Wine & Art Gala 2010 – The Art

Patricia was born and raised in Powell River B.C. She was an orphan from age 3 weeks and was raised by per paternal grandparents who had no interest or understanding of her desire to draw and paint through her growing years. Patricia was fascinated by people, boats, and the ocean, where she spent many hours playing alone and carving small boats from driftwood; and sketching shells and whatever else the sea washed up.

Danny McBride was born in 1951 in Toronto, and has spent all of his working years in the arts as a musician, composer, singer and artist.

Capturing time and moment best describe a Gary Whitley painting. A lifetime of observation is evident in Gary’s ability to paint with great detail while giving the illusion of simplicity. From his prairie farmland roots, to riding with his wife on horseback throughout BC and Alberta, to his varies adventures in Canadian northwest, NWT and Alaska, Gary has retained images of nature which allow him to produce amazing visual depth.

“I am a self-taught artist who is one of the few muralists in the world who does not use a grid format not, a projector to paint my murals.

Rather, I approach the wall as I would a fine art painting; freehand. As I began to paint my first murals I realized that the painting of blank walls not only became a beacon to the youth who volunteered their services, but that the murals also attracted seniors and other members of the community, and thus created bridges of cultural healing.

Murals could become the tread that ties a community together.”

Barry Rafuse is largely a self-taught artist, although he has studies at Emily Carr College of Art and Design. He has also attended numerous workshops with well known artists. He has acted as a juror for exhibitions , and was one of four local artists invited to paint large paintings for University of Northern B.C. Rafuse passed on his talent by teaching others.

Rafuse has been actively exhibiting his work since 1989 in northern British Columbia. He has had work accepted into many juried competitions, including the annual British Columbia Exhibition, Images and Objects, for nine consecutive years. Rafuse also won first place in the Interior Images Art Competition.

 

Nancy was born in Regina, Saskatchewan. She moved to the Okanagan in 1974 and has been painting full time since 1992.

She brought with her a love for this wonderful large and open space. This energy and drama fro her early experiences is reflected in her painting genres today. Nancy is an active member of Federation of Canadian Artists.

 

Jude Clarke is a visual artist and author living in Vernon. She had been exhibiting her work in private and public art galleries for over twenty-five years. She is the author of The Language of Water, a literary work of non-fiction published by Thisledown Press, Saskatoon, in 2002. She is currently working on a writing/painting collaborative project with her husband, writer John Lent, and is also preparing work for a five-person exhibition at Cityscape Gallery in North Vancouver, June/July 2010. Most recently, Clarke’s work had been selected as the cover art for issue #2 of the international literary journal, Ryga.

 

“There are many beautiful and powerful ancient teachings that if understood and used collectively would move this planet and everything on it in a very positive direction.”

 

“When I paint I become completely engrossed in the process of applying paint and creating texture.”

 

Born Julie Cowan in Nelson, British Columbia, Julie Oaks established her reputation as a proactive, culturally critical, multi-dimensional artist. Through painting, drawing, writing, video and performance most of her work autobiographically comments on social concerns, with emphasis ranging from banal to exotic and erotic.

“The Swamp” symbolizes an individual’s link with all humanity from beginning to end. Each person, no matter who they are, rich or poor, weak or strong, young or old, all make up the swamp – the foundation of history and every life contributes to the building of mankind’s civilizations, victories, achievements and dreams.

Sveva Caetani is one of Vernon’s most respected artists. She was born in Italy in 1917 and immigrated to Vernon in 1921. After she turned 18, her father died, and she lived with her mother in her house on Pleasant Valley Road in Vernon. During the hard times in the 30’s and 40’s. Sveva took care of her frail mother. She had little time to focus on her own career, but after her mother died, Sveva became a teacher and painted in her spare time. When she was in her mid-fifties, she began a series of 56 large, exquisite watercolour paintings entitles Recapitulation – The Journey. This work took her 13 years to complete. She donated the whole series to the Alberta Foundation for the Arts. Sveva bequeathed her house and garden to the City of Vernon, who have since given it to the Vernon Art Gallery to be used as a cultural center. Heidi Thompson was one of her close friends and photographer for 10 years. Shortly before she died in 1994, Thompson began publishing Recapitulation into a beautiful art edition.

Unfortunately, Sveva never saw the book completed.