Colleen Hammond Allison works in pastel, watercolour and acrylic.  Her primary medium is watercolour, the translucent and luminous qualities of which capture the essence of light. 

Her childhood was enriched by creating in the shadow of well-known Victoria artists: Herbert Seibner, Michael Morris, Ricky Ciccimarra and Karl Spreitz; followed by a variety of employment using creative design skills that inform her painting.  Peer and Faculty recognition came in the form of Faculty Award for top student, and two Purchase Awards during formal studies at Malaspina College. She has also studied watercolour painting with Cim McDonald, Leslie Redhead, as well as Chinese painting with Andy Lou.

After more than a decade of living on lighthouses on the central coast of British Columbia Colleen is inspired by neighbourhoods, the rich history of architecture in Victoria, and the astounding flowers and gardens that Victorians enjoy.

Robert Amos has been painting Victoria since 1975. One of Victoria’s best-known painters, he specialized in commissioned pictures of homes and gardens. Five of his books about Victoria have been published and, since 1986, he has written a weekly column On Art in the Victoria Times Colonist. Robert and his wife, artist Sarah Amos, invite you to their home and gallery near the Cook Street Village, open by appointment.

Sarah Amos is known for her fine drawings, charming watercolours and elegant oil paintings. Amos studied drawing with Eric Metcalfe at The Western Front, and otherwise is largely self-taught. Her 30-year career has included ehibits in Japan and throughout south Vancouver Island. Recently her delicious recipes, matched with a selection of her artworks, were published as Sarah’s Tea Time (TouchWood Editions, 2008).

I began painting in acrylics about ten years ago, after becoming medically disabled. My photography is a large part of my art; I have produced a series of paintings based on the patterns of veins in leaves. I digitize the photograph and distort it until it becomes the reference for a 2' X 3' canvas bordering on abstraction.

In a more realistic style, I paint landscapes, still lifes and house portraits – both from my photographs and on-site work. My web site has samples of my pen-and-inks and coloured-pencil drawings, photography and acrylic paintings, and pages from my travel journal.

Jesi Keane Barron Born Montreal, Quebec. Attended  art classes at the museum run by Arthur Lismer,  Moved to Victoria B.C cotinued her interest in the arts. She was involved in  Victoria Theatre Guild designing clothes for plays.  Later she went to the Vancouver school of art 1962-4. Attended many  workshops. She loves to draw and paint in many mediums She looks to the light and nature for inspiration.

 A Brief List of Shows: Painted and exhibited in  Toronto, Deep River, Naniamo, Vancouver, Victoria, Parksville Qualicum. Emily Carr Gallery show, Victoria, 1974. The Little Gallery and Crystal Gallery 1978 Member of the F.C.A.1979 Show at the Victoria Art Gallery part of art rental, program 1978.. Old School House show1991 Nanaimo Madrona Art Centre show 1992. Owned and operated Coombs art Gallery from1987-96.tudioFive Qualicum Beach 1996-97 Group show at the Old School House Qualicum 1997. Moved toVictoria 2000. What she enjoys most is painting outdoors by the sea. Presently member EL Frescos Plein Air, Victoria, BC.

"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.

Fairfield Artists Studio Tour visitors welcome! Enjoy Barbara and Victor's bright and charming studio in Fairfield.

Throughout their studio, visitors can enjoy Barbara's paintings, prints and greeting cards from her signature Victoria Neighbourhood Series and Victor Bosson's/ArtLife's delightfully offbeat digital paintings and art tiles. Have a first hand look at Barbara Weaver-Bosson's new neighbourhood painting in progress - a View of Gonzales Bay and Fairfield. This new acrylic painting features a complex rooftop view of Gonzales Bay houses, beachfront, Cresent Road, Hollywood Cresent, Clover Point, Dallas Road, Moss Rock and other Fairfield areas.

Barbara Weaver-Bosson is a graduate of The Alberta College of Art and Design. As a Fairfield resident for 29 years, Barbara has devoted over 24 years to creating an unique and detailed vision of Victoria's urban landscape. Weaver-Bosson's award winning paintings capture the details of everyday life in many of her favourite character neighbourhoods.

Being well known nationally and in Japan for her vivid architectural paintings and prints, has garnered Barbara coverage in newspaper and magazine articles and many appearances on radio and television programs. Many months and hours go into her detailed expansive rooftop views. As Victoria's urban landscape evolves and changes, Weaver-Bosson's Neighbourhood Series paintings will be unique visual records of the character and charm of one of Canada's beautiful cities.

Weaver-Bosson's paintings are in corporate and private collections in Canada, USA, Japan, UK, and Australia.

To be added to Bosson,Weaver-Bosson's Art Show Mailing List please email your request to e-studio@shaw.ca
For an appointment and studio visit prior or after the tour, please call or email Barbara and Victor

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

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.

Bosson’s distinctive style made him the artist of choice to illustrate Laura Langston's children's books THE MAGIC EAR and THE FOX'S KETTLE (Orca Book Publishers, Victoria, Canada). Both THE MAGIC EAR and THE FOX'S KETTLE received Alcuin Society awards for Design Excellence and in 1998 THE FOX'S KETTLE was nominated for The Governor-General's Award for Children's Book Illustration.

Under the name ArtLife Victor Bosson 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.

To be added to Bosson, Weaver-Bosson's ART SHOW MAILING LIST: Please email your request to e-studio@shaw.ca

Marilyn steps inside the landscape to represent nature abstractly and organically with all its intricacies.  She paints mainly in acrylics with a fluid, layering style.  The paintings are a series of westcoast tributes to the free flowing, complex life systems of our oceans and rainforests:  scrolling foliage, swirling textures, weathered patterns, repetitive raindrops.  Her latest works include a series of watercolours depicting the impact of industry on our coastal environment.  Marilyn recently moved to Victoria from Miracle Beach.  She has been painting for many years and studied with Ken Lochhead and Ivan Eyre at the University of Manitoba, School of Art.

Linda’s textured paintings generally begin as a collage, to which she adds acrylic paint, acrylic mediums and found materials. An encaustic method of melted beeswax, is then applied and reheated to fuse the work into a smooth finish.  Her powerful symbolic images and landscapes communicate timelessness and peace. 

This is her fifth year on the Fairfield Artist Studio Tour.

When I first began painting I was interested in exploring the still life — that structured relationship between orderly, man-made objects and the organic shapes of nature.  As I gained confidence, I became interested in painting denser and somewhat more abstracted ‘gardenscapes’. It was only when I turned to the subject of chairs, to help fund a research chair in women’s mental health, that I began to realize that subject matter is a bit of a red herring and that really painting is simply a way to try to explain and understand the world using colour and shape. My most recent show, at the Linda Lando Gallery in Vancouver, had as its theme a focus on ‘place’ --  specifically, the home in which I grew up.  Initially I began with a sort of psychological mapping of the landscape, using memory to create ‘aerial views’ of the property. Eventually I ‘moved indoors’ to consider individual rooms and objects that had meaning to me. It was a moving but ultimately liberating process and a revelation that the actual act of painting can be so potent.. My current paintings are again focussing on the natural world but this time using a variety of materials -- acrylics, oil sticks, monotypes, etc. Using these various materials has made me realize just how interested I am in the process of painting. Sharing a studio with my friend and fellow painter Louise Oborne, whose process is totally different from mine, has made me realize that the push and pull of paint, as much as the push and pull of subject matter, is what leads us all to a better understanding of the subjects we are trying to comprehend. We welcome you to our studio.

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.

David Ferguson is a contemporary artist working in dance, film, and new media. He is a Founding Artistic co-Director of Suddenly Dance Theatre Society in Victoria, B.C. (1992-present). His sculptural paintings have been exhibited at the Nanaimo Art Gallery, Open Space, Sooke Fine Arts Show, and at the Royal Canadian Academy's ARTS2000 show.

Miles Lowry has been exhibiting paintings and sculptures in solo and group exhibitions since 1981. He is also known as a writer, photographer, composer and theatrical designer, and is an Artistic Co-Director for Suddenly Dance Theatre in Victoria. His latest book Blood Orange is based on the life of writer Paul Bowles.

Gordon has, over 18 years on May Street, created and expansive array of visual art. On display for the month of April are wall reliefs, lino cuts, photo collage, and interpretive work including a 4X8 ft. painting of pre-European contact Victoria.  His recent work  features 17 new paintings which reflect graphic impressions of B.C.'s wild north coast.

Born and raised in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Karen currently resides in the Fairfield area. She is a self-taught artist and has been painting since the age of eleven. Karen is inspired by Canada's Lauren Harris, A.J. Casson, and most prominently Emily Carr. Karen and Emily both share a love of trees and a passion to paint them. As an abstract artist, Karen's work reflects the natural landscape reproduced into its simplest form. Karen's work has rhythm and spirit ~ it is calming to the soul.

Monique Haze was born in Paris, France and emigrated to Canada as a teenager.  She has travelled extensively throughout Canada, Europe, South America, Mexico and the US.  After a career in education, she moved with her husband to Victoria, BC, where she has lived since 1995 enjoying the natural beauty around her.

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.

I work in the world of mixed media, assembling images out of acrylics, bits of paper and pieces of text.  I began my exploration of visual arts as a card maker and have gradually increased the size of my pieces over the last 10 years.  I am driven  by colour and drawn to the mixture of image and text.  My work is tied very closely with my Buddhist practice so there is a strong Asian influence with lots of Buddha images, some abstracts, and some purely fun collage work.  I am interested in simplicity and the integration of life and art into one whole.  My aim is to create pieces that bring serenity, tranquility and life to the spaces they inhabit.  One of the great mysteries of life is that I never know where that blank canvas will lead.  I have learned  that everything has a life of its own!  This summer one of my small works will appear in Tricycle Magazine.

This is Rosalie’s first studio tour in Fairfield. She has a BFA in visual Arts from NSCAD. Rosalie has sold work privately across Canada and in the USA. Her most recent show Tossed Ashore in a Spring Tide, in March 2009 at Collective Works Gallery, consisted of pastel drawing of seaweed and beach debris that incorporate a rich play of texture and colour; evoking a sense of wonder of smaller things in the natural world around us. Rosalie also works in encaustic and oil. A selection of work from all three mediums will be on display. Rosalie is a member of Collective works Gallery and a participant in the Exhibitionist Art Group.

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 45 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 and has since had many more over the past 25 years.

Roy has been freelancing as a graphic designer and architectural illustrator since 1984 with his company, New Moon Design Studio, situated in Fairfield, Victoria, British Columbia. He is now focusing on his fine art.

Recently, Roy has been concentrating on commissioned pet portraits over the last three years. His love for animals shows up in his paintings along with his wonderful ability to capture the intelligence and beauty of these lovely creatures.

Many of his other paintings (not all ) contain humour and a slight tongue-in-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.
Roy is showing for the second time his new series of black and white and duotone prints on this tour which is very different from his other work being displayed. Hope you like it 'cause I had fun doing it!

I typically work through a theme, varying my style to the theme. I paint both realistically and abstractly. My current work can be described as autobiographical abstracts.

Paintings are textured with a range of materials from paint, papers, photos, to metal. My work has been shown in various galleries in Victoria and Vancouver. My work has been shown in various galleries in Victoria and Vancouver and in numerous juried shows.

The main focus of my abstract work is an exploration of atmospherics. Particularly drawn to the natural world, I have an affinity for water/fog/light/shadow/cloud, and these elements often inform my paintings and monotypes. Most pieces are meditations on some type of interaction between earth and sky, water and land, light and air, or natural and urban forms. Working with Katherine has brought me many gifts, not the least of which is insight into another’s process and the courage to trust in one’s own.

My love of nature began in Thunder Bay Ontario, where I was born and raised...however my desire to paint only started in the early "90's, when I persuded my dream, and attended a watercolor class, and then it began! Since then I have attended many watercolor classes, as well as Chinese Brush Painting and Acrylic classes and workshops, and from these many techniques, I have developed my own style of painting, mostly nature.  Some of my paintings and cards have gone overseas, and in the Spring I delightfully join in the "Fairfield Artists Studio Tour".

I work through the year to document the natural world around me.  I have always had an affinity for the often overlooked plants discovered on the wayside, down a lane or in a vacant lot.  I  think of my drawings of plants, fruits and vegetables as portraits and  focus on revealing the character of each subject.  My drawings are done in graphite and watercolour from life.

I was a successful  jewelery designer and goldsmith in Vancouver before deciding to move out of the city.  I bought 2 acres on Salt Spring Island, lived in a tent and built my own cabin, where I lived for 11 years. I am a self-taught artist and began my exploration of various materials, techniques and disciplines during this time. I worked with chalk and oil pastel, watercolour, clay and soapstone sculpture and silk painting.

I traveled first to Mexico in 1993, rented an apartment in San Miguel de Allende for 7 months and painted with other artists there. I fell in love with the culture of Mexico and decided to return in 2000, to be a human rights observer for the indigenous people in Chiapas.

Upon returning to Victoria, I took up oil painting for the first time. I fell in love with this rich, forgiving and luminous medium. I teach classes from my home studio. They are small and supportive with lots of practical information for the Absolute Beginner. Please feel free to contact me if you are interested in paintings or classes.

Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Dawn Joy is a self-taught artist who never thought she could draw.  Discovering her inner artist later in life, she likes to innovate and use her imagination working in acrylic, digital, paper collage, and mixed media.  In 2006, she completed a colourful, life-affirming Spirit Bear commission for the B.C. Lions Club Society.  Dawn Joy is an juried active member, and shows with the Federation of Canadian Artists (FCA), the Island Illustrators Society (IIS), and at the Moss St. Paint-In.

Education: B.A. from UBC; MFA in painting, lithography, Mexico; Pilchuck Glass School, USA sixteen summer sessions.

Public and Corporate Collections: Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Department of External Affairs,Ottawa; Ontario Crafts Council Collection; Seafirst Bank, Seattle.

Scholarships and Awards:B.C. Government Scholarship to study in Mexico; World Glass Survey, Corning, New York; Purchase Award- Department of External Affairs; Three times nominated for the Corning Prize; Travel Grant - South East AsiaExplored themes: Past Cultures, Earth energies, Mythology, Buddhism, Lost Knowledge, Nature Themes -especially WATER.

Exhibitions: First one- Seattle Art Museum 1975. Last one-will be at Winchester Gallery Oct.4-24, 2009

Recent Work: Combines blowing and sandcasting glass. The work is a result of the teamwork and skill of glass artists Jay Macdonell, Michael Hofmann, Darren Carley, Mark Roth and special assistant Peter Breen at David Calles' Miramontes Artworks Studio. See us in action on the website bcwomensart.ca soon.

Born in New Westminster in 1953, Linda Jane studied drawing, painting, printmaking and sculpture in Vancouver and Victoria through colleges, art schools and private classes with established artists. In 1989 she made a commitment to her art, which led to the creation of her first body of work and it’s subsequent exhibition in Victoria. Since that time she has painted and exhibited steadily, working in oils, acrylics, collage and assemblage.

Linda Jane has participated in many group exhibitions, mounted solo shows in public and private venues, and has had gallery representation in Vancouver and Victoria.
From 1997 until late 2007, she lived on Hornby Island, becoming an active member of the arts community, mounting annual solo shows at the Hornby Hall and at Arbutus Arts Gallery, participating in various group shows and auctions, and opening her studio to the public in the summer.

Now living in Victoria, Linda Jane continues to create local land and skyscapes, incorporating the textures and movement of her “white” or “wind” paintings. She’s also continuing with her series of Bee paintings, as well as ongoing explorations in collage and assemblage.

“In all my work, I’m seeking to share my perception and experience of the natural world as alive, mysterious, and articulate.”

Recent work can be seen at Collective Works Gallery in Fernwood, the Gallery at Mattick’s Farm, and the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria in the Art Rental and Sales Department.

Nancy Slaght  is still content after 22 years living and working in her Victoria home and studio by the sea.  She is enamoured by soft pastels and holds the pure and intensely coloured sticks between her fingers caressing the surface of the paper.  She is intent on her search for metaphor often producing fanciful or odd notions of pairings for her paintings.

A graduate of Victoria College of Art: VCA & Associate Diploma, Slaght has also studied in England, Italy and Switzerland.  An inspiring teacher, Nancy has taught in Japan and Canada: Canmore, Red Deer, Victoria, Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands. 

Elizabeth’s (Betsy) portfolio includes a background of teaching and exhibiting on the Vancouver lower mainland and Vancouver Island, British Columbia. For many years she taught creative writing, painting and drawing at the Shadbolt Art Centre, formerly the Burnaby Art Centre, Burnaby and at Place des Arts in Coquitlam as well as Malaspina College, Parksville, The Old School House, Qualicum Beach and North Island College in Comox. Her art exhibits include: Place des Arts, Coquitlam, Seymour Art Gallery, North Vancouver, Klee Wyck Gallery, West Vancouver, New Westminister Library, New Westminister and her work has been represented by Sharli Gallery in North Vancouver, Michelle Frost Gallery in Oak Bay and Gallery 1248 in Victoria.

Presently she is a member of the Collective Works Artist Association, The League of Canadian Poets, The Writer’s Federation, The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, The Victoria Arts Connection, The Nanaimo Art Gallery, The Community Arts Council of Greater Victoria, The Fairfield Art Association.

Multi-exposure 35 mm film photography of ogden point, beacon hill, the christmas truck light parade, the moss st paint in, and found poetry. As with anything in life, multiple exposures create multiple perspectives and lots of colour. No computers were used in the making of these photographs.
 
A self-described 'Architect of the Intangible,' Adam enjoys building things outside of the physical world - from poems to databases to photographs. Adam has lived in the Fairfield / James Bay area for the past 3 years, and published a chapbook of poems called 'James Bay Is A Warm Blanket' in 2008. More of Adam's photographs can be seen at Fisherman's Wharf in the Moka House Shoal Point during the month of April.

Sandy Voldeng, who many would say has always been an artist, began sculpting in 2001. Creating life figues primarily from clay, Sandy is driven to explore the reallms of emotion, in all its infinite nuance of expression. Working in her garden studio, Sandy continually draws inspiration from all she experiences, from friends and family, to cultural events and travel, to the art and culture af Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Sandy has lived in Victoria since 1993

I try to bring to my mixed media and photography the same elements of colour, texture and design that are important to me in my job as a Garden Designer.

Lately, I have been working with encaustic medium.  The ability to add, texturize and scrape away wax results in pieces that have depth and luminosity.

My mixed media work enables me to use my photographs, found or hand finished papers and even detritus from my garden.

Meanwhile, my photography has also undergone a shift.  While starting with impressionistic, almost abstract, close-up photos, I am now excited about recording the urban neighbourhood in transition.  For example, I have a series of photos of walls in Portland, all of which are now gone two years after starting the series.  This is not a record of what was as much as a statement on the ongoing homogenization of our culture. 

Please enjoy the Studio Tour.  I look forward to meeting you.

Matthew Wolferstan’s representational watercolours are mainly of local scenes familiar to any who know and love Victoria, and/or B.C.’s coastal waters. Born and raised in Victoria, Wolferstan gives an “insider’s” look at the area, through his paintings. His watercolours are very precise, with close attention to detail, while still maintaining a feel for the subject and overall mood of the piece. Mostly self-taught, Wolferstan’s formal training includes one year at Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design in Vancouver, and one week in Italy with British watercolourist Alan Reed.

Pamela Wootton was born in 1951 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.  When she was in the first grade. she made a collage in such detail that her teacher told her mother she noticed everything.  This talent was put to a good use, although not an artistic one, when Pamela later worked as a probation officer.

Pamela began doing arts and crafts when she was 12 years old, eventually turning primarily to quilting.  In 1994, she began drawing and painting in watercolor.  Having come from quilting, it never occurred to her to work small and she began immediately using full sheets of paper.  In 2002, the quest for a wet look for beach paintings started her on acylics.  Landscapes resulted in soft pastels, and in 2007, she began sculpting with papier mache.

Although primarily self-taught, she supplemented independent study with courses at the University of Victoria, Camosun College (Victoria) and the Vancouver Island School of Art.  Her two dimensional work has been described as dreamy and contemplative.  “Iris” was well-received by an art critic who commented on the “delicate almost Japanese aesthetic”.