autumn – Art in the Shuswap

Water has been a hot topic here in the Shuswap with our lake rising to near flooding levels and water boil advisories in our local news, but thankfully, the Blind Bay Hall found a fun way to focus on water…by offering a wonderful watercolour painting workshop! If you haven’t been to the Blind Bay Hall, the top floor is surrounded with windows to allow great natural light into the hall; awesome for painting and seeing true colours. The hall’s board invited Juve Furtado, AFCA member of the Canadian Federation of Artists, and award winning watercolorist from Vernon, to come back and offer a workshop showing participants how to develop his soft autumn scenes using his watercolour pouring techniques. Juve is not only an artist, but a retired teacher who is more than willing to share all his secrets, and so the students really get a lot of information about watercolour techniques and all their questions answered. He’s great at critiquing and helping you get to where you want to be with your art piece. The class was full and a besides going home with some new skills, you get to enjoy some fun time working with fellow artists, be it experienced or beginners, sharing their stories and love of art. If you would like more information about Juve and his art, visit his website at juvefurtado.com

Here are some photos of the of Juve demonstrating some of his techniques:

And workshop participants having fun painting:

Fall is in the air and my mind is already going to warmer earthier tones in our landscapes, harvested fields and the plentifulness of vegetable crops, red glimmers of sockeye in our streams, and shadowy tree lines that a lower sun brings at this time of year. In Canada, we have the pleasure of new sensations each season, that keeps our body and mind alert and responsive, taking in all the transitions with mindful observation and appreciation. Fall is also the end of the tourist season here in the Shuswap, when we now approach quieter times, where we can reflect on the busy summer, the reconnections made with family and friends and yet also celebrate the approach of more peaceful times to focus on our own work what ever that may be.

In celebration of the fall season, here is a collection of paintings contributed from artist on the Artintheshuswap.com website. Enjoy! (Click on any one painting for more details)