Life is about taking chances, and three local artists are doing just that, while hoping to raise money for a local cause.
Debbie Clarkston, Judy Hull and Sue Smith will have their art on display at the Sooke South Shore Gallery from Aug. 11 to 25. The exhibit, called Emergence, is in support of the Sooke Food Bank.
“The main purpose of this exhibit is to raise money for the food bank and all the wonderful work they do,” said Sue Smith. “Portions of the sales will go to the Food Bank, but regardless if any sell, we will still make a donation.”
This is the first time the group has done anything like this, and they are all excited to show off what they have been working on lately.
Smith works in oil to create landscape and abstract paintings. In previous years, she would often make her paintings representational, meaning to look realistic, but lately has been working on more and more abstract pieces.
Clarkston is a landscape photographer and multi-media artist, who has recently been creating a lot of pieces using beeswax and found objects to create abstract pieces.
Hull is a representational artist, who uses acrylic and watercolour to paint local landscape scenery. Hull often paints photos that she shoots while hiking, and loves to create “loose” looking art, so that it isn’t too realistic.
“This exhibition is also for us as artists and human beings, to take a risk and put ourselves out there,” said Smith. “We were all up to our eyeballs in artwork and thought putting on a show would help put some of our work out there.”
A donation box will also be at the exhibition, where people can leave cash donations for the food bank.
“Planning this has been such a great journey, and we hope to raise as much as possible for the food bank,” said Smith.
The gallery can be viewed from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday to Saturday, and 12 to 4 p.m. on Sundays. An opening welcoming will be taking place tomorrow at the gallery, beginning at 1:30 p.m. to give people a chance to meet the artists. Refreshments will be served.