Romance is in the air at local studios and galleries.
Oak Bay artist Phyllis Serota hosts a Valentine’s Day show and sale in her home studio. Visit from 1 to 5 p.m. at 2424 Hamiota St., where wine and hors-d’oeuvres will be served. For information, call 250-385-6933 or visit online at phyllisserota.com.
At Red Art Gallery, artist Marion Evamy is supporting the United Way of Victoria with a series of original paintings created for the Raise the Red campaign. Half of the proceeds from the series will go to the campaign, in addition to 10 per cent of gallery sales through the month of February.
“We jumped at the opportunity to extend our support by way of sharing our passion and talents,” Evamy says. “The symbolism of these hand-painted prints produced especially for the campaign is evident: they are all the same – roses in vases – yet each vase is different in pattern and colour. They are all vessels, yet each vessel has a different outer shell. The outer shell ‘differentiates’ the vessel, but the contents are the same. Roses are symbols of balance, promise, new beginnings and hope. The colour red is the colour of energy, passion and action. It excites the emotions and motivates us to take action.”
Two sizes of paintings are available, 10-inch square and 14-by-11-inch, selling for $395 and $495 respectively. All works are mounted, varnished and framed. Learn more at redartgallery.ca
The Oak Bay Art Club, one of the oldest on Vancouver Island with roots reaching back to the Second World War, shows All you Need is heART, an art show and sale running through Feb. 24 at Goward House, in Cadboro Bay. The non-profit organization boasts about 45 members who cover a wide range of interests and media.
View the paintings weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. or preview the exhibit online at gowardhouse.com/artshow.
From Feb. 13 to 25, West End Gallery welcomes The Art of Romance featuring Oak Bay artist Elka Nowicka’s series of floral paintings that will outlast any fresh bouquet. Alongside Nowicka, Alain Bédard captures romance in cozy café tables set for two, while Grant Leier gets straight to the point with A Crazy Little Thing Called Love. Red roses are always a classic for Valentine’s Day and Gabryel Harrison’s are exquisitely painted, while Paul Jorgensen and Dana Irving’s new paintings capture cherished West Coast landscapes with enticing colours. Lovers can take heart in Tammy Hudgeon’s Love in Flight, an intricate fused glass sculpture that radiates joy and happiness, or enjoy Dulce Alba Lindeza’s beautiful selection of Haute Couture Wearable .950 Silver.
On the Avenue, Eclectic Gallery continues its Winter Salon exhibit featuring refreshing new work by more than a dozen gallery artists. The show continues through Feb. 27. Nearby, Avenue Gallery welcomes an exhibit of new work by Nanaimo painter Rob Elphinstone through Feb. 17 followed by new works by abstract artist Patty Ripley, showing at the gallery Feb. 17 to 24.
Through Feb. 27, Oak Bay’s Winchester Gallery presents Sandra Meigs: What Is the Mind of the Mystic. Through the exhibit, “a certain strangeness encompasses me, but at the same time, a familiarity,” reflects the artist, who has created vivid, enigmatic paintings that combine dense narratives with comic elements for 35 years. Her works gradually reveal layers of meaning, giving viewers insight into psychological spaces and philosophical ideas, the gallery says.
Joining Meigs at the gallery is Prairie Landscapes, featuring painters Dorothy Knowles and Terry Fenton, whose work was last shown together in 1970 in Regina, and a feature exhibition of works by English-born Canadian painter and woodcutter Walter J. Phillips (1984 - 1963), who popularized colour woodcut in the style of the Japanese. This exhibition includes many of the artist’s small, best-loved woodcuts and some watercolours.