There's no doubt that having a painting accepted for the first time to be hung in a juried show highlights the life of any artist. It's a process to which many aspire, honing their skills and nurturing their ambition to the point their art can be positively judged to meet the standards set by qualified jurors.
The 2015 Oil and Water juried exhibition, now at the South Delta Artists Guild's Gallery 1710, is showing 94 paintings that reached that demanding level of excellence and appeal. The result is a striking and brilliant display of work by member and non-member artists in a great variety of mediums and subject matter.
They have imagined, observed, interpreted, explored, experimented and pondered in so many ways that jurying all 162 submissions was a demanding task for the jurors appointed by the guild.
These jurors were internationally-recognized Canadian artists Mike Svob, Janice Robertson and Patricia Peacock, all members of the Federation of Canadian Artists and recognized by that historic society at its top level.
Each juror individually studied and graded every painting, unattributed, online. They then compared their separate findings and collectively decided which entries should be accepted.
Thanks to the generosity of local donors, 14 awards were presented at the opening reception on July 30. Best in Show recognition and $1,000 went to Serge Dube, courtesy of the Century Group. Marlene Strain and Linda Bell each won $300, thanks to Discount Hawaii Car Rental and Vancity Savings, respectively, and Fran Alexander received $250, donated by Taylor Hill Agencies.
Catherine Sheppard won three awards totaling $450 for her outstanding pastel paintings, given by Envision Credit Union, Sublime Art Supplies and Dane Young Freedom 55, and Darlene Flaade took two awards of $100, from Ove Linder Manufacturing and Tsawwassen Medical Clinic.
Artsites awarded $120 to Nancy Dean, TD Canada Trust recognized Jim McFarland with $100, Leah Terpsma received $100 from Dr. Larry Leslie, Vicky Heryet got $100 courtesy of Save-on-Foods, and Sandra Taylor a merit award of $100 courtesy of Thrifty Foods.
The South Delta Artists Guild has extended visiting hours for 2015 Oil and Water. Gallery 1710 is open daily to Aug. 22, except Mondays, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and to 8 p.m. on Thursdays. All paintings are for sale.
Gallery 1710 is in the Kiwanis Longhouse, next to the South Delta Recreation Centre in Tsawwassen. For more information, visit www.southdeltaartistsguild. com or call 604-943-3313.
