Four new and creative exhibitions are on display at the McMillan Arts Centre (MAC) in Parksville.
Works by Lori Schiersmann, Marilyn Riopel, the Vancouver Island Silk Painters and Oceanside Community Arts Council members will hang in the arts centre until Dec. 23, according to a news release by the MAC (133 McMillan St.).
Most of the paintings in Schiersmann’s exhibition, C’Art de Jour, were done with acrylics, while a few used water-based oils. Some of the works have a textured look and feel, created by using a paste or crackle medium. Others were done using a palette knife, a bristle brush or an acrylic brush.
“I feel that the paintings are more of a decorative/folk art design, meaning the illusion of realism, but not abstract,” Schiersmann said. “They were fun to paint, yet were more detailed as time went by. From the beginning, I know I improved with details and depth.”
Schiersmann, who began painting in 1996, is an Elite Certified OneStroke Instructor and has taught the course all over Vancouver Island, as well as painted glass for fairs and markets, according to the release.
Schiersmann lives in Deep Bay with her husband of 43 years.
During the pandemic, Marilyn Riopel’s restlessness motivated her to try alcohol inks.
“It felt like watching flowing colour explode with life,” she said.
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Her artwork earned her the accolade of ‘Associate’ with the Federation of Canadian Artists (FCA), according to the release. She now teaches and demonstrates how the inks bloom.
Riopel has exhibited in the FCA gallery and won many awards. Starting with watercolours, her love of saturated colour drew her to pastels, shifting from traditional themes to impressionism and then abstracts by working in multiple series explorations.
Growing up in New York City among an artistic family, Riopel was surrounded by painting, sculpture, photography, piano and voice. She studied with Arnold Blanch at the Art Student’s League, then with Philip Guston at NYU.
Moving to Greenwich Village, she sketched portraits and city-scapes while working in advertising. Irked by commercialism, she trained to teach in Waldorf Schools and emigrated to Vancouver for a position.
Also on display is the Vancouver Island Silk Painters’ 23rd Annual Show, Reflections of Colour.
The Vancouver Island Silk Painters are a group of eclectic artists who have taken the ancient fine art form of silk painting to its optimum level, according to the release.
Using many techniques, each artist has developed their own distinctive style using the magic of dye on silk as their choice of medium. With every new painting there is always a new learning experience that challenges the artist and viewer alike.
Ongoing workshops and monthly meetings keep this special group of artists in touch with their inner creative desires and gives them the inspiration and the confidence to achieve the next level of excellence.
The group is made up of beginners, intermediates and professionals.
Small wonders: an exhibition in miniature features works by Oceanside Community Arts Council members.
The exhibition showcases more than 100 pieces of work in 2D and 3D — all under six inches in size. Small wonders includes photography, textile art, acrylics, watercolours, multimedia and sculpture.
— NEWS Staff