Playing in Kimberley

Well, didn't we have a fabulous time in Kimberley this past weekend?  Eight or more 'starts' each, ten voracious students, twelve hours of frenetic energy and some twenty plus completed paintings happened in the Kimberley Arts Centre 64.

I made every effort to keep things relaxed and enjoyable, but within half an hour at least one participant was going up the wall.  I have to tell you, I was concerned the energy in there would blow the roof off the building.

Ilene hits the wall...

Holly, Carol and Wilma fly at it.

 The texturing implements got a tremendous workout,

the floor of the dance studio was soon covered with technique starts,

and participants began to enjoy the process, and the results.

Holly with her first finish

 They painted, and worked in their 'palette-paper' books (perfect for altering - thank you Tammy at the Creston Museum for these treasures),

Starts, in process & book

cut and glued and worked like demons.

Joy, left, Christine & Judy, all intent on their process

Christine worked so hard & fast I couldn't get a photo that wasn't blurred! 

And many thanks to Christine Besold, who did all the organizational work on the Kimberley end - a masterful job even before she hit the workshop!

Some of the more than 20 completed pieces

And more

I was astounded and amazed at the ease with which the participants dropped their ideas of what 'should' happen, the speed at which they worked and the exceedingly imaginative ways in which they used the techniques they learned in their artwork.

And on a side note, the Lazy Sunday B & B is the perfect place to stay in Kimberley - just half a block from the Arts Centre, and the owner Noreen Shaw is the quintessential hostess.  Do contact her (lazysunday@shaw.ca) for an artful sojourn.