The Art Guild of Scarborough

   I truly needed something to awaken the hibernating artist in me. It has been too long. The unfinished watercolour Horned Owl that I started back in 1987 is still the same as it was when the last stroke of my brush touched it.

     Yes, 27 years of procrastination! And what better place to find inspiration than at the Art Guild of Scarborough Spring Art Show and Sale? 

  Joy MacFadyen greets visitors at the  Art Guild of Scarborough
 2014  Spring Art  Show and Sale.

   

Volunteer and AGS member, Erin Eggleton

   
    Everything about the show was precisely as I hoped for. Thanks to Edie Bergl who I met at Rick's framing shop the week before. If not for the invitation she handed me, I would have easily missed the great opportunity to meet the talented artists whose creativity infused me with desire to reconnect with my long lost love for painting. Just by listening to them talk got me all motivated. These gifted people have given me the jolt I needed to stimulate my nerves and pick up my idle paint brushes.

      Oil painters, Yushing He and Ouyang Ling, the husband and wife team at the show may never know how much I enjoyed their infectious smiles as they answered my queries. Their enthusiasm surely made me think why I drifted away from painting. Is it because of photography? 
    Perhaps the ease of producing a desired image at the speed of a camera shutter has spoiled me after all these years. The magic of digital photography instantly manipulating lights and colours are great artistic expressions, but no modern technology can ever compare to a hand-painted masterpiece. I am confident that my two heroes Michelangelo and Norman Rockwell would agree.

Carol Robitaille holds one of her paintings on exhibit.

  

    Carole Robitaille's creative hand is a good example. She was one of the super talented artists whose amazing work caught my eye. Her framed oil pastel “Dance in Motion” was quite engaging. The way she applied the lines, made the dancing figures come to life. I could almost hear the music!

Jolanta Omari stands between her two originals.

  
    Jolanta Omari was equally impressive. This amazing 72-year old artist started painting only four years ago, but her interesting style is so catchy and undeniably pleasing. Her original marker rendition of the vibrant “Colourful Crowd” did not escape my attention. And neither did it surprise me that it won the Lila Patton award. It sure deserved the recognition.

Usha proudly stands next to her impressive two-piece
    48in x 60in  acrylic painting of Secret Cove, Lake Tahoe.

        The Art Guild of Scarborough president, Garry Herridge

         next to his beautiful watercolour painting.

   It was a delight meeting these creative people standing next to their masterpieces. One of them was Garry Herridge, the current president of The Art Guild of Scarborough. He led me to his beautiful framed watercolour paintings and even gave me the honour to photograph him.

Well known portrait artist and AGS long member, Joy MacFadyen

    Moving on, in the maze of paintings from one to the next, I met a seasoned artist in the person of Joy MacFadyen who is also a long time member of The Art Guild of Scarborough for forty two years. When she agreed to pose in front of my camera, I couldn't believe that I was shooting the portrait of a well-known portrait artist whose remarkable achievements included eighteen paintings for the Lipton Soup Family Pride many years ago.

Art lovers from all walks of life and of all ages came to see the exhibits.

  There was a great variation of themes and techniques at the AGS Art Show. The good turn out on its first day proved the old saying that there is always an eye for every painting, no matter in what medium and what style it is presented. True to this belief, a loyal supporter of AGS Art Show in the last ten years spoke freely about his feelings toward a painting of Hal Bilz that he purchased at the show. He openly expressed his fondness of the artist, “Hal’s paintings of outdoors and nature connect to me emotionally. I just love his work. This is my fifth of Hal Bilz’s paintings.”  Unsolicited comment such as this outweighs any tag price placed by an artist on his/her work. 

                There is always an eye for every painting

                 no matter what style  and medium it is presented.

  
   There is no question, I learned so much at the AGS Spring Art Show. The artists and their heart-felt creations fired me up and re-ignited my passion to paint. The show also reminded me of the long forgotten joy of sharing the beauty of one’s art. My art is not complete until unbound of chains that are holding it back. It needs to be seen by the eye that deserves to see it.

                                HEAD and TAIL

                      The Art of Procrastination

   
   Before leaving the show, I made a resolution to continue where I left off. To keep that compulsion burning, I thought I should join the Art Guild of Scarborough. And so, I signed up. There is a waiting period, but that’s okay. It's not a problem. I can wait. I waited 27 years to get back to my long delayed watercolour painting. Another year or so won’t make much of a difference now. 

  In the meantime, I will work on my unfinished piece of art and frame it with a fitting inscription . . . 

   The Art of Procrastination!