Five of the South Delta Artists Guild's talented and versatile artists are coming together in a two-week show of their latest work beginning next Wednesday at the guild's Gallery 1710 in Tsawwassen.
Laurel Johnson, Lea Price, Eileen Fong, Marlene Strain and Mary Ellen Bullock have their work featured in the appropriately named Take Five, a show that guarantees Gallery 1710 visitors a colourful break from the winter blues.
After retiring from a teaching career in home economics, Johnson was able to devote more time to her keen interest in art. She joined the guild, enjoying the friendship and talent, and participating in workshops to develop her skills. She paints in various mediums, including watercolour, acrylic, pastel and oil, occasionally experimenting towards abstraction, and sometimes dropping in a little humour.
Price's lifetime involvement in art runs from childhood. Americanborn, she immigrated to Canada and spent three years at Emily Carr University. A long-time member of the guild who exhibits regularly, the well-known and admired artist enjoys acrylic painting land-and-seascapes and animals, influenced by impressionism.
Fong began learning the art of Chinese brush painting in 1994 when she discovered her innate love of nature dovetailed perfectly with the art form. She learned and practised, and then found herself drawn to the fine colours available in acrylics, which gave her a new dimension. She works towards expressing light and happiness with freedom and spontaneity.
Watercolour artist Strain began teaching herself art about 11 years ago and is mainly self-taught with some advanced courses taken locally and abroad.
A member of both the South Delta Artists Guild and the Federation of Canadian Artists, Strain's work depicting nature has won awards from both. Her art in watercolour, usually thought of as loose and free-flowing in style, is a delicate, detailed mix of free-flow and careful precision, with honest colour.
Bullock, currently the guild's treasurer and originally from Hamilton, joined the group in 2015. She had mastered the art of working with wool, spinning, dyeing and weaving encouraged by her mother, who also spurred her towards painting, and on moving to Richmond she took a series of intensive art courses, working mostly in acrylic, watercolour and coloured pencil.
Take Five runs from Jan. 25 to Feb. 5. A welcome reception to meet the artists and enjoy their work is set for Saturday, Jan. 28 from 2 to 4 p.m.
Adjacent to South Delta Recreation Centre, Gallery 1710 is open Wednesday to Sunday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
