The Fraser Valley Watercolour Societyís putting on a new show this fall at Abbotsford’s Kariton Art Gallery, and it’s designed to stir up feelings. Society co-president Carol Portree said their ‘In The Mood’ theme means each piece, whether in traditional watercolour paintings or more experimental mixed-media efforts, was created along the lines of a particular theme.
“The paintings, or the titles of the paintings, have to reflect some sort of emotions,” she said.
Don’t expect all the works to be similar, though. Portree said the group’s members took that theme and ran with it in vastly different directions, so there are plenty of different emotions studied. Even the paintings’ subjects are notably diverse.
“There’s a penguin in one and a teapot in another,” Portree said. “It’s a very wide range.”
Portree said thatís highly desirable, as it fits with the group’s focus on allowing its members to explore their own creativity.
“We try to have a unifying theme, but we donít want to restrict the artists,” she said.
The theme itself came from group discussions.
“Itís all brainstorming from the members,” Portree said.
The group has about 50 members overall and 20 active members at the moment, and they regularly get together to work on their paintings.
“We meet every week,” Portree said. “We paint and we discuss things.”
There will be 15 artists and around 30 paintings represented in the show, which will run from Sept. 14 to Oct. 30. Portree said there’s a special opening reception taking place on Sunday, Sept. 16 from 1 to 4 p.m., and people are invited to come out, meet the artists and take a look at the paintings.
“The artists will be present and there will be refreshments,” she said.
She said the group’s excited to be doing another show at the Kariton gallery, as they have a strong history there.
“Kariton is a unique place,” Portree said. “It’s an old house that’s been renovated into an art gallery. It’s got a soft spot in our hearts. We always look forward to showing there.”
Portree said the gallery’s location in Mill Lake Park makes it a highly-desirable venue to exhibit at.
“You get a lot of walk-by traffic,” she said.
A two-month exhibit like this is somewhat unusual for the group, but then, they’re always about trying new things. Their spring show this year only displayed new work, while the show they just wrapped up at the Surrey Art Gallery focused on blending different colours. More information about the group and samples of their paintings can be found on their website, http://www.fvwatercolours.com, but Portree said their overarching feature is how they regularly get together, collaborate and help develop each other’s talent. “We’re one of the unique groups in the valley.”