ArtWalk Followup — John Smythe

Even though ArtWalk 2013 has ended for this year, people are still talking about it — and still buying art.

John Smythe relates an interesting followup. It happened while he was at the ARTember Art Show and Sale on September 13 & 14 in Airdrie. He writes:

“They (the collectors) had seen my ArtWalk display at the museum in Sundre this summer and decided to contact me to make arrangements to purchase one of my wood turnings.

“They used my business card with the Wellspring address on it and when they went to the Wellspring web site they were excited to find out from my news posting that I was right there in their home town of Airdrie that very minute!

“They were extremely pleased not to have to drive to Olds and in fact, bought two items!”

Now that’s a win-win situation for everyone. Congratulations, John.

ArtWalk — Elsie Archer

Elsie writes: “It was a good summer art-wise. This year it was my good fortune to partner with the Olds Museum.

“I certainly appreciated the exposure that the Wellspring ArtWalk gave me. So often summers come up dry, with paintings gathering dust in a closet.

“The Olds Museum staff were so gracious right from the beginning. They went to considerable additional effort to display the original paintings for “The Starfish” during the launching of 2013 ArtWalk.

“All through the summer the staff continued to express appreciation and interest in the work I brought in and went so far as to purchase some of the art themselves. They always made certain the paintings were displayed to their best advantage. I was very grateful for the affirmation and encouragement I received.

“Hoping that all WVANA members had a positive experience also.”

You can see some of Elsie’s work here.

ArtWalk — Barbara Bell

Artist Barbara Bell is a painter and a potter. Her studio is in Bearberry, Alberta.

Barb writes: “I am having a very good summer in ArtWalk in Didsbury at the White Raven. I sold my collage painting of a street in Ostuni, Italy and some pottery as well.

“Didsbury is hosting the Mountain View Arts Festival September 13 – 15 so my ArtWalk work will stay until then.”

ArtWalk — Bob and Flory Wilkins

“So far we have sold 4 items at Gotcha Jeans in Olds and a larger piece to a lady from Red Deer who was visiting the Innisfail Library where WVANA has a great collective display of art from many involved with this year’s ArtWalk. The lady who bought our piece of stained glass which was on display at the library is coming tomorrow to pick it up.

“Gotcha Jeans also indicated today that they have given out many of our business cards to folks who are very interested in getting hold of us for commission work.”

Read more about Bob & Flory’s work here. You can also read about their first sale of this year’s ArtWalk.

ArtWalk – John Smythe

Wellspring member John Smythe is having a great summer. His work has been featured in several newspaper articles and he won awards for his woodturning at the Calgary Stampede. He’s also participating in Wellspring’s 7th Annual ArtWalk.

The Sundre Museum has a display of his work as part of ArtWalk. I stopped by the Museum yesterday and found half a dozen people there. They’d read the article about John in this week’s Mountain View Gazette and wanted to see the work firsthand. Judging by their comments, the trip was worth it!

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ArtWalk Sale — Judi Martinez

Judi Martinez is one of 19 Wellspring members displaying art at the Innisfail Public Library this summer.

She writes: “Innisfail Library is the scene for my sale of a small ‘acrylic watercolour’ painting. Not only did someone like it enough to purchase it (always a great feeling!), it went to Calgary the next day as a birthday present for her sister.

Now it has two admirers and a happy creator.”

To see some of Judi’s work and read more about her art, click here.

ArtWalk Sale — Michele Brewster

ArtWalk 2013, as in previous years, has been a great way to exhibit my work. This year, Olds Shopper’s Drug Mart has provided this opportunity, and I have been fortunate to have had someone purchase one of my paintings. It always inspires me when someone enjoys a piece and wants to take it home.

I don’t paint to please an audience; I paint to please myself. In my work, the details are really important. It’s like writing a novel. If you don’t have the details, you don’t have a story; you just have a summary. I love blending soft edges and colours, and I put layer after layer to get luminosity. I never run out of ideas. My goal is to keep improving my work, and to appreciate the wealth of inspiration so close to home in Alberta.

To read more about Michele and see her work, click here.

ArtWalk in Innisfail

This summer the Innisfail Public Library and Learning Centre is hosting a collective display of works from 19 Wellspring artists. This is a beautiful facility and well worth a visit.

Art in Collage by Theresa Potter
Encaustic by Diana Steer
Scroll Sawn Art by Bill Leask
Oil by Lila Weiss
Acrylic by Judi Martinez
Monotype by Lorene Runham
Photography by Troy Johnstone
Jewelry by Sally Banks
Print of ArtWork by Michele Brewster
Pastel by Cindy Boffey

Acrylic by Barbara Bell
Pastel/Printer Ink by Debbie McIvor
Photography by Tara-Lynn Lord
Acrylic by Jim Brown
Stained Glass/Pottery by Bob & Flory Wilkins
Giclee Print by Gayle Kohut

Water Color by Elsie Archer
Sheva Stick by Betty Caskey
Silk Painting with Dyes by Carroll Smith

Special thanks to Carroll Smith who photographed the Innisfail exhibit.

ArtWalk Surprise! — by Jim Brown

I joined Wellspring last fall to give my paintings and photos the exposure they needed and to meet other creative people. So far the experience with the group has been very good. ArtWalk was one of the projects with Wellspring that I was really excited about — this was a great opportunity to gain a larger audience.

A little more than a week before ArtWalk, I gathered what paintings I had and created a new painting as well and brought them into Willow Brook Coffee House. I hung my paintings and placed my tags. Adrian, the owner of the establishment, suggested I place descriptions of the paintings. A few days later I set up my photos at the Innisfail Chiropractic & Massage as well.

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First Sale — Bob and Flory Wilkins

Bob and Flory Wilkins create beautiful work in stained glass. While they were setting up their ArtWalk display at Gotcha Jeans one of the staff saw one of their pieces and said, “It’s sold!”

“The employee was gracious enough to put a ‘SOLD’ sign on it, and leave it in the display cabinet until we bring something else to replace it,” says Bob. “But that adds interest and hopefully will generate more sales.”

The Wilkins’ make many whimsical items, such as the abstract cat in this photo. “We use a Black/White Clear Baroque glass,” says Bob, “and, as each sheet of this glass it totally one of a kind and unique, it allows us to make some pretty neat pictures.”

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ArtWalk Launch 2013

Houston, we have liftoff!

By suppertime last Friday all the ArtWalk artists had picked up their materials. The signboards are out on display, the brochures are being distributed and the show has begun.

Many thanks to ArtWalk coordinator Gayle Kohut, her sidekick (and former coordinator) Carroll Smith and all the artists who worked so hard to get ready for this event. It takes a huge effort to ensure the success of this summer-long celebration of the arts.

Once the dust settled many of us enjoyed a relaxing evening at the Olds (Mountainview) Museum hosted by the Uptowne Olds Group. Munchies, cool drinks, good company and art — a perfect gathering.

A special thank you to our hostesses for the evening — Donna Erdman (Chairperson of the Olds Historical Society), Debbie Ohlhausen (owner of Different Strokes and a member of the Uptowne Olds Group) and Michelle Jorgensen (Administrative Assistant at the Mountain View Museum).

P.S. Here’s some great news — several ArtWalk artists have already sold pieces!

Download ArtWalk 2013 Map

Use the following links to download the front and back of the folded map.

ArtWalk_2013_Front
ArtWalk_2013_Back

ArtWalk Kicks Off!

Yahoo! Friday June 28 marks the official start of the 7th annual ArtWalk. This event showcases some of the best artists in Central Alberta, bringing their art to businesses in 5 towns — Innisfail, Olds, Sundre, Didsbury and Carstairs.

The Uptowne Olds Group is sponsoring the launch at the Olds Museum, from 7 to 8 pm. It’s a great opportunity for business owners, artists and the public to salute the role of art in our lives.

Drop by and say hello. And be sure to pick up one of the great ArtWalk brochures. It lists all the artists and the locations where their work is featured. Get together with friends and make summer plans to check out the art — you’ll be surprised at what you find! 😉