Nisbet gets RAW on Friday

Local painter Aynsley Nisbet is set to be one of the featured talents at a special Friday evening extravaganza.

Communique is an event put on by an independent artist-run organization called RAW: Natural Born Artists, which promotes all kinds of artists involved in film, fashion, music, art, hair and makeup, photography and the performing arts.

RAW started in the United States and has now spawned events across 70 cities and this is not the first time that it has hosted one in Edmonton. There were more than 700 people who attended the May event. Along with Nisbet, there will be more than 30 other exhibiting artists including painters, photographers, jewelers, hoopers, and body painters.

"I hadn't heard of RAW at all," she admitted, adding that Kaley Bird Beisiegel, the RAW co-ordinator, attended Nisbet's first art show back in 2007.

"She asked me to be a part of it. It's this program where they have all these local artists in whatever field. Once a person displays their work in their own city they are then qualified to show in other cities that these events happen in."

Nisbet's paintings have captured much attention for their abstract surrealism with heavy spiritual influences.

According to its website at www.rawartists.org, RAW's mission is to "provide independent artists within the first 10 years of their career with the tools, resources and exposure needed to inspire and cultivate creativity."

Nisbet said that the theme for her display would be Animal Spirits, Totems and Our Sacred Ocean. It will feature a new piece called Blackfish Transcendence, plus she will also have a favourite work of hers called Whale Song up for sale.

CAVA show featuring Trudeau

Local author/painter Pat Trudeau is one of four artists who currently have new works on display at the Centre d'arts visuels de l'Alberta, Edmonton's francophone art gallery.

Along with some acrylic landscapes works, she has a series of watercolour works on display.

"Some of them are from different places when I went out sketching, mostly from around St. Albert but some other places in Central and North Alberta too," she said.

Joining her in the exhibit are Emma Cayer, Monika Dery, Monique Béland and Gail Praharenka. The show runs until Tuesday, July 22.

The Centre d'arts visuels de l'Alberta is located at 9103 95 Avenue in south Edmonton. Call 780-461-3427 or visit www.savacava.com for more information.