Did you know St. Albert’s much-loved Bookstore on Perron is also home to a small art gallery tucked at the back? It’s easy to miss, but once you locate the intimate space, it will draw you back.
In keeping with the bookstore’s summer tradition, the gallery boasts a series of rotating visual arts exhibitions of St. Albert Painters’ Guild members whose work is reflected in diverse styles. The final summer exhibition runs Sept. 5-27. The four participating visual artists are Suzan Berwald, Sandra Elsinga, Marg Oevering and Alan Anderson.
Suzan Berwald, a resident of Strathcona County, recently retired and is devoting her days to experimenting with wide-ranging mediums. They include oils, encaustic wax, glass fusion and printing.
For this display, she kept her studio practice focused on four large hand-pulled monotypes of landscapes that demonstrate an abstract quality. In addition, her fused glass and sun catchers will make an appearance.
Her newest works are with sun prints, or cyanotypes. Sun prints are developed using a special light-sensitive paper that reacts with sunlight or strong artificial light. Objects that create a defined shape are placed on the paper. As the project sits in the sun, the paper slowly turns a brilliant Prussian blue.
“Like many artists, I have an affinity with all landscapes and things dealing with nature. I was raised on a family farm, and I connect to the land and the passing of the seasons and how it is integral to our livelihood. I’ve done a lot of travelling, but Alberta’s big blue skies always resonate with me,” said Berwald.
Marg Oevering, a semi-retired art teacher, turned her passion into a full-time commitment three years ago.
“I’m a newbie, but I’ve jumped into it in a big way, “ said Oevering, who already has 200 paintings to her name.
She is an acrylic painter who strives to capture the beauty around us through mountainscapes, landscapes and stunning florals.
“I especially love mountains — I love the majesty of them. I think of the greatness of God; I see beauty and power. I especially love mountains with lakes in the background. They fill me with wonder.”
She plans to exhibit eight paintings in two different styles. One style lends itself to smooth lines and a soft graduating colour palette. The second style bursts with bold, bright colours emphasizing energy and movement.
Alan Anderson, St. Albert’s visual arts ambassador, has always been partial to landscapes. Inspired by nature from Canada, and across the world and back, the realistic painter is open to sharing seven oils he painted within the past year. He will also offer limited edition prints created after a visit to a Nova Scotia fishing village.
The last artist is Sandra Elsinga, who began her studies under Robert Bateman while still in high school. She paints landscapes, seascapes, and flowers, many of which she finds during her travels. Currently, she fashions paintings with palette knives.
The Sept. 5 reception runs from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Bookstore on Perron, 7 Perron St.
