LISSA ALEXANDER
reporter@pqbnews.com
An eclectic mix of photography, including South African wildlife and the Berlin Wall, as well as digital art and fine prints are part of an exhibition at McMillan Arts Centre (the MAC) this month.
The work is by photographer and artist David E. Blackmore, who moved to Qualicum Beach from Ottawa in 2010 following a career with the Medical Council of Canada.
Blackmore said he used to do a lot of photography, about 35 years ago, but then other things took priority. He got back into it thanks to encouragement from his wife and it began to snowball he said.
“For the last 15 years I’ve taken on the idea of becoming an artist,” he said, “it’s sort of a retirement project gone wild.”
Blackmore used to teach oil painting in Ottawa and has experimented with a number of art mediums over the years. The show in Parksville includes reproductions of his watercolour work, oil paintings, acrylics and even some fractal art, created by use of mathematics.
Blackmore created both small and large high quality prints for those who want to purchase art at a reasonable price, he said.
Locals may recognize Blackmore’s work from previous exhibitions he took part in at The Old School House Arts Centre. Photographs he captured there of the Mid Island Floral Art Club’s Christmas wreaths, were recently published in a New Zealand magazine.
Blackmore will be giving a talk about his work at the MAC’s Artist Reception on Friday, Jan. 11 from 7 — 9 p.m. Everyone is welcome and admission is free. Live background music will be playing and refreshments will be available.
The exhibition this month at the MAC also features the work from the Seniors Outreach Art Program (SOAP). The work honours the Art Centre’s 100th anniversary (marked this year) and features work inspired by art from the last 100 years. Seniors created pieces based on work by artists who broke traditional methods of painting like American Impressionist Mary Cassatt and Dutch Neo-Plasticist, Piet Mondrian. The January exhibitions at the MAC run to Jan. 26. For more information call 250-248-8185 or visit www.mcmillanartscentre.com.