Karen Blanchet is not widely known for her watercolour works, although she used to do so quite a bit, she admitted. Nowadays, you could consider the medium as her secret weapon for special occasions.
How special? Only when she feels moved to do so, or when circumstances move her to be more exact.
"What happened was … I knew I was moving my studio. I just didn't know when. I had to choose something that was portable and possible to do on my kitchen table if I had to. So all of my acrylics got put away in boxes."
"Now I'm relocated but I'm still unpacking," she said, making it sound like the watercolours still have a bit of use to come.
She is one of a quintet of artists who have contributed to a group show that has just opened at the Centre d'arts visuels de l'Alberta in Edmonton. Louise Piquette, Valerie Solash, Deborah Lenihan and Mary Deeprose join Blanchet for the exhibit that is set to run until Nov. 18.
While this show is running, she is busy preparing a new slate of works to be put on display in an upcoming show in the mezzanine gallery at the Glenrose Rehabilitation Hospital. That same series, she said, will come back to St. Albert for a solo exhibit at the Bookstore on Perron starting March 31, 2015.
The Centre d'arts visuels de l'Alberta, or CAVA, is located at 9103 95 Avenue near the University of Alberta's Faculté St. Jean. For more information, call 780-461-3427 or visit www.savacava.com.
The healing power of art
Susan Scott is another artist who is setting up her art in a hospital setting. She is decorating the hallways of the Misericordia Hospital for an exhibit put on by the Society of Western Canadian Artists. This group includes VASA member Teresa Graham and several others as well.
Each artist is allowed up to 10 submissions for a total of more than 90 works.
"I've got 10 in!" she laughed. "I always do!"
The show is designed around Christmas with the participating artists encouraged to submit smaller works for seasonal shoppers of all budgets.
Scott is on a busy streak these days. She is one of the two dozen or so artists who have just opened the new Guilded exhibit at the Art Gallery of St. Albert. She also just finished a solo show at the Misericordia as well and will follow up this exhibit with another solo show at the same location.
"I'm actually there for six months. I love it!"
The show is already on display and is set to stay until January 10, 2015. The Misericordia Hospital is located at 16940 87 Avenue near West Edmonton Mall. Visit www.swcartists.ca for more information.
