Hub Staff

An opening reception was held at the Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre on the evening of Thursday, September 17 from 7pm to 9pm for the Shoreline Artists juried show, Elements Of The Forest.

The works of art by members of the Shoreline Artists Association, which captures the beauty of the forest including trees, wildlife and wildflowers, as well as abstracts will be on display at the museum until October 31.

Attendees came to view the art works on display, while enjoying refreshments and harp music by Mabel Williamson, a retired music teacher who sold her motorcycle in 1990 after her first grand daughter was born and used the money to buy a harp. She now teaches private music lessons.

Linda Bester, one of the artists with work at the show said they were given just the theme of the show and then it was how the individual artists interpreted the theme name. Referring to her art piece, A Delicate Balance, she said, “For me the [theme] meant something about the elements of the forest rather than the trees or what is in the forest so I was creating a little story there.” Bester added, “It started with the frame and then the little pieces of the branch sliced and then the bird and then bringing it all together. For me it was about the cutting down of trees and the birds needing some place to nest.”

Barb MacLeod, who created commissioned art works for private and corporate clients in Canada and internationally for 30 years and has run galleries in Toronto and Collingwood; along with Kelly McNeil, a wildlife artist from Brampton; were the two jurors of the show.

“It's always a challenge to pick who wins. Certainly in any artist group there's a wide range of talent and you want to showcase them all, said MacLeod, adding that they not only look for something done technically well there has to be something extra special about it.

“We picked a broad range really because the first prize is a painting, the second prize is a fabric piece and the third one is quite experimental in the techniques.”

The winning artists in the show were announced as Kristina Maus, taking first place for her painting Good Morning Snow, Beverley White taking second place for her fibre art piece Saugeen Woods Pathway, and Lorraine Boucher for her acrylic painting Dancing Lights.

Winning artist Maus who lives in Ellengowan, south of Paisley, said the painting was a scene from the Brant Trant near her home. “I'm thrilled,” she said.

There will be an opportunity to meet the artists in the show and talk to them about their artwork on Saturday, September 26 at the Bruce County Museum & Cultural Centre between 1pm and 4pm.

Artwork from the show can be purchased and a percentage of the sale will go to the museum.