Painted and natural scenes alike glinted under the sun at the second annual Garden Art Show and Tea on Aug. 20.
In the garden and inside the residence of Mary Lynn Lawrence’s riverside property on Sackner Road, visitors perused the artwork of local artists Shirley Funk, mother and daughter Eileen and Erin Hutson, Michael Rees, Annerose Georgeson, as well as their host Lawrence.
It’s only the second time that Shirley Funk displayed her art to the public; her debut took place at Fraser Lake’s Festival of the Arts in the previous weekend.
“It’s still scary, when you’re used to having it online,” Funk said. Her collection features detailed oil paintings of animals, superimposed on indefinite backgrounds.
“I started with water colours, was doing it for fun,” she said. “Guess I’m an animal lover.”
The art of Eileen Hutson from Fraser Lake incorporates various materials on the canvas, such as adding metallics to florals or golden leaves to acrylic.
“I’m not a purist, just want my results,” Hutson said. “Some started with water colour and then switched to acrylic.”
Her paintings come from many reference points, she added.
“I normally don’t just dive into a painting,” she said. “In planning, I work from photographs and sketches, use a projector, flip things, think through it that way.”
Along with vintage caricatures, some of Michael Rees’ displayed art at the event uses a mixture of acrylic and water soluble oils. Mostly finished a year ago, the selection depicting natural scenes of the region was a way to practice colour, setting technical boundaries to help with artistic exploration.
“I try to get a lot of realism,” Rees said. “Not necessarily the best work.”
His current work-in-progress endeavours are mural-size and may convey environmental messages.
“I like to have something different or off in the picture for people to think about and discuss,” he said.
Annerose Georgeson, participating in the art show for the second time, showcased a series of paintings depicting the lifestyle scene of a robin nest that was spotted at her mother’s home this summer.
Mary Lynn Lawrence, host of the show, displayed three of her nearly sold-out paintings inspired by her visit to the Ancient Forest east of Prince George. While she worked with a reference photo for most of her work, some featured more imaginary scenes such as sleeping fairies.
“I saw a lot of big leaves at the Ancient Forest and I said to my husband, ‘There must be fairies living underneath here,’” she said.