COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES

Just opened, five artists show paintings, along with an exploration of the ancient Japanese ceramic form known as Raku. See original art by Chris Eddy, Susan Greenbank, Kelly Jones, Mary Swain and Carney Oudendag.

Developed in the late 16^th Century, Raku wares became the Imperial standard for the Japanese Zen Tea Ceremony. Raku is a low-fired pottery technique, wherein ceramics are cooled after glazing in such a way as to create a blackened colour and texture, enhancing the forms and creating strong contrast to the opulent glaze colours.

Due to the nature of this process, no two pieces will ever be the same; therefore, each piece becomes an original piece of art. Our standard of Raku is strictly non-utilitarian and should never be used for food or water consumption. Loosely translated, the word Raku (pronounced ra-koo) means employment, pleasure, comfort, happiness and contentment.

Chris Eddy

Self-taught artist Chris Eddy created her “Art Tiles” as the result of experimentation with different materials to find ways of solving a love of enameled and fired work, and the lack of resources to invest in equipment. Chris found if she used wood as the canvas, acrylics as the medium, and a high-density resin as the finish, her pieces would have the depth and sheen of a tile.

Recently, Chris has taken her signature miniature art tiles and stepped into a larger size. This has been a very challenging leap of “art faith,” and the works displayed in the Alcove Gallery are the first of what she hopes will be many of the expansion of her work.

Susan Greenbank

Susan Greenbank uses a series of exciting contemporary Raku techniques to create designs in natural and architecturally inspired forms. She combines colourants with a basic white crackle glaze, creating coppers and metallic lustres on the surfaces of her mountain tiles, vessels and sculptures. To create these unique colours and textures, Susan removes her pieces from a very hot kiln into containers filled with shredded newspaper, which immediately catch fire and are sealed to allow smoke to work its magic on her ceramics. Each piece is unique.

As Susan puts it, “Many people so enjoy the Raku process because with each firing comes Christmas for the artist.”

Kelly Jones

Oil painter Kelly Jones originally set out to be a commercial artist, when a painting by Calgary artist Jed Irwin inspired her to follow her passion for fine art. She studied painting and photography first at the Alberta College of Art, later graduating from the University of Calgary.

Kelly’s paintings are influenced by a number of great 20^th Century artists, including Matisse and Emily Carr; particularly Carr’s bold use of colour, attention to light, and reverence for nature. Of these current paintings, Kelly writes, “This exhibit is part of an ongoing exploration of ‘Havens,’ which has encompassed a period of over 15 years. While I venture into other subject matter, I continue to return to the idea of creating environments which are comfortable and welcoming to me and, hopefully, viewers, offering a quiet place to rest and reflect — a haven.”

Mary Swain, BFA

Born and raised by the mighty Miramichi River in the small village of Nelson Miramichi, New Brunswick, Mary Swain had an adventure-filled childhood that revolved around the woods, brooks, wild berry picking and exploring the river’s shoreline. That closeness to nature is often directly reflected in her work.

First introduced to Raku in 1981 at the School of Art and Design in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Mary has continued to practise, teach and develop her own style of Raku. An Albertan for the past ten years, Mary takes great inspiration from the dynamic landscape and the area’s unique Chinook winds.

Carney Oudendag

Artist and educator Carney Oudendag regularly shows her work at the Pynelogs Cultural Centre in Invermere, BC and frequently paints on commission. Primarily a watercolour artist, Carney says that when she adds in collage and found objects, these materials, along with her paintbrush, make artistic statements that often surprise and delight. She describes herself as a constant collector of papers, images, string, and curious objects which become sources for new compositions.

Of this current exhibit, Carney says, “The pieces on show are based on an exercise I gave myself! The format is a way of composing called ‘shape within a shape.’ Working on a square encourages more abstraction. In each piece, I have adhered a found metallic object to lend an air of mystery and contrast.”