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 Arlene March lived for most of her life in Southwestern Manitoba.
In her time spent there, she was a pediatric nurse and a partner is a successful business. As an artist, she has done illustrations for a nursing manual, a cookbook, designed lapel pins and t-shirts for organizations, designed and produced wall hanging banners for a church. In 1999, she moved to 108 Mile Ranch, B.C. where she is an artist, writer and poet.
In the collection of Arlene's work that we feature in her album she had this to say:? My intention for this collection called, 'Feminessence', is to celebrate WOMEN; who we are, what we do, and the impact we have as a world-wide community emanating this creative, magical feminine essence.
Depictions of women have been found on cave dwelling walls and in archeological digs all over the world, and in these ancient societies, we were respected and honored for our ability to give life and sustain it. Revered for our wisdom, knowledge and strength and admired for our adaptability. And in these societies, we used to celebrate the mysteries of our 'womanhood', our natural life cycles.
My passion in creating these drawings is to have Women adorning our modern-day "cave-dwelling" walls, in a place of honor and respect.
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 The term "artist" seems a strange fit at times for me because I have always enjoyed creating things. I have drifted through several areas such as sewing, quilting and needlework but have really found a deep love of watercolour. Drawing has always been part of me but it's only been in the last 4 years that I discovered painting.
The artist, Rickey Burlando, of Auburn, WA was my first teacher, followed by a local artist, Dora Richmond. Since then, I have gone to classes with some other fine local artists such as Sharyn Olfert and Brian Chandler. I guess you could say I'm mostly self-taught but always open to learning new techniques. My paintings have been shown locally at the Impressions Show and was juried into the art show at the Puyallup Fair.
Watercolour is such a great medium to express light and form, the results differing with mood and time. I am constantly challenged to view God's creation with new eyes and try to put just a bit of that beauty on paper.
I am a part of a group of water-media artists that meet weekly to encourage, support and paint together. The Kamloops Water Media Artists meet each Tuesday at the Parkview Centre on the North Shore. This group has meant a lot to me in keeping me painting and has resulted in good friendships as well! We have a yearly art show in May, called the Impressions Show that allows our group to show it's talent.
My husband, Valen, is a great support and has always encouraged me to express myself. We are Americans that have lived in Canada over 17 years, first in N. Battleford, SK and now here in Kamloops. We love the area and the people.
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 Art mediums: Acrylic, watercolor, ink, pencil/graphite, charcoal, clay, webpage graphics/design.
Art experience: I've taught myself almost everything I know (except of watercolours) either from experimenting or studying the brush or pencil strokes of other artist's works. I have also learned a lot of creativity and critiqueing skills from my wonderful art teacher from high school, Ms. Vipond-Schmidt. I started painting when I was 14. I did have some excellent lessons with a local artist here in Kamloops, Debbie Milner, who taught me the fundamentals of how to properly use watercolours, and aspects like glazing, lifting, charging etc.
Goals: I am working hard towards becoming a professional artist, and I plan to make a living from my artwork through commissions, prints, and sales of original artwork. Most importantly, I plan to paint for myself first, and if other people happen to like my work, that is an added bonus.
Favorite Artists: Robert Bateman, Matthew Hillier, Linda Rossin |
 Years ago, Dely Patterson discovered her fondness of watercolours on a visit to the Kelowna Art Gallery, and instantly fell in love with the medium. She noticed the transparency and lightness of watercolours and how the paint spread in such interesting patterns over the paper.
Dely took her first course in watercolours with Olga Burr, who was very patient with the then-novice painter. Olga recognized Dely's frustration and continued to encourage and guide her student. Intrigued with the unexpected results of working with watercolours, Dely continued her education in the medium by taking subsequent workshops.
Since retiring as a health care worker four years ago, Dely has been able to afford the time to take her talent seriously. She's invested in various workshops facilitated by artists such as Jerry Thompson and Janice Robertson. Patterson considers herself an intermediate watercolour artist with so much more to learn.
"To me, the art of painting is much more than applying paint to paper. It is about feeling good... feeling good that I am being creative. I can create something for my own enjoyment, and hopefully for others too. My enjoyment of painting comes to the point that I paint for many hours until my eyes tell me it is enough. I have yet to find another medium that allows me to achieve the sparkle that these transparent colours have, when applied on white paper." |
 It was a cold -50 degrees when our featured artist came into this world on January 31, 1927, eleven miles from the town of Humboldt, Saskatchewan. With his mother unable to get to the hospital so far away, his safe arrival was ensured by mid-wife, Mrs. Wenzell who only lived a half-mile away. There was lots of joy when my dad was told he had a baby boy. He had work lined up for me already, but that would be in the future.
Before I went to school I had a sister and two brothers to play with. I was seven years old when I started school. The school was two miles from our house, but in the winter time, I was able to stay at my uncle's place that was only a half mile away. The second year of school I was able to ride Mod, a white horse that got me there. When my sister and brothers started dad had a buggy for us to go the distance.
In the summertime we walked, and smelled the beautiful flowers in the distance. So when eight years were up dad needed me on the farm. When we were youngsters we cleaned the barn, fed the pigs and chickens, and were always kept busy, otherwise we would get into mischief.
When it came time to milk the cows, we had to fetch the cows, put them in their stalls, milk them and then turn them loose. Doing chores in the evening, I knew dad had a little radio in the house. I would sneak to the house to listen to the "Lone Ranger & Tonto" and other half hour shows like "The Squeaking Door" and "Fibber McGee & Molly".
Dad loved a cigar every once in awhile and they came in a nice slim box, constructed of soft wood. I was able to fret saw something out of it. I was 17 or 18 years old when I got interested in that kind of a hobby.
Dad bought more land when the time was right, so there was lots of work to open the land. We go a new John Deere tractor, brush cutter, a brush pusher and a breaking plow to open up the new land. My brother Arnold and I did all that work without once complaining. That first year we opened up 100 acres which was to be seeded the following year. Boy, did we put in the hours, and nobody complained.
In 1945, October 26, I married a German girl named Agnes. In the spring of 1955 we build a house on my quarter section of land, just one mile from home place. I got a carpenter to help me build this shack, and we also built a barn, pig barn and a chicken coup. I built the cupboards and vanity for the bathroom and people found out that I do nice work. From that I got orders to do more.
It was the time when country schools were closing down and kids went to town to go to school. We were barely 6 or 7 years on the farm when we decided to get a mover and move our house to the town of Humboldt, some 11 miles away. I bought a lot in town, put the foundation in and had the movers move our home cross country when the harvesting was all done. In one place the mover had to raise the power lines up about a foot to get by, but everything went well and they rolled the house on to the foundation. We were soon able to live in our house again, which was on the last street in town.
We didn't stay there too long because I found a lot close to school with nice neighbours, so I built a new house and rented the old one.
When the house was complete I was offered a job by a contractor in town as a finishing carpenter. After some thought I decided to go for it and got my brother to farm my quarter. I worked for five years with this company until they went broke.
I then decided to go to Calgary with a fellow finisher and look for work. I didn't like the big city so we went to Red Deer. It was amazing to see this town with spruce trees in and among the city of 35,000. I got work with a company called Carius Homes where I worked steady for 12 years.
My wife Agnes and I went on a holiday to British Columbia and saw the mountains for the first time. We drove to the Shuswap and rented a place at Blind Bay. We looked around the area and drove to the north side of the lake up Anglemont Estates and had a round of golf and lunch. The next day we looked all over for some property for sale and ended up buying a lot on Ta Lana Trail.
In 1983 we decided to build our house on the Shuswap. I had a carpenter help me with the cement work and framing. In little over a month we had the house up with siding, shingles and left it that way until the following year, until I had electricians and plumbers and in the third year I had the gyproc and furnace put in.
In the meantime I had work in Red Deer, until we moved to our new home on the Shuswap on October 1, 1986. Agnes and I finished the complete inside over the winter months.
We had settled for a year or two and I then began my hobby work. Making cars, trucks, different animals, pull type units, and picture frames of all kinds. I then began lathe work, starting with small projects at first like jewelery boxes in a round and square shape, then I began making bowls and vases of different colours by applying different wood like maple, birch, walnut, cherry and purple heart. |
My name is Karen Rubkiewicz. I was born November 5, 1991, in Kamloops B.C. Ever since I learned to hold a crayon, drawing has been a big part of my life. Throughout elementary I took art classes. Currently I'm in highschool, grade 11. When I graduate I am planning to move to Poland for a few years and attend art school.
My faveourite subject to draw are portraits and figures. I am still expeirementing with different mediums and everytime I paint I feel that I improve.
Besides painting, I enjoy snowboarding, playing guitar, dirtbiking and skateboarding. I am quite active and always enjoy an adventure.
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 Since moving to Ashcroft 5 years ago, Karla Cummins has been producing paintings and drawings based on her photos of local animals, landscapes and landmarks, with an emphasis on historical structures. Karla explores both realism and abstraction in a variety of media and techniques, including pencil, watercolour, acrylic, gouache and gel pen.
Karla has exhibited in solo and group exhibitions since the 60's in Toronto, Vancouver and various places around BC. She has also worked in commercial art and animation, including "Rocket Robin Hood" in Toronto in 1967, a children's video game at Electronic Arts in Vancouver, and 3D animation of marine life for www.excite.sfu.ca. |
 Linda was born in Kamloops and grew up in Clearwater, British Columbia. Linda developed an appreciation of nature at a young age and spent a great deal of time outdoors often hiking and camping in beautiful Wells Gray Park and surrounding areas.
Linda graduated from Clearwater Secondary School and went on to receive a Bachelor of Education at the University of Victoria. She is currently teaching elementary school part-time in Clinton, B.C.
Linda enjoyed drawing while she was growing up as well as teaching elementary school art classes. An unexpected opportunity to work with a local carver of moose antler and soapstone created a whole new realization of possibilities that could be explored in the art world.
In 2002, Linda started carving eagle heads into moose antler which are set in soapstone or hard wood bases such as walnut, or made for wall hangers. She more recently has begun relief wildlife carvings, and working more creatively with soapstone. Linda loves carving and plans on working hard to further explore and expand her talent.
Linda does commission work and also buys antlers. She is currently represented in the Plaza Galleries in Whistler and the Newport Gallery in Squamish.
You can contact Linda at lmadden@telus.net |
 Lonna's love of art began at an early age where she impressed many art teachers throughout her school years. She then continued on to study Art in Victoria for 2 years and then moved back to Kamloops to continue her studies at Thompson Rivers University where she completed 3 years of Fine Arts study.
She has lived in Kamloops for most of her life, where she now helps other artists promote their art and also offers many different types of workshops in many different venues to children and adults alike. Lonna is passionate about guiding students and artisans through her workshops to express and challenge themselves in exploring the world of art.
Lonna is the owner and instuctor for Student Art Works and offers workshops that encourage you to express your artistic talents. Also offered are children's parties, groups and special events. Workshops can be held in the Student Art Works studio or your choice of venue. All supplies are included in the price as well as set-up and clean-up. Choose from many different types of workshops from tile mosaics to glass etching to clay and pottery.
Examples of workshop projects can be found in the photo gallery for those interested in having a workshop, as well as photos of the many local talented artists and their work from in and around the Kamloops area.
Lonna continues to develop her own skills as an artist and is always learning new techniques so she can pass them on through her workshops. Her favourite medium is tile and she is always exploring the many ways that tile can be used as an art form.
Lonna's good nature and love of art allow her to incorporate fun in all that she does. She has been involved in many community art projects, and is currently studying fused glass. |
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 Mentored by Quebec artist, Adolphe Vincelette at an early age, Lynda Boutilier has been intrigued by the visual arts most of her life. As a teenager Lynda entered her first contest of a figure painting on red construction paper of an indian boy with his dog. As a young adult she attended several community art courses, studied art by correspondence and acquired one year formal study at Mount Allison University, NB., which is evidenced in her excellent drawing skills. In 1973 Lynda's portrait entitled 'Golden Anniversary' (shown in the KamloopsCity.com photo gallery) won in an Arts and Crafts Fair in North Vancouver and she also received recognition in the newspapers for her work.
Eventually settling in Kamloops, BC., with her husband and sons, Lynda continued her lifelong commitment to art by furthering her own learning through workshops and teaching art through Kamloops Parks & Recreation. In March of 1998, Lynda was once again featured in the media by Kamloops This Week after they were contacted by local personality Henry Small.
In 1998, she co-founded a painter-operated gallery called the Artists' Studio and Gallery and served as Chair of Kamloops Artwalk for two years. She is also a member of Kamloops Community Arts Council, the Kamloops Art Gallery Society and an active member of the Federation of Canadian Artists. In 2000 Lynda was a part of Art in Action at the Aberdeen Mall where she did portrait demos to a crowd of onlookers.
Like all true artists, Lynda is enthralled by the variety and beauty of her environment and its habitats. Working mainly in oils and pastel, Lynda renders her own aesthetic responses to her chosen subjects to include landscapes and taken private instruction from professional Canadian Rocky Mountain artist, Karen Hersey.
Lynda operates her own studio, the 'Boutilier Studio' where she teaches in a classroom setting with a maximum of 5 students. She offers private lessons as well. Lynda continues to be involved in the art community with her work being displayed at Sunpeaks as well as local businesses. She will have a solo showing in April 2005, at the Cunliffe House showcasing her work.
Contact: The Boutilier Studio 150 Park Street Kamloops, B.C. V2B 4A5 Telephone 250-376-8564 |
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