NEWS FROM THE STUDIO

SEPT. 2006 Volume 2 Number 1

Hello everyone,
This is a newsletter that I will be writing 4x per year (Sept, Jan, March and June) as a way for me to keep in touch with you about art shows, art classes and other related and unrelated info. If you would like to continue receiving my newsletter please subscribe to it here. You may also access this newsletter on my website; www.tracykobus.com

Don’t wait for inspiration; it comes to you as you work - Tracy Kobus

Recent Events: Local Colours (Sept 7th to 9th)

This is the first time this festival has taken place in Courtenay – as a participant, (I was painting “en plein air” in the Artisan’s Courtyard) I really enjoyed myself. Highlights for me were painting in the mist early Saturday morning and the Local Blackberry and balsamic gelato at Hot Chocolates. To find out more of what the festival was about visit the Comox Valley Arts website.

A show of all the work painted during the festival will be at the Muir Gallery (corner of Anderton and 5th St.) from Sept 15th to Oct 7th. The opening is on Friday the 15th at 7pm. I will be exhibiting my paintings “Morning Shadows” and “Indulge Your Creativity”, which I painted this weekend.

Fall Art Classes & Events

As some of you already know, the large, spacious and beautiful “Art Room” has been sold and sadly is no longer. Thankfully, the new Comox Valley Art Gallery has an awesome workshop space downstairs. The following is a short list of what I’m teaching this fall:

Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain

Location:
Comox Valley Art Gallery (downstairs)
(at the corner of 6th and Duncan)Thursdays; 7-9pm
Sept. 28 – Nov. 16 (8 classes).
$150.00 (+GST) includes supplies
Register: 338-6211

This class is limited to 12 students, so sign up early to ensure a space!
In this introductory course, you will be guided through exercises from the popular book, Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain, by Betty Edwards. The basic premise behind this class is that an ability to draw does not depend on an innate talent that only a few possess, but instead is something that anyone can learn with practice in seeing things a little differently. After learning just a few basic exercises, you will notice an increased ability to draw, as well as a heightened awareness of the visual world.

Creative Collage

Comox Recreation Centre
Register by phone: 339-2255
October 18 & 25, 2006; 6:30 – 9:00pm

Uncover personal insights, relieve stress and enhance your creativity with this fun and relaxing medium. During these two nights you will create a “Matisse Collage”, as well as a textured collage based on a simple image from nature. Also learn about different types of collages and the best materials to use. Come with an attitude to explore and have fun - all experience is welcome, absolutely no experience necessary. Participants may bring odds and ends collected from home such as old calendars, bits of coloured paper, postcards or magazines to use in their collage.

9th BIENNAL CVAG ART AUCTION

“Postcards From Provence”
October 21st at 7:30pm.
Florence Filberg Centre
Tix: $50 Table of eight: $350

If you want an excuse to dress up and pretend you’re in France buying art, this is the event for you! I will be donating one of my prints and possibly a small original piece.
There will be a show of the work being auctioned from October 7 – 20th.
See the poster at the Comox Valley Art Gallery site

Prints for sale

Now a couple of my favourite paintings have been made into giclee prints to make purchasing these images more affordable.

“Water Dweller” in a small limited edition of 20. (There aren’t many left).
9” x12” Limited Edition Giclee prints on paper: $80.00; Matted and framed; $130.00

“Origins” 11” x 11” Giclee prints on paper: $50.00; Matted and framed; $125.00
22” x 22” Giclee printed on stretched canvas; $225.00

*Ask me about payment options

My residency at the Banff Centre of the Arts

A little over a year ago, I drove to the Banff Centre of the Arts to participate in a 3 week residency at the Leighton Studios. I made a loud entrance in my rust bucket stationwagon stuffed with blank canvas’, paint and my mountainbike. The rad was overheating and the exhaust pipe had detached from the muffler - I’m sure I was heard approaching from a kilometre away.

It took me awhile to actually find the Leighton Studios which are not marked on the campus map (some Banff residents don’t even know they exist). Apparantly this is to keep tourists from intruding; which in Banff are more numerous than the wildlife and at times probably equally as frightening. Individual studios were tucked away in separate locations in a thin pine forest that was out of view of the rest of the centre.

My first thought upon finding studio #8 was, I wonder how many people I will be sharing this huge space with? No one else showed up. The building was about 600sq ft with 15ft high ceilings and large windows.

Pictured above - Inside of Studio #8

Each one of the Leighton studios has been designed by a different Canadian architect. One of them is even in a gutted out fishing boat that was transported there by helicopter.

Pictured above - Boat Studio

Inside, these spaces are equipped with a kitchenette, bathroom, telephone, computer, high speed internet and printer. To guard my privacy, calls were not forwarded to me unless I requested them from the front desk. There was even housekeeping to take out the garbage. No one could find me and all I had to do there was paint. It was glorious.

I’ve heard that for some artists, this amount of freedom to work in can actually sometimes be counterproductive. Even artists need some sort of structure. I’ve learned to overcome that obstacle by planning ahead to start and finish work at a certain time each day. Knowing ahead what I’m doing helps me relax and get into my work. Having been pretty sick for a few months before, due to my pregnancy, (I was 5 months pregnant at this point) I didn’t prepare any thoughts of what I was going to paint. I had a certain number of blank canvas’ and I was hoping to get something down on each one….which I managed to do.

I approached my work with complete freedom and decided to paint whatever I felt like painting, even if it seemed utterly ridiculous – hence the pregnant mermaids in the water series. Much of the work I did in Banff I exhibited in my show, “Water Dwellers” at the Abbey in Cumberland, last November. (It was an awesome opening…thanks to all you who showed up).

Three weeks went by really quick. Driving home with my patched up exhaust pipe and rad, with hundreds of Albertans speedily passing me on their way to the Shushwap, I reflected on what may have been my last solo adventure for awhile. However, now I much more wisely realize that having a child is another adventure – exciting and fleeting and much more challenging!

My son (Arlo Kobus Fleenor) and I

Thanks for reading and if you'd like to receive future newsletters I encourage you to subscribe.
Sincerely,
Tracy Kobus