The Southampton Art Gallery held an informal opening gala August 19, an opportunity for the Saugeen Shores art world to meet Paul Nabuurs and his wife, who will be staying in the area for a week.

Megan Dunn, Saugeen Shores Hub

The Southampton Art Centre has welcomed artist Paul Nabuurs to be its Artist in Residence. Since the beginning of August, his work has been on display at the gallery and on August 19, Naburrs, who is from Peterborough, travelled to Southampton for the first time and was greeted with an informal celebration at the gallery. Nabuurs will be staying for a week, teaching three art classes as he is housed at the Art School apartment.

Art Gallery Director April Patry said that it’s a great way for the gallery and art school to present something together. Patry said that she’s received very positive reactions to Nubuurs art, currently the focal point of the gallery.

“People are really loving the vibrancy of his work and the fact that he's bringing work from his neck of the woods,” Patry said. Nabuurs’ work has a large Canadian Shield perspective. “I think it’s hard to not have your breath taken away when you walk through these doors, because they’re big, they’re bold, and they’re bright.”

Nubuurs said that when he gets the feeling he also paints cityscapes. “I paint what I’m excited about and I’m excited about light,” said Nabuurs on August 19.

Being attracted by light and the way it hits certain objects, Nabuurs admits that it can drive his children crazy because he will need to stop what he's doing and capture the light at an exact moment.

Nabuurs said that when he gets stuck thinking about a certain painting process, he takes a break and goes out to look for new images and new colours.

Patry has a few Bruce County destinations in mind that she thinks may give Nabuurs inspiration as it is a region unfamiliar to him. “I’d send him to the Grotto at Cyprus Lake or anywhere on the peninsula is amazing. Plus we’re on the shoreline of Lake Huron, everywhere you look it’s just gorgeous, that’s why there are so many artist that live in this area.”

Nubuurs said that in the short time he has been at Southampton’s Gateway to the Arts, he has been very impressed. “This Art Centre, it’s just amazing. I don’t know if they know how special this is.” He continued to say that it’s cool, well run and organized, and there is great art inside.

“It’s nice to see that they're putting effort into really high quality art, that they seem to be embracing and celebrating, which as an artist is all you can ask,” Nabuurs said.

Peterborough’s Paul Nabuurs is the Southampton Art Centre’s Artist in Residence. Nabuurs’ artwork is being showcased in the gallery throughout the month of August, and he will be teaching classes at the Art School.