The St. Andrews Heritage Centre’s annual Community Art Show is on exhibit until March 19th. There are three categories in which artists can win prizes: Best Nature Representation, Best Use of Colour, and Overall Excellence! This post focuses on the artworks which make the best use of colour!
Jo Smoley’s acrylic pour piece “Iris’s Dance” makes use of colour intricately and abstractly, whereas other artists such as Kathy Johnston in “Copper Shore,” use colour to create a stunning sunset seascape. Clyde Finlay and Belle Lourenco stick to one colour to depict their images “Blue Winter” and “Self Portrait.”
The staff at the St. Andrews Heritage Centre have gathered together their favourite pieces for the category “Best Use of Colour.” Browse the gallery below to see which pieces might be in the running for the grand prize! Community voting ends on March 1st. The winners will be announced shortly thereafter!
Scroll to the end of the page to read each featured artist’s statements.
Be sure to visit the Community Art Show in person to view all of these fantastic works and vote on your favourite Best Use of Colour!
Click here to visit the Community Art Show page for more information, online voting form, and images from past Community Art Shows
Click here to view the 2020 Community Art Show virtually
Christie Dawn – “Plant Peace”
Inspire and uplift! Spark wonder and spread joy! This is what Winnipeg artist Christie Dawn strives to do through her colourful creations. She loves to paint in a rainbow of colours and experiment with all sorts of different techniques, and has been making art as far back as she can remember. Although Christie is a child of the 70s, she draws much inspiration from the 60s, and the era’s message of love and peace can be found in much of her work. She finds her own peace out in nature, which also has a big influence on her art. You can follow Christie and her artistic journey on Facebook and on Instagram. Many of her art designs can also be found on a wide variety of products from clothes and accessories to stationery and home and living items on her Redbubble shop.
Email: rainbowearthcreations@gmail.com
Instagram: rainbowearthcreations
Facebook: Rainbow Earth~ Creations by Christie Dawn
Website: redbubble.com/people/christiedawn/shop
Clyde Finlay – “Blue Winter”
Through my experience in life, I have found being a visual artist a blessing and an opportunity to leave my mark on the world today through the art I create. I’m able to express and transform on canvas my vision, emotions, spirituality, and life experiences establishing possibilities from history to the present. The viewer then has opportunities to interpret my umbrella of representational or abstract art. I convey and interpret on canvas which brings me freedom of spirit, a lyrical expression in different styles, architectural designs that relate to my intimate imagination. With spontaneous splashes of glorious colours, I express form, movement, composition, and details which are established through the motion of my art brushes upon the canvas. In my early days, my artistic journey and medium preference was the use of oils on a larger canvas. Today, I use acrylics, watercolours, multimedia, colored pastels which empower me to create landscapes, portraits, figures, and many other forms of art. After twenty-five plus years, I’m fascinated by the collaboration on my travels in Canada, the United States, and Europe. Thus, having opportunities in art workshops, art presentations, group shows, solo shows has increased my love of art.
Email: cdfinlay@mymts.net
Instagram: cdfinlay
Facebook: clydefinlay
Website: www.clydefinlay.com
Kathy Johnston – “Copper Shore”
In the beginning: Kathy Johnston has studied Fine Arts at the University of Manitoba. Though she majored in drawing Kathy has been working mostly in oil paints for the last 44 years. Awards: Ms. Johnston’s figurative artwork garnered most of her success. She has been in numerous shows and has won a number of awards from “Best in Show” and “Best in Category” at the Winnipeg Harvest Art Competition along with “Viewers Choice Award” and “2nd place” at the Manitoba Society of Artists Art Competition. Her work is hung in a variety of cities in Canada and France including the award-winning painting “Davida” which is hung at the Manitoba Legislative Building. Her Path: Kathy experiments with different painting platforms from canvas, wood and building materials. “I initially started painting landscapes, as is pretty usual for new painters, and then quickly graduated to animals and finally to figurative painting.” Kathy is also the owner of Winnipeg Art & Wine and teaches art and painting classes at local venues to beginners in a fun and relaxing environment. She says it has brought “a lot of fun” to her “lengthy” art career. What’s Next: “Even with 20 years of figurative experience I still find myself interested, and more importantly, challenged, by this subject. Since teaching though I have found myself in a more contemplative and relaxed mood I am venturing back into Landscape and Wildlife paintings. I am finding that this has renewed my interest in colours and their reactions to one another. I am so lucky and blessed to be able to continue the painting journey”
Email: kathy@winnipegartandwine.com
Instagram: wpgartandwine
Facebook: WPGArtWine
Website: www.winnipegartandwine.com
Jo Smoley – “Iris’s Dance”
“Finding the Chi in Nature” Jo is a multimedia artist. Her strong connection with nature is expressed in her artwork. A passionate hiker and kayaker, keeps her immersed in the places she loves to paint. Her art captures the sensations of spirit and whispers of Canada’s natural forests and waterways. She gets endless inspiration from the chi around her as she dips her paddle in the water or climbs a rocky trail. You will find her artwork at Warehouse Artworks in the Exchange District as well as Art Expo and Gwen Fox Gallery in Selkirk MB. She is also in many local art venues. Prints and merchandise like scarves, tote bags, pillows, coasters, yoga wear and much more featuring images of her artwork may be purchased through Jo or directly from her web-site.
Email: josmoley@gmail.com
Instagram: JoSmoleyArt
Facebook: Josmoleyartjournal
Website: www.josmoleyartgallery.com
Courtney Savoie – “As Above So Below”
I had many inspirations which led me to draw before the last year of elementary school. Many of my inspirations were from Mother Nature and the animal kingdom. But as well, I felt inspired by classical movies and cartoons. I also really liked anime. I was also blessed that my cousin would teach me a lot about drawing animals and would help me with drawing my own characters and creatures of imagination. By 2008, I was calling myself an artist with these new black and white drawings. Which was to become my, “Eye of Ra,” collection. Only instead of Courtney, I was calling my new artistic self, “Rowan StarHawk.” That year my imagination was on fire. The next year I was diagnosed with bipolar one. Over the next few years I would become no stranger to mania and disorderly thinking. Yet I would come to a great understanding that art was a healthy way for me to express my creativity. It’s only been in recent times and years that I have been experimenting with colour to my black and white art. Which, to my own surprise, I quite like it. I feel that the colour choice and selection are energies to further express the nature of each drawing I do. I like to think of my new collection of colour drawings as my “First Light,” series.
Email: lifeofcos@gmail.com