Parkside Art Gallery is hosting a new art show called FLOWERS featuring artwork from several community artists.
The mixed media show exhibits paintings, crafts and photographs of flowers by South Cariboo artists who were invited to display their works by Parkside Art Gallery. On March 22, the show opened with light refreshments for the general public to add to the displays of flowers.
Neil Pinkett is one of the artists who contributed to the art show and is one of the main organizers. He said that usually, Parkside puts out an open call to the community for a group show with a theme once a year.
"A lot of people are kind of craving a bit of colour at this point before (plants) start to grow," Pinkett said. "It's a good time of year to celebrate flowers."
Some of Pinkett's contributions to the art show include his two paintings The Lilyflower and Mountain Meadow. With The Lilyflower Pinkett said he was not actually painting it for the show originally.
"It was just while I was working on this, I just have this one tiny flower, which is basically a dot. I thought, well, that kind of fits the theme," Pinkett explained.
As for Mountain Meadow, Pinkett thought the show needed some kind of alpine meadow type of painting.
"That's Trophy Meadows in Wells Grey Park. I went up there last summer, I go up there quite a lot, not quite every year, but I've been up there quite a few times. It's always a great place for lots of wildflowers," Pinkett explained.
Other paintings that Pinkett highlighted in the show include Hydrangeas by Anita Edwards, an acrylic on canvas painting which depicts the flower of the same name, as well as Barb McClusky's Sunburst Morning, which Neil Pinkett considers to be a lovely sunflower piece.
"A nice, strong piece," Pinkett remarked.
In addition to the paintings, there are also photographs that have been digitally manipulated, such as one taken by Connie Sanders. Finally, there are numerous felted flowers, which had been made by Claudia Ring.
"She made the shroud, but she also was involved with some of her friends in making those flowers. The proceeds from them are going to the hospice from the flowers - which is nice," Pinkett noted - adding that some of the felted flowers have already been sold.
Pinkett said it is always good to have an event like this and that he enjoys it.
"You put out a theme, and everybody interprets it in their own way. So it's a bit of a surprise in a good way. And it's always good to have something that brings more people into Parkside," Pinkett said.
The show is on display until April 12 at Parkside Art Gallery.
