art

Imaginative Nature Drawing Workshop

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I had the great pleasure of instructing a drawing workshop at Shawnigan Lake School last week as part of the MISSA 2024 programing. This two-day workshop was called Imaginative Nature Drawing and involved drawing with graphite, ink and watercolour.

I enjoyed preparing the projects, slide shows and content for this weekend and was reminded again of just how important imagination is. It helps us handle stress, achieve goals, maintain a positive outlook, grow our problem solving skills, strengthen our brains and even can help us live longer. Imagination is considered a skill, which means we can strength and build it through practice.

One way to activate our imagination is through creating combinations. During one of the workshop projects, the participants drew plants outside… but with a twist. They were to draw a variety of botanical species plein air (drawing outside) as though each plant were a twig sprouting from the same branch. The resulting drawings were whimsical yet also felt reminiscent of historical botanical illustrations. I love how each drawing turned out so unique!

Another way to help boost our imagination is to find a fresh perspective. Such as, in this workshop, creating “botaniquariums”. Observational drawing allows us to immerse ourselves in the natural world and make discoveries. “Oh! I didn’t realize that _____”. “I’ve never noticed that ____ had ____ before.” It is amazing what you will see when you pay attention by looking. There are endless drawing possibilities within each microcosm the participants created.

It was a full weekend of focus, creativity and community. For lunch we meet at the dining hall to eat together, which was catered by Shawnigan Lake School. This was an good halfway break in the day as it offered the opportunity to connect with other MISSA people, share about the projects we have been working on and recharge for the afternoon. At the end of the day many of us walked to the lake (which was just across the street) and cooled down with a well deserved dip. I have always been a summer camp person, and this type of an art retreat, where you have the opportunity to sleep over, eat together and enjoy the grounds, very much suites me. I am already looking forward to next year!

Plein air drawing by the pond at Shawnigan Lake School

Before I end this post, I also wanted to share the final project from our weekend: microramas. This project used imagination to problem solve as the participants created shadow boxes that incorporated three mystery words in some way or form. I would also like to say a big thank you to my friend Shirley for giving me with her mint tin collection. It was a fun way to end the workshop! 🙂

New Public Installation & a Peek into my Process

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My newest installation work, Depth Sounding, is now on public display at the Cedar Hill Recreation Centre (3220 Cedar Hill Road, Victoria, BC). It will be in this location until April 28th during open hours: weekends 8am-9pm, weekdays 6:30am-10pm. This installation is located in the hallway just past the reception desk and across from the art gallery space. For more images and to read the artist statement for Depth Sounding, click here.

A peek inside my installing process

Installing at the Ministry of Casual Living Window Gallery (2020)

Incase you might be curious, I thought I would take a moment to share a little about the behind the scenes of art installation. First, I want you know how much I enjoy installation art. I love the challenges that come from working within specific spaces and it is really interesting to see how art can take on new layers of meaning from the surrounding environment.

Over the years, I have come to realize that every installation project is its own adventure and, while I have learned a few tips and tricks along the way, when it comes to preparing to installations… very often you just can’t know what to expect. For this reason I always make sure to have extra supplies and tools with me just in case. The Boy Scouts are on to something good, “Be prepared.”

Often installations require spending time in awkward positions, squeezing into tight spaces, standing on ladders or laying on the floor. You really can’t worry what people passing by might think. A sense of humour helps make this part easier! Earlier this week, as I was installing Depth Sounding, I surprised a few people who were walking down the hall way, peering inside the inset cube spaces when all of a sudden… BAM! There was my face inside a cube! All you can do is smile and carry on. 🙂

Pre-numbered artworks organized and ready for installation
Distribution of artworks in cubes before installing

For this particular installation I had a fairly short window of time to install. This is where being organized really pays off in helping reduce stress and pressure. While I always do my best to have a clear plan, it is also important to be ready to adapt.

Below is an image of the map I drew so I would know which whales go in each cube (you can see it folded and taped to the shelving in the photo above). The numbers in the corners corresponded to paper bags that contained the whales for that space. I had to reverse the order of the cubes because this space is accessed from behind, not in front. It took a couple tries before I figured out how to do the map, but it was really worth the extra effort.

Reversed Installation Map

Installation Complete

Also at the Cedar Hill Recreation Centre

The current exhibition in the art gallery space, The Art of Mental Wellness: Unveiling the Wisdom of Wonderland, by Amy Frank is also free and open to the public. It focuses on mental wellness and documents Amy’s journey and struggles. Please be advised, it deals with some heavy subject matter and is rated PG-13.

The Second Chance Café is operated by survivors of brain injury in partnership with the Cridge Centre for the Family. Serving homemade baked goods, sandwiches, coffee and tea. Open Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 3pm.