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Karin Richter Fine Art
Newsletter
Summer 2015
Summer in the City Downtown Calgary
What a wonderful spring and early summer we have had in this
part of the world! It is always a very busy time, especially
for
artists as everything art-related happens either in the spring
or
fall. Exhibitions of all kinds are being held throughout the
city
giving us all a chance to get motivated! Even though I did not
go
overseas this spring, I still managed to do some travelling,
some
for business, some for much needed R & R. My spring started
in
April with a short trip to Victoria, B.C. where blooming
gardens
and our beautiful Pacific ocean beckoned. A visit to the
famous
Butchart Gardens never disappoints:
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The Sunken Garden
Tulips everywhere
In May, I had to go to Toronto to attend some meetings as part
of
a volunteer job for the Society of Canadian Artists. Toronto is
not
everybodys favourite place but it is old and does have a lot
of
interested things to explore. I love the eclectic
neighbourhoods,
always a feast for the artistic eye. Great Graffiti!
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Kensington Market and Chinatown next door are always places
for some great photos. I even found a restaurant featuring a
Starving Artist Special! Now we are talking!
Our meetings are held at the historic Arts & Letters Club in
the
heart of downtown Toronto on Elm Street, a place where arts
professionals and those committed to the arts gather for
artistic
and social activities. Wandering the halls puts you in touch
with
our Canadian art history. The Group of Seven met here.
J.E.H.
MacDonald was the most active at the Club. Arthur Lismer
used
to draw caricatures of his colleagues during meetings.
Historic Building Current Exhibition by Ron Bolt RCA
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Just imagine: this was about 100 years ago and this period
in
history which shaped Canadian art has not lost its mystique.
As
our guest speaker Katerina Atanassova, chief curator at the
National Gallery of Canada pointed out in her presentation, we
as
Canadians are still asking ourselves what our artistic identity
is.
Why is that? Food for thought for sure.
A few days later I embarked on another trip to Albuquerque
where
the International Association of Pastel Societies, the
umbrella
organization for all pastel societies, meets every two years. It
is
called the biggest pastel party on the planet, there is nothing
like it
and it is always educational and fun. This time, I worked in
the
Schmincke booth (makers of Schmincke pastels) demonstrating
my favourite pastels at the popular trade fair (candy store) at
the
convention. It is always a great time to make connections and
to
meet other colleagues.
Doing a pastel demo New Mexico Patio, Pastel 14 x 11
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New Mexico is of course also a great travel destination, a
different world altogether, so much colour, culture and
beautiful
people:
Albuquerque Fiesta Exquisite Pottery
Adobe buildings Cacti
It is of course all about the light in these southern parts,
something I get very excited about. I love shadows. Simple
shapes and strong lighting make for sensuous, exotic scenes.
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No trip to New Mexico would be complete without making a
side
trip to Santa Fe where a lovely town and Canyon Road with
its
100+ galleries await. Not only is this an area with a lot of art
but it
is also picturesque with wonderful photo opportunities.
Canyon Road Gallery Row Sculpture Gardens
It is truly a place to see excellence in art, every piece
displayed is
of high quality, a must-see destination for every art lover!
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Back home, lots of projects were waiting to be worked on. I
am
again participating in the Calgary Exhibition & Stampede in
a 4-
day booth, the last 4 days of Stampede July 9 to 12. It will be
a
display of a variety of subjects, from city scenes to
mountain
vistas as well as some florals. For those of you looking for
inspiration, the BMO Centre at the Stampede is a great place
to
view all kinds of art in a comfortable environment! I would love
to
see you there!
Autumn Sparkle, Pastel 16 x 16 Larch Valley View, Acrylic 8 x
8
For those just hanging around the patio at home this summer,
I
recommend two books that I absolutely love:
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They are very well written and so inspirational! I do have a
summer plein air class planned: Tuesdays from June 30 to
August 11, 10am to 12:30pm. These sessions will be held at
different locations in Calgary, places where you can practise
your
sketching, watercolour or pastel skills. Always a fun way to
spend
a morning. For the acrylic painters among you, I have
scheduled
an Acrylics Workshop on Saturday August 8, 9:30am to 4:30pm
where we are going to tackle several techniques in this
medium
with the help of a glass of wine and pizza for lunch! Contact
me
for either of these activities or register directly with
Parkdale Nifty
Fifties at (403)283-0620. Both these classes are a great way
to
prepare for my France Painting Holiday in early September.
Unfortunately, this trip is now full but I have added another
date in
the spring of 2016 for those who were unable to go this
year:
May 5 to 16, 2016 www.levieuxcouvent.com
I am also happy to announce that I will return to the
Sunshine
Coast next summer, teaching a 5-day intensive workshop Have
a
Plan Then Paint with Abandon at the Gibsons School of the
Arts. Let me know if you wish to be placed on my list.
www.gibsonsartschool.net
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The possibilities of Living Big are endless and I do hope
youll
find your muse this summer!
Keep in touch! I always like to hear from you!
All the best in life and in art!
Karin
[email protected] (403)272-1471 www.karinrichter.com
www.karinrichterfineart.blogspot.com
www.workshopinabag.com
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