Opening Night at the Roundhouse- Full House!

Some photos of the art now beautifully set up at the Roundhouse Gallery in Yaletown Vancouver for the Artists in Our Midst Opening night art show as well as photos of the fantastic opening night reception where (rumor has it) the Vancouver Sun arts reporter dropped by!

The show runs until at the Roundhouse until Friday and then moves into Open Studios all over the West side of Vancouver for the weekend Click here for Details.

If you missed the big event, enjoy a glimpse of the party on youtube...click here to watch.























Setting up for the big event!

Yesterday morning I had the pleasure of meeting with the set up crew of Artists in Our Midst downtown Yaletown at the beautiful Roundhouse Community Center to help set up for our big event that opens TODAY at 11 am. Event Details Click Here. You are welcome, Admission is free.

I had such a great time helping set up that I wanted to share with you the 'behind the scenes process' of setting up for a big show like this through photos and a few comments.

The thought, time, organization, and energy that it has taken to put this show together is incredible. But behind all the hammers, nails, sweat, and magnificent paintings are some of the most amazing hard working high integrity fun loving artists I have ever had the chance to work with. I feel very blessed to part of this group and participating in this show.

Yesterday, while setting up, I had such a feeling of being a part of something great, being a part of a group of fantastic people. I felt belonging, appreciation, and a sense of fun in the process.

I will be working at the Reception Desk today from 2 - 5 pm, come by and say hello. then at 7 PM the booze will flow and the opening night party begins... See you there.


The beautiful red brick Roundhouse community Center is in the heart of Yaletown right on the water. You could not imagine a more beautiful building and setting.

Maria helps put signs up!

Busy bees working, working putting up art, organizing artists, getting art up on the panels...

Deborah Bakos - our wonderful curator and fearless leader moves some beautiful abstract pieces to make the presentation just right. The caliber of art coming in blew me away. It will be a feast for the eyes to see this final show!!!

A little to the right, Deb (!!)

Great tool box.

Getting name tags to the right art. Labels look fantastic.

Shelly Freeman's stunning abstract piece. I am in loooove with the colours here. Great work Shelly!

Art being placed ready for hanging.

Manola finding that perfect place for her glass piece. This art pieces is A-Must-See. Look for the trees!!!


Barry, our AIOM president making sure everything is running smoothly
!


Setting up and enjoying the process.

More art awaits to be hung.



60 Artists name tags ready to go. First name matched with last name and all alphabetized.
Go team!
The ceiling are so high at the Roundhouse Gallery... They brought in these cool elevator type machines so we could hang art from up high. way cool.

Eva, smiling away, taking care of paperwork, labels and lists. Check out her 3 framed photographs on display....The third piece is very moving.....Look for the barbed wire.

Looking gorgeous girls!
See you all tonight!

You're invited to AIOM's Roundhouse Exhibit and Open Studios


This is your invitation to Artists in Our Midst's Opening Night Reception at the Roundhouse Thursday April 28, 7 -10pm in Yaletown.

Join us as we celebrate the work of over 60 local artists at the launch of this vibrant four-day event dedicated to promoting visual art in Vancouver.

2 day Art Exhibit + 2 days of Open Studios & Artist Galleries...


THE ROUNDHOUSE EXHIBIT
Thursday, April 28
Public viewing: 11am - 10pm
Opening Reception: 7pm - 10pm

Friday April 29
Public Viewing: 11am - 9pm

Roundhouse map

The Roundhouse in Yaletown
at the corner of Davie and Pacific
604.713.1800


www.roundhouse.ca.
Transit use Roundhouse stop on Canada Line. Underground pay parking is available (access off Drake) flat fee after 6pm.

Deb Chaney and Lisa Penz: Open Studio Saturday April 30 & Sunday May 1st

3275 West 24th Avenue, Vancouver, BC, V6L 1R8 Studio (604) 736-5111 info@debchaney.com



more details about the Open Studio at: http://www.debchaney.com/debchaney/Events_%26_News.html


Admission is free to all events
For more information, check out AIOM's website at:


Featured Artist of the Month for Artist in Our Midsts

Artists in Our Midsts Featured Artist of the Month – Deb Chaney, Contemporary Abstract Artist

Here is the unedited interview with Artist in Our Midsts, Vancouver. I am grateful for this opportunity to be featured on the group website. Thank you!

Which artistic media do you prefer to work in and why?

I work in mixed media which for me is a base in acrylics and then on top of that nearly anything goes - from thick polymer mediums such as moulding paste and pouring medium to create depth, to collage including tissue papers and corrugated cardboard for texture, so earth materials such as sand for colour and texture, and finally to artist quality pens and pencils such as Lyza pencil crayons and PITT india ink pens for detail and fun.


With which past or contemporary artists or artworks do you, as an artist, feel a connection? What is it that draws you to them?
Mark Rothko - big bold paintings, his application of colour....
Helen Frakenthauler - staining techniques, her tenacity and art making spanning decades
Michelle Y Williams - my favourite modern artist, I own one of her original p ieces and would give my right arm to study with her!
Michel Keck - her business acumen and her ability to really succeed as a contemporary abstract artist in the marketplace. I admire this tremendously.
Eve Leader - the quality beauty and mystery of her work is amazing.
Sabrina Ward Harrison - her freedom, rawness, venerability in her journalling and art making capture me and I appreciate her risking it all to share her thoughts and words with the world.

What process or technique in art-making interests you?

What intrigues me is creating thick paintings that have thick multi layered encaustic wax-like effect, yet no wax has been used, instead the layer are accumulations of acrylics and mediums.. The process of applying and layering acrylics and mediums, scraping away paint, and doing so without leaving brush marks intrigues me.

What technical challenges do you face in the process of making art?

Trying to re-create Serenity! I did this painting a couple of years ago and have been trying to figure out how I get to my end result and emulate that in other pieces...no such luck so far but lots of fun along the way! (http://www.flickr.com/photos/debchaney/5228182902/)

What in your artistic training do you value most at this time?

My ability to share what I know in an inspiration and organized format in my workshops. http://www.debchaney.com/debchaney/Workshops.html

How much of a role do accident and control play in your work?

Making art is an interplay between careful thought and planning and pure unbridlged passion and accident.
It's like the juggle bewteen right and left brain, push and pull. There is a component of both control and accident tthat I experience in my work. Often the more I let go the better the resulting piece!

What are some of your artistic challenges at present?

Prioritizing the plethera of oppportunites available today for artists such as for art shows, competitions, grants, artist and resdientces,...it can be daunting and it makes a big effort to set goals, be clear on my values and stay on track...

What are some of your artistic accomplishments at present?

Participating in the 2010 Vancouver East Side CULTURE CRAWL with my fellow studio mates.
Working as a consultant for Rainmaker, Inc in Vancouver doing some commission art for one of their movies.
Selling two pieces from my Kerrisdale gallery ( now closed).
Teaching workshop independently every month since August 2010.
Being a mentor for a Director Studies art student with the University Southern California Santa Barbara.

Can you share three things you’ve learned as an artist through your own art?

1. Keeping the three 3 C's in mind help make the process of art making easier. C- content ( be clear on what you're communication), C - composition (have a solid design as your foundation), C- colour ( know what colour scheme you're using).

2. Three Secrets that make an abstract painting "Wow". That is, having a sense of breathing space in the piece. Having something unique - a variation in the piece. And, having an area of strong contrast in the piece.

3. When it's not working, put it aside!


When you need inspiration, how to do you get it?

Sit and wait and let it come.
Walk in nature.
Stop painting and take break.
Paint when I don't "feel " like it and let the inspiration come to me...
Hang out with other artists.
Look at art online.
Go visit a gallery or see a coffee shop art show.
Look at children's art - always so free and inspirational!
Look at art books and magazines.

When you need to learn more as an artist, how do you do it?

DVDs, workshops, talking to other artists, asking questions, looking at art, reading, art magazines, teaching- they say you teach what you want to learn, i agree, I've learned so much about my own art making process by sharing it with others!

What is exciting on your artistic horizon?


A Possible Art show in San Francisco summer 2011.

A Possible New York show March 2012

An upcoming trip to visit Santa Fe, New Mexico and to check out galleries!

What is it about this artwork (self-selected work shown) that led you to choose it for this feature? What specific challenges did you face in making this artwork?
These are some of my favorite pieces over the span of the last 3-4 years. I chose some small 9 x 12 pieces on canvas because they represent the work I do while I'm teaching and demonstrating. I chose to show some of the pieces with many layers of mixed medis, sand and collage elements as its the springboard to where my work is leading me currently.

Selected work for AOM is on flicker at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/debchaney/


Thank you very much for this attention and honor. Sincerely, Deb Chaney