If you want to check out a show with some shapely art, look no further
The Gwen Fox Gallery is bringing together its many artists once more for a distinctly symmetrical show this March. The Soft Corners and Hard Edges exhibition features art by 33 artists, with every piece being a circle or a square featured at just the right angle.
Brenda Hedberg, Volunteer Coordinator for the Gwen Fox Gallery, explained that the idea behind the show was to challenge the gallery’s members while giving them room to express themselves.
“Everything has to be either square or round, nothing in between, no rectangles, no ovals. That’s it,” she said.
The 33 artists who participated each had the opportunity to submit up to three pieces of art, so there’s a lot of work to see this month.
In addition to the idea being fun for artists, the limitation gives the gallery a fun atmosphere.
“It just gives the gallery a different look, just like last March was all black and white, and it was a completely different look in the gallery. We’d never had that before. And, again, you come in, and you notice that everything is round or square, and you wouldn’t think that it would really make a difference, but it does,” said Hedberg.
The gallery is free to visit, and she encourages anyone who’s interested in being inspired by art or looking for something to hang on their wall to stop by.
“Come in and see this one, because we’re amazed. While we were setting the show up, we were so amazed at how different everything looks and how beautiful it is. The art that people put into circles and squares is just, it’s awesome,” she said.
The Record couldn’t feature all 33 artists, so below are a small selection of the artists that are on offer.
Ed Dumanski
Dumanski is a multi-media artist with two square pieces in this month’s show.
“I range from watercolour, to acrylic, to water-soluble oil, to pencil drawings, to sumi-e—Chinese calligraphy, and a lot of mixed media and collage,” he said.
He explained that nature is what inspires a lot of his art.
“I do a lot of photography, so I translate that onto paper or canvas. My teachers, who I’ve taken classes from or workshops or seminars, inspire me because I enjoy their vision, and I like to learn from them and create my own version of their journey. I’ve had over 30 teachers, so it’s always nice to observe what their journey is,” said Dumanski.
He has two square collage pieces in this month’s show.
“I’ve done one black and white, and then I worked one in coral colours, and the coral colours were very spring and natural. I love them. They gave an organic look to the art. I love the black and white one because it’s so stark and it brings your eye right to the paper,” he said.
As far as his own personal art journey, Dumanski explained that it started 40 years ago with watercolour.
“After quite some years, I decided to venture into acrylic and oil. You get, not distracted, but you get encouraged, and you get inspired by what you see in other artists and so forth. So, you want to try that. You want to venture out into other venues,” he said.
Dumanski has been an artist at the Gwen Fox Gallery for three years now and makes his way to Selkirk from Winnipeg.
As a longtime artist, his advice to aspiring artists is to learn.
“Take some classes and immerse yourself in what you love and what inspires you. Whether it’s a Canadian artist or if it’s someone online. If you frequent galleries, by all means, whatever takes you on your journey, go with it, and just don’t be afraid to just dive in and experiment. There’s no right or wrong in art,” said Dumanski.
He also recommends that you check out the exhibition this month.
“This place is a gem. It not only showcases Selkirk talent but also the surrounding areas, and it’s quite a beautiful collection of art. The nice thing about the gallery is it changes all the time. It’s always fresh. Every month is an all members (show), or another month it’s a four member show, or specialty shows. We had large format (recently). We had black and white (last year), and now it’s the square and round. So, there’s always something new to look at. And of course, there’s the gift shop,” he said.
Loris Sargeant
Loris Sargeant
Sargeant is a Stonewall pysanky artist who uses the traditional medium mixed with modern influence to create beautiful pieces.
“Most people would know it as Ukrainian easter eggs. But taken it to the next level, is what I’ve done because traditional Ukrainian eggs are done just on chicken eggs or goose eggs, and I’ve really broadened out doing ostrich eggs and doing different designs with it (being) much more modern looking,” she explained.
Her journey to creating pysanky started when she was very young with her mother.
“I have done eggs since I was probably three or four years old with my mom. Always did them. And my mom taught me how to make the dyes from the natural greens, and the yellows from the onion skins and stuff like that,” she said.
After learning from her mother, Sargeant took time away from the craft after she left home, but came back to it.
“My mom passed, and I had the hardest time with my mom passing. One of the folklore (traditions) is that you put an easter egg on their grave to help them get to heaven,” she explained.
Though she didn’t have any doubt about her mother already making it to heaven, Sargeant felt close to her mother after making the pysanky and has continued to make them ever since.
“I love the history. I love the folklore that goes with it. It’s just so much. There’s so much to it. It’s so interesting. Every day I learn something new about it,” she said.
As for this exhibition, Sargeant has brought three of her eggs to the gallery this month. Two are smaller samples, but one is an ostrich egg, which is very impressive.
As for the inspiration for her designs, she says that they come from many places. Her phone is filled with pictures that she takes from a cool design on a co-worker’s shirt to a rooster image she saw at a hardware store.
She’s so inspired by the pysanky that she doesn’t just do the art herself. She also shares her art with others by teaching classes on how to make them. With Easter right around the corner, she’s teaching a class at the St. Andrews Heritage Centre on March 21. You can learn more about this class at the St. Andrews Heritage Centre’s website at https://www.standrewsrectory.ca/eventsprograms.
Her advice for newer artists is to never get mad when you make a mistake.
“A mistake is just the intention of what was written. I always tell (my students) that there is never anything wrong with what you have on your egg, whether your lines are squiggly, whether you’ve got a blob. You know what? That blob, we can make it into a flower. There’s always an intention, and that wavy line, you know what? There’s symbolism in a wavy line,” said Sargeant.
She hopes that everyone who wants to, finds some time to stop by the gallery this month.
“Enjoy the culture, enjoy the art,” she said.
If you’d like to keep up with Sargeant, she’s online at https://prairie-harvestpysanky.square.site/ and on social media at https://www.instagram.com/prairieharvest_pysankybyloris/.
Hope Winfield
Hope Winfield
Winfield has brought a single stunning, colourful piece of art to the gallery this month.
“For me, my art is abstract. I like looking at bright colours. I like using media that is recycled, giving new life to materials. I would identify myself as an emerging artist. So, this is something I’m just starting to learn and starting to grow in. But as a military chaplain, for which I have served 23 years now, and I’m looking at retirement coming, this is an opportunity to find a sense of community, sense of healing, (and) to be able to connect with like-minded people,” she said.
She uses acrylics for her art, but it’s not conventional paint and canvas work.
“I’ve used acrylics. I like doing collage as well. So I like to be able to either go into a piece letting go of what preconceived notions of what I think it should be, and seeing what emerges, or taking, like collage items and making a picture out of all the chaos,” said Winfield.
Her art is inspired by the process as much as the product.
“I’ve seen the value of the healing benefits of art and the benefits of having a sense of community outside the military. And, I think it’s so important to have organizations like this, whether you’re retiring, and looking at where to retire, or whether you’re where you’re newly posted, to be able to find people to learn from (who are) welcoming, affirming people who’re willing to share their knowledge of art. And also, I think for me, art is one of those lifelines to something deeper within oneself, and that resiliency,” she explained.
Winfield, who is planning to settle into the Gimli area when she retires, explained that her art journey is on the newer side but that she’s taken some classes and is happy to start by plugging into the local community.
She’s been a member of the Gwen Fox Gallery for about two years, and this is the first group show that she’s participated in.
“One of my pieces just happened to be four pieces that made a square. It’s exciting that they have different things every month, and it just happened that I had something that fit,” said Winfield.
The piece, Freedom, that is in the gallery this month, is perfect for the spring season that is right around the corner with its colour and fun pattern.
“I have two that are a set that are reminiscent of a stained glass window . . . It really started as more of a meditative line, and then filling it in with various colours, and then I have a collage on the other side,” she said.
To other emerging artists, Winfield says to be easy on yourself.
“Sometimes we’re our own worst critics. So just find something immediate that you enjoy and just go for it and don’t be worried about any preconceived notions of what you think it should look like, because what’s going to happen is what it should be,” she said.
She also encourages everyone to check out this month’s show.
“It is certainly worthwhile taking the opportunity to come look at and support local artists. And, I would say to anybody that’s military or a veteran in the community that this is a very welcoming and affirming group, and that if you’re looking at making a connection, this is definitely a place to explore,” said Winfield.
If you would like to visit the Gwen Fox Gallery, they are open Tuesday to Saturday from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. and late on Thursdays until 8 p.m. It’s always free to stop by.
