Art Display
Scatterings of painted aluminum Art Hearts bering Dr. Bonny Henry's wisdom, "Be Kind, Be Calm, Be Safe" were on display for this year's Arts Alive program. VSC member Avis Rasmussen was a contributing artist.
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Quotes to Inspire
compiled by Virginia Hutzuliak |
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Perfection or Expression?
Nothing of consequence can happen without a leap of faith.
Accidents?
Decide to use them as a springboard to something new. There are no accidents. They are doorways to new ideas. Use them. Let your imagination be free to spin off in any and all directions.
Be alive with possibilities!
Be the unpredictable wonder you were meant to be. Shift from black and white perspective to multi-color and technicolor. Dare to be different.
-- inspirational posts from my art-making ideas bulletin board |
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Fun Stuff in Sequestered Times |
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Tip Toe through the Alpine
-- with Rand Harrison
There are over 250 species of wildflowers in the Rocky Mountains, ranging from large showy blooms to almost microscopic bits of colour.
In a hike from valley floor upward to above tree line, one passes through three successive ecologic zones (montane, subalpine, and alpine), commonly encountering, in mid-summer, as many as 40 or more flower species along the trail.
In the lowest montane zone, the first flowers may arrive as early as April. But in the harsh high alpine zone, it may be three months or more before the first blooms appear, providing an often stunning but short-lived show of colour before the onset of early frost or snowfall.
Here are three interesting examples:
1) Arnica (left), which thrives in the open sun, and can quickly fill a desolate fire-blackened forest with a profusion of yellow colour.
2) Small green mats above tree line of Moss Campion (below left), which take 10 years of growth before producing the first pink flowers) ;
3) And different colours of Columbine throughout the sub-alpine (below right); |
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Behold a breathtaking Parisian art exhibit...
Experience of my favourite artists and one of my favourite songs! Having the vision to install this exhibit is mind-boggling!
https://youtu.be/BbgrHnbgoDU
-- submitted by Virginia Hutzuliak |
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 | “A Backyard Conversation” (14” X 24”), oil on canvas by Mary Brackenbury
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 | | During this pandemic break, I've been experimenting with combining my illustrations with photos. I took this picture at Telegraph Cove at our August 11th plein air, and plopped this little laddie into the scene after I got home. Thanks to Janice for helping me by creating the ocean ripples by throwing a big rock into the water! -- Val Lawton |
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