Bobbi Clackson-walker and Sheila Angelstad at the Francis Morrison

I had intended to make a visit of the exhibit with Bobbi accompanying, mainly,  to arrive at a better understanding of the process of Riffing. This was not to be . Bobbi was in New York and by the time I got my act together there was just one evening left for me to see the show. I had viewed the exhibit briefly when it opened and was more than intrigued  and  as I mentioned  before, to get a handle on this idea of "riffing." So there I was, on the evening of 8th December, camera in hand flitting from one side of the Exhibit to the other checking to see if there was more to this than a cute angle.
I finally settled on "interpretation" as the meaning of the title of Bobbi and Sheila's Exhibit. They looked at each others art pieces and made improvisations. So far so good. I chose two by Bobbi and one by Sheila. Only one from Sheila, because I know little to nothing about digital art.Time to take pictures and settle on a couple for my piece. First, here is one of Bobbi's painting.

Glory

Acrylic and other Media on Canvas

Bobbi Clackson-walker

Shapes, forms organised in cubistic fashion on  irregular planes of resonant blues, greys and  yellows. The enjoyment increases by the slow eyeing of the painting. When you are close up...the color, shapes seem to belong to the canvas. I recently looked at some of Alexander Calder's art and this piece reminds me of his work. I have seen Bobbi work. She pursues originality as well  as a no bounds approach to making art. Being a Musician, and if I remember correctly a lover of Jazz, she must have enjoyed the whole idea and this process of Riffing.

 Riffing

 As  I perused through the various paintings , I was drawn to the point of view offered by both artists,  of each others work. I put my Camera down and decided to take a deeper look. The result was beautiful. The art mattered and so did the color balance and all that we like to base our likes on or not, and what became even more apparent, was the reflection it provided.  The pieces I saw riffed showed a respect of each others art. This is not competition... no ...this was collaboration to arrive at some meaning...to communicate at a deeper level with the art and in that paying a tribute to each other.

At the lake

Acrylic and Acrylic Gel on paper

Bobbi Clackson-Walker

At the Lake ( Riffed)

Archival Ink Print

Sheila Angelstad

The two pieces above are a fine example of what Riffing is all about. Let's see if i write Riffing once more ....may be it will have a sticky effect ...and I'll get to see more of these in Saskatoon.

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http://www.facebook.com/pages/Bobbi-Clackson-Walker-Fine-and-Functional-Art/127146353997075

Sundog Saskatoon

SUNDOG
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT FAIRE
December 2, 3 & 4, 2011

Saskatoon hosted the 37th annual Sundog Arts and Entertainment Faire Dec.2nd weekend at the Credit Union Centre. The first Sundog Handcraft Faire was held in the lower level of the Centennial Auditorium in 1974. The event grew in popularity every year and was moved to the Saskatoon Field House in 1983 to better accommodate the crowds and then in 1994 to Saskatchewan Place after one year at the Titan Building.

As per the organizations website www.sundoghandcraftfaire.com,  the prime focus of the Sundog Arts Society is to promote arts, crafts and music, making them available to the general Saskatoon public. Approximately, 14,000 attend the show every year.

I found the festival busy, humming and colorful, packed with entrepreneur / craftspeople and artists proudly showing there creations. The Saturday afternoon historically being the busiest time of the weekend. Although, I did not notice many carrying shopping bags, I was told by the few artists that I spoke with, that they were breaking even with the booth rental and some other expenses.The weather was better this year, compared to ice rink parking lot of last year. However the number of people on a Saturday afternoon who chose to venture out was much smaller. The few people i talked with were not happy with the $8.00 admission charge.

My own impression was that the effort by the Artisans, craftspeople is what makes any show a success, however the venue and environment are critical as well.

First, the balcony area was too jam packed with vendors and booths on both sides of the aisle, with little room for the visitors to peruse through various booths and showcases.

Lack of overhead adequate lighting felt oppressive as one looked up. The show areas and booths were brightly lit, however it made the upper and lower levels disjointed.

This is not to say that I did not fully enjoy the show. I was thrilled to be among these passionate creative, hardworking men and women. The enthusiasm , courtesy and genuinity of creative entrepreneurship made this an uplifting experience.

Following are some of  and Artists/ Craftspeople that I visited.

Cecilia Elizabeth

Cecilia's vibrant watercolors are spectacular. She has trained extensively under many internationally renowned water colorists and is passionate to pass  on this expertise.  Cecilia is the proud owner of the River house Studio-Art Gallery in Saskatoon where she provides watercolor instruction to beginner to intermediate art enthusiasts. During evening check out the  delightfully lit up gallery in celebration of the season.http://www.facebook.com/pages/Riverhouse-Art-Gallery

Cindy Hoppe

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It is the first time that I took a good, although not long enough, look at fabric art.

What really impressed me was the delicacy and fine texture of the pieces, considering

 that these are previously used materials.

More information on http://www.cindyhoppe.com/about.php Beautiful story how

she got started in creating Fabric art with her mother.

Miriam Thomas

Miriam Thomas started working when she was a little girl in Chitek Lake . She helped her mother make many items needed for the community in Leoville SK. Contact Miriam through the Chitek Lake Handicrafts in Leoville.

Daryl Richardson

Aesthetic combined with metal has that enduring quality and that is exactly what Daryl's  creations are about. In our brief conversation he told me that his art pieces are now residing with various collectors in many parts of the world. Check out more of Daryl's work on his website www.darylrichardson.ca.

Paula Cooley

Paula combines, robust form,functionality and aesthetic in her pottery designs. She is featured as Artist of the day in Carol Epps blog, musingaboutmud.blogspot.com.  More of her art on Paula's website www.paulacooley.com

Sheryl and Ruth

What a pleasure it was for me to meet these two entrepreneurs, who combine the comfort emotionality, functionality, and gorgeous designs in their creations. Check out their website  for a closer look at the designs.http://www.wix.com/sheryl_and_ruth/beyondthebindingquilts

Susan Alvarez

Although , not large in selection, Susan's jewellery is breath taking.

To contact  her. 306-949-3207

Val Moker

Val Moker is best known as an award winning painter of Western Art. She won the “Best new Artist Award” at the Calgary Stampede in 1999, the “Peoples’ Choice Award” at the Canadian Portrait Academy, and has followed up with other citations Her website www.valmoker.com

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St George Ave Artist Studio Group Show

The Saskatoon artist show and sale on Sunday November 27th, threw me off my neutral balance , by the very serious connections and disconnections I have been muddling through in exploring art and life . The show was not surprising, in that I'd expected to see some decent talent.. this based on the fact that I have known two of the participating Artists as my art instructors, so a positive expectation was harboring in the back of my mind long before I entered the first floor hall in a warehouse like long structure on George Ave. The Artist's hall is accessible through the back alley area with parking spaces. The Stairwell was narrow and when I finally arrived on the Artists' floor I felt lighter in a brightly lit hall with a centre aisle busy with people, as they moved through the 10 or so Artists areas. It was the combination of electric brightness,large windows on long sides, and all that exposed canvas with forms colors and  lines and the hum of excitement that really brought me out of myself. The Paintings and sculpted pieces gave me a feeling of oneness with the environment and  simultaneously answered and raised questions about essence and form... the same questions I've been trying to ..muddle through and re - reading ( currently) Tom McCarthy's novel Remainder has not helped.
Here are the 8  of the 10 Artists from St George Avenue Studio.... in no particular order:
Note: Two artists, Amira Wasfy and Gale Hagblom from studio group are not included here. I do plan to include them in an updated piece later on.

Jane Harington
I did not get a chance to chat with Jane, who paints with  supreme confidence  the rich, vibrant foliage and flowers. I did check out Jane's website www.Janeharington.ca and was blown away with the colors and textures. There is a freshness to her style I'd like to incorporate in my work.

Peter MacMahon
Peter had several pieces on display and was busy packing a piece he had just sold. Unassuming and a ready easy smile on his face he posed for the photograph. I got the sense that he loves the pieces but is disinclined to show dominance .

Carol Wylie
What was amazing was the size of Carol's canvases. I have taken several art classes instructed by Carol. Truth be told I became serious about painting/ drawing after taking that first drawing course taught by Carol. What a boost of confidence that was. Carol's figurative work is powerful, absorbing and provocative. I plan to take a closer and longer look at Carol and Degen's work.  Check out Her drawings on her website  http://carwylie.sasktelwebsite.net

Jan Corcoran
Check out Jan's website website www.Jancorcoran.com and read her artist statement. It was a playful joyous feeling to be near her paintings. I absolutely for once felt happy.
"Abstraction through the medium of paint, line, form and colour is to put in order the chaos of everyday memories, imaginations and observations.— Jan Corcoran

Degen Lindner
At  USCAD, I learned  quiet a lot from Degen and a huge part was to trust myself.  As we progressed through the courses together, me seeking, wanting and waiting for approval or a hint that she liked what I was doing, Degen the forever effervescent instructor would come by and look over my shoulder at my canvas  or drawing and saunter off without a nod . This made me try harder initially..but I soon discovered that by not expecting anything, I soon got absorbed into my work and ended up completing some nice pieces and trusting my instincts.When Degen did comment,  it would be to nudge ever so gently . It is that minimalist detail I liked in some the pieces that I viewed at the show. Degen,s work reaches. It provokes deep feelings. You can view more of Degen's work at www.rougegallery.ca

Bridget Aitken
bridget.finearts@gmail.com
The versatile Bridget is a member of  The Prairie Sculptors' Association and
the MIX Artists' Collective. Her work is also displayed at the MIX 
and Delmar Gallery. Check out Bridget's exhibit at Saskatchewan Equine Expo
from Feb. 17 - 19 at Prairieland Park. I intend to.

Miranda Jones
A versatile artist with a joi de vivre. I met Miranda at a social function several months ago. We chatted a bit and soon i learned that she was in fact a Renaissance woman. She  is serious about all types of art. I loved the piece she is holding in the photograph above. Saskatchewan Craft Council has a fantastic write up on her by Collin Wallace.   www.saskcraftcouncil.org/memb-prod/profiles/miranda-j More of Miranda's work on:
www.nouveaugallery.com

Nicki Ault nickiault.blogspot.com
I had met Nicki as she was sketching on the bank of north Saskatchewan river, last summer. We chatted for a few minutes and she gave me her card. I hadn't had a chance to look at her blog, but remembered her. It was busy in her Studio space at the St George show.  I invite you to check out her blog and slide show of her paintings at nickiault.blogspot.com



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