2008
Fairfield Artists Studio Tour
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Participating Artists

Visit the Fairfield Community Assosication for Gala and
Tour details

“I paint the figure because I am fascinated by human energy. Whether it takes the form of physical movement, as in dance, or the form of emotional or spiritual intensity, I try to capture particular moments. I am interested in the ways that people experience imprisonment and liberation. My figures are striving …often for something they cannot reach or can reach only momentarily. Moments of release are short-lived but beautiful.”

Frances is a graduate of English, Language and Literature at the University of Toronto and has a MLS degree from the University of Western Ontario. After careers in education, librarianship and public service management, she entered art school and has committed herself to art since graduation from the Victoria College of Art in 2000. Her work highlights the human form in large, emotionally-charged acrylic canvases. Figures are powerful but vulnerable. Heavily textured surfaces of canvas, cardboard, burlap and paint reflect the multilayered nature of reality and the precariousness of the human condition.

A recipient of the Herbert Siebner Practising Artist Award, Frances has had solo shows in Victoria, Sidney, Parksville, Port Moody, Vancouver, and Portland, Oregon. Her work has been exhibited at Arthur Leggett Fine Art in Toronto, THEWORKS Festival of Art in Edmonton, the BC Festival of the Arts, the Campbell River Art Gallery, and the Maple Ridge and Burnaby art galleries. In Victoria her work has been exhibited at the Fran Willis Gallery, Martin Batchelor Gallery, the Gallery at the MacPherson, the Arts Council of Greater Victoria, the Rogueart Gallery, the May Ip-Lam Art Gallery, the Sooke and Sidney Fine Arts Shows and the Maltwood Gallery at the University of Victoria. In 2004 the city of Victoria commissioned her to paint a 10 foot square mural as part of a city beautification project.

Victor Bosson welcomes you to visit the Bosson, Weaver-Bosson painting and digital art studio in Fairfield.

Under the name ArtLife Victor combines drawing, photography, inks, digital painting and acrylic paints to create colourful and intriguing artworks. Subtle humour, satire, DREAMSCAPES and architectural images are ArtLife’s main focus. Avoiding the dull and the humdrum, ArtLife strives to create images that engage and delight the viewer.

After graduating from the Alberta College of Art, Calgary, Victor and fellow artist Barbara Weaver-Bosson came to Victoria in 1975. With exhibitions in Japan, British Columbia and Western Canada, Victor has maintained a fine reputation for creating exciting and award winning works of art.

GEORGE CLEMENT, a graduate from the University of Victoria’s Fine Arts program in the Visual Arts (graduation in 1976 with distinction), and who was lucky enough to have Pat Martin Bates as a mentor, has been involved in the visual arts and music ever since his graduation, often blending the two. He participated in the juried travelling exhibition called Young Canadians which toured Canada In 1976, as well as pioneering 2 productions mixing music and photographic visuals at the University of Victoria’s University Centre. After finishing a post graduate scholarship in Copenhagen, Denmark in 1977, he participated in many international juried shows with his series of screen prints and paintings in such diverse locations as Lubljana, Yugoslavia; Krakov, Poland; Bradford, England; Tokyo, Japan; Virginia Beach and Stockton, USA.

Working as a photographer to support his art habit, he honed his skills in that field to produce masterful land and cityscapes, finding abstraction in nature as well as concrete and steel, but always having the preference for unadulterated nature in all its glorious forms. In the mid 80’s he entered the computer world and has been writing music with sophisticated software which allows him to have a full orchestra in a box, so to speak. Continuing with his photography and painting, it is time for him once again to have a mixed showing of his visual and auditory works.

I apply my art education, experience, and craftsmanship to paint powerful symbolic images. I use acrylic paint mixed with various acrylic media to create textures. My main intention is to create a painting that expresses a feeling or a mood. This is my fourth year on the Fairfield Artist Studio Tour.

“Exceptionally high quality work both in terms of craftsmanship and distinctive vocabulary.” With these kind words noted art appraiser, consultant and curator, Nicholas Tuele sums up the appeal and promise of the works of Galen Davison. He continues: “[The] paintings are at once accessible and mysterious and thus they wield a compelling hold on the thoughtful viewer. In my opinion, this is the hallmark of the very best art. This is the kind of art that proves itself over time as we find deeper and deeper levels of meaning and allusion on sustained viewing.”

Working with plaster, zinc, copper, wood, ceramics and oil paint, Davison describes his technique as “a loose flow of movement, a visual journey.” His latest series is called Petal Paintings - and whether he casts his eye to abstract landscapes, seascapes, or still life studies, the results are works of bold beauty that fill their spaces with wonder, peace and delight.

Close study of a Davison work reveals a thousand tiny mysteries reflecting his many curiosities: the wonder of nature, the power of light, the ubiquitous icons of modern culture, the prettiness of a flower. Says Davison: “I like to think of these images as objects - more like flat sculptures. It’s like arriving at an archeological dig and trying to decode the layers of history and visualize the actions and decisions of the archeologists.”

Davison won a scholarship to the University of Victoria, BC, where he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree, with honours, and received an honourable mention for the Helen Pitt Visual Arts Canada Award for the most promising artist to graduate from a British Columbia university. His work can be found in the corporate collections of the Westin Hotels chain, Brentwood Bay Luxury Resort Hotel, Sayward Hill Developments, the Robert W Cameron Law offices, and many private collections.

Davison paints at the window of the hillside studio he built from recovered wood above his house in Victoria where he lives with his wife and three young sons.

Working as a Professional Artist in a highly realistic style for over 30 years, Steven Dickerson's work has ranged from Fine Art to Illustration and Design. As he enjoys the personal aspects of the Artist / Client relationship, Steven has had much success working on a commissioned basis. He is represented locally by the Peninsula Gallery in Sydney. Steven also teaches painting and drawing at the University Canada West, Academy of Fine Arts.

Nancy is an accredited graphic designer and for 20 years has been the sole proprietor of Seaside Designs, a Victoria based visual communications firm and a resident of Fairfield. She is an award winning fine art photographer and in 2005, was chosen as one of the Tall Ships Victoria Artists¹ in Residence. She conducts photography workshops and teaches creative photography at various venues. The past 3 years, Nancy has received an Award of Excellence from Photographer¹s Forum Magazine, an internationally recognized publisher of The Best of Photography. Her work is exhibited regularly in regional gallery shows.

Her combination of artistic passion, love of nature & entrepreneurial spirit resulted in the establishment of CasualNaturalist Press in 2000, her own publishing company that markets her natural history guidebook of the Pacific Northwest (the Salish Sea), as well as a range of products including fine art cards and calendars.

She is transforming her fine art photography into a stand alone business; marketing her unique images and expanding her product line with the addition of home accessories products i.e lampshades, room dividers, wall coverings that feature her nature photography.

Moved to Victoria three years ago. I have traveled extensively to Mexico, Thailand and India and gain some of my inspiration from travel. I have been sewing for 10 years and initially learned to sew in order to make my first needlepoint into a pillow. With the help of a friend, I learned to sew and from there I started designing pillows and experimenting with different fabrics. I enjoy creating unique pillows using silk, velvet and upholstery fabrics. I have incorporated silk ties into many of my pillow designs making them one of a kind. Pillows provide a sense of comfort and warmth in a home and add greatly to any décor. This is why I love making them. My pillows have been sold through pillow parties, markets and at retail stores primarily in the Bay Area. This is my first showing in Victoria.

Born in Burnaby in 1976, Vincent's early artistic efforts revealed a strong natural talent and creative inclination. Early projects included illustrations in pen and coloured pencil as well as a multitude of 3D projects in a wide variety of media including plasticene, casting in metal, carving of soapstone, and especially sculptural clay. Because of it's long tradition for functional objects, Vince feels that clay is the ideal medium for creating accessible art pieces, things people can use and admire on a daily basis. With this in mind, five years ago Vince enrolled in a local pottery course to learn the basics, following which he set up his home studio and began experimenting. Because he knew the medium, it was not long before he was combining vessels with sculptural elements to create what might be called functional art. " My hope is to create pieces that people will want to touch and hold, and that will find a place in their everyday lives." You can view Vincent's work at Moss St. Market or at his home studio by appointment.

This year the artists open their studio to premiere new work in sculptural paper and multi media painting. From the figure and landscapes of New York City and rural Ireland, Miles Lowry investigates places both intimate and grand. David Ferguson's paintings resonate with intricate surfaces and sculptural dimensions finding affinities with the body and nature. A feast for the heart and mind.

Gordon Friesen is an accomplished graphic designer, fine artist, and story board illustrator. Locally, he is known for his illustrations pertaining to the history of beacon hill park and, most recently, his aerial view of Victoria, pre-European contact. Go to www.fairfieldcommunity.ca/ (special projects) for a preview. His current works, done in relief, portray bold graphic impressions of a culturally modified coast. This new work and other surprises will be on display at Gordon's studio at 1240 May Street.

"Tactile" is the word most used to describe Bentley's work. There's something about it that just makes you want to touch it. He has coupled his sculpted, Venetian plaster medium with his Representational Abstraction style and applied that filter to many scenes close to home for this latest series. If painting is his joy- photography is his passion. Both mediums will be on display featuring new beginnings, awakenings, blossomings right through to decay- attributes of the seasons of our lives.

Abstract Landscape...
Karen is privileged to be a born and bred Victorian, and it is the influence of this breathtaking city that informs her work. It was in her early childhood years that Karen discovered the world of art. She has worked with various types of media and explored many different artistic paths in the journey to her current abstract style. Soft pastels took the place of acrylics, watercolours, and pen and ink in the summer of 2002. Karen plans to continue reproducing her vision of Victoria's eclectic landscapes in her unique and inspired style. Look for her interpretations of oceans, flowers, mountains, and rivers, and especially her favourite subject matter: trees. Having recently moved into Fairfield, this is Karen's first on the Fairfield Tour.

Monique Haze was born in Paris, France and emigrated to Canada as a young teenager. She has lived in Montreal, Ottawa, Northern Ontario and Ithaca, NY. She has travelled extensively in Europe, South America, Mexico and the US. She returns to France about once a year where she has family ties.

After a career in education, she took early retirement and moved to Victoria, BC with her husband, where she has lived since 1995, enjoying the inspiring natural beauty around her.

Rachel Hellner was born in London, England and graduated from Saint Martins School of Art in 1991 with a B.A. Honours in Fine Art
(Painting). Since 1993, she has lived in Victoria, BC. Rachel completed her Masters in Art Education in 2005 and is currently a Sessional Instructor at the University of Victoria, teaching undergraduate courses in Painting, Drawing, Design, Image Development and Art for the Elementary Classroom. She is also a studio member of "Xchanges", Canada's oldest artists' co-operative.

Rachel's work is predominantly a response to her environment. Her imagery is a metaphor for relationships between us and our surroundings: people and places. She works by mixing acrylics, oil pastels and graphite – an unusual combination but one that she finds works well for the type of mark-making she produces. Her work is richly layered and often translucent, especially when working on Mylar. Drawing from the figure, a slight departure from her larger works, is something she finds peaceful and satisfying.

Valerie has always appreciated fine fabric, design and detailed finishing. As a partner for a few years’ in Oak Bay’s Avenue China and Chintz store she created quality home accessories for the shop. She also designs custom home accents for private clients.

A recent visit to Montreal gave access to fabulous Italian silk and cashmere fabrics and the idea for Sew Unique Designs was born.. Fashion accessories now complement the home accent line. The Italian fabrics have a beautiful hand and lend themselves to scarves and shawls that feel wonderful to the skin. The classic black cashmere is well suited to men and well as women. Home accents from Sew Unique Designs feature fine cushions, elegant tea cozies and table runners.

Valerie has exhibited at several shows and is busy establishing a home studio in Fairfield. She has also donated items for auction at the Victoria Art Gallery. The emphasis is always on fine fabric combinations, design and finishing.

I began my art training in Design Arts at Grant MacEwan College, Edmonton, Alberta, and have taken numerous painting and drawing courses in Toronto, San Francisco and Victoria. My work has been featured on the covers of national and international literary journals and book covers. Other awards include the Myfanwy Pavelic Best in Show Award at Sooke Fine Arts and a featured artist in the Winsor & Newton North American Artist's Materials Competition, Limited Edition Calendar. My work is in the collections of the Canada Council and British Columbia Art Banks, and I was awarded a British Columbia Arts Council Award.

Roy Mercer is a fourth generation Victorian who has been interested in art and music since childhood. Art has been his chosen profession for the last 40 years and music is still very much another creative outlet as a hobby.

Roy was a student of Allan Edwards in 1961 - 1963 at the Art League of Victoria, majoring in Industrial Design. While there, he was taught watercolour techniques by Allan who was a master of the medium.

Roy attended the four year art program at The Art Center College of Design in Los Angeles between 1963 - 1967. He majored in Industrial Design and minored in Graphic Design. After graduation, he worked in Los Angeles for two years as a package designer and then moved to Vancouver and worked for ten years in various art agencies as a graphic artist. In 1979, Roy moved back to Victoria and worked for Alston Graphics and TTC, two local design agencies in Victoria.

In 1983, Roy put together his first one man show which took place right next door to Eye For Art Custom Picture Framing, at what was then The Uptown Gallery.
Roy has been freelancing as a graphic designer and architectural illustrator since 1984 with his company, New Moon Design Studio, situated in Fairfield. He is now focusing on his fine art.
Recently, Roy has been concentrating on commissioned pet portraits. He somehow manages to capture the intelligence and beauty of these lovely creatures.

Many of his paintings (not all ) contain humour and a slight tonguein- cheek attitude with a hint of erotica and wonderful catchy titles to make us all look at ourselves in a way no other species on this planet can appreciate.

Brian Moreau is a Victoria artist painter represented in hundreds of private and corporate collections throughout Canada, the USA, Indonensia and Australia. Art is inarticulate speech of the heart, a spiritual communication that few understand or speak of care about. I am not painting an object, I am attempting to paint a vibration. My art is a work of fiction, and of imagination, even though it "appears" representational. I primarily paint with acrylics.

I was born in New York City and learned to snap my fingers in Greenwich Village when Bob Dylan was still Bobby Zimmerman. I began college at Bryn Mawr but dropped out to marry a Hollywood actor and ended up in London determined to start a restaurant which resulted in an eleven year sojourn in the Slocan Valley in British Columbia in a log cabin without running water in the winter. The weather is better in Victoria where I have lived for some time most happily with my partner Martin Hykin while no longer being a practicing weaver or an academic or a coffeeshop owner or an organic farmer or a even a poet, although at 3 AM almost anything seems possible. Please come see my beautiful brand new studio where there will be examples of several artists who have been part of an amazing visual journal group called Moneve. Thank you!

Steven Murray,an artist of multiple gifts. He is a painter, poet, songwriter and musician. A prolific and exuberant painter, experimenting with colour as energy and movement, Steven Murray is largely self-taught. He has taken his passion for life and imbued his paintings with it. His provocative series incorporating the mandala is captiyating. Since the time of his debut exhibit with mentor Chin Shek Lam, at the Hett Gallery, Edmonton, Alberta in the early 1980`s. and subsequent inclusion at Expo '85 in Tsukuba,Japan; his work has been sought after by a number of private collectors. A longtime resident of Victoria,B.C., Steven Murray is a person of deep soul and character. He is engaging and refreshing.

The Canadian Prairies were my childhood home. Painting, my first love, developed while working for a BA in art and psychology in the US. After teaching elementary school art, I worked as an art therapist in Britain. My interest in photography began while living on the tiny Island of lona in the Hebrides. The main theme was archetypal human forms revealed in close-ups of unusual rock formations. The work was shown on the islands and in Glasgow. Returning to Canada, I learned photoshop and began to work with layers of photographs, monoprints, rubbings etc. I create visual essays with a series of images to develop an idea. My work has been exhibited in group and solo shows on Vancouver Island and the Mainland.

Dorset Norwich-Young studied at the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design, graduating with honours in 1975. While there, she flirted with printmaking, photography, and ceramics but painting was always her greatest love. Dorset’s paintings, whatever the subject, are renowned for their energy, vitality and vibrant colours.

An internationally collected, award winning professional for 25 years, Dorset has painted for many years in oils and watercolours and has recently developed a passion for acrylics, capturing the deep-hued colours of West Coast sea and landscapes.

Mary-Nona Priestman has kept her work fresh by studying at the Victoria College of Art, The Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, The University of Victoria, The Emily Carr College of Art and Design, The University of British Columbia, and the Langara Community College. She is indebted to her patron and benefactor George Barret Priestman (1933-1991).

Inga Pungente lives and paints in Fairfield, the home of the Moss Street Market of Greater Victoria. Her love of nature began in Thunder Bay where she was born and raised. With the encouragement of her sister, Inga attended a beginner’s watercolour class in the early 1990’s. She was hooked, and pursued her desire to paint by attending several Chinese Brush Painting workshops. From this style of painting and the brush stroke techniques she has developed her own fluid style of painting from nature; mostly flowers, birds and animals. Inga offers art card and brush painting workshops up and down Vancouver Island and her work has been widely purchased from around the world.