July 07, 2009 | Tips from Us >
Victoria, Art Galleries & Artists
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I guess it must be living in one of the most breathtaking places in the world that allows our province's artists to create some absolutely incredible art. It seems that everywhere I visit in the province, one of the activities that occupies a great deal of my time is poking around at pottery or glass studios & art galleries, watching artists create masterpieces on street corners, carvers transform hunks of rough wood into intricate pieces...you get the picture. I can't always purchase the art I see on my travels but I have over the years managed to treat myself and now I have the odd bit on my 'travel wall' or on my bookshelf to remind me how fortunate I am to live here. But sometimes I can't buy direct from the artist in the community where I see them and that is why I delighted in stumbling across Side Street Studio in Victoria, a great art gallery that showcases all sorts of BC art... from glass and wood, pottery and jewellery and more. It is well worth a visit next time you are in Victoria...especially if, like me, you failed to pick up the dream piece you saw created while you were out exploring BC.
August 29, 2006 | Tips from Us >
Victoria, Art Galleries & Artists
Find more information about Victoria - Art Galleries & Artists
The first thing I notice as I walk into room #308 is the amazing array of artwork. The immense
Roy Henry Vickers carving of a Tshimshian Halibut and Octopus Red Cedar House Post dominates the entrance way. An original Jack Shadbolt collage, Birds in a Tree #2, is tucked away in the corner of the living room, humble in its place, yet bursting with colour. The
Toni Onley in the dining room is, unfortunately, too big to stuff into my suitcase and take home, like shampoo and shower caps.
To say I am in awe would be an understatement. I am standing in the middle of a private art gallery / hotel room, filled with the work of famous B.C. artists - who wouldn’t be drop-jawed? And then there are the antiques. Original Louis Vuitton luggage in the bedroom. Asian dressers with secret drawers. Light fixtures, vases, butlers and books. Too many to place in time.
I can easily (and literally) see why the renovated heritage hotel, the
Swan’s Suites Hotel, is known as
Victoria’s “Art Hotel.”
The next morning, in the
Brewpub where breakfast is served, I spot three Toni Onley watercolours in the entranceway, and many Firs
September 30, 2005 | Tips from Us >
Victoria, Art Galleries & Artists
Find more information about Victoria - Art Galleries & Artists
When I prepare myself well for a trip, I appreciate the journey more. Practicing a few words in another language helps me communicate. Understanding the geographical formation and history of a particular region helps me appreciate viewpoints.
I started my preparation for a visit to
Emily Carr House in
Victoria over a year ago, knowing, like Emily, I could only appreciate the fullness of the trip if I developed a deeper connection to the subject. Emily Carr, a famous Canadian painter and author, was born in Victoria, lived in Vancouver and traveled throughout the BC coast up to Alaska.
Yesterday, when I finally stood in her garden, I was shrouded in the layers I accumulated from hodge-podging together pieces and experiences that touched Emily’s life in one form or another. Here is what I did over the last year to prepare for a trip to Emily’s garden.
1. First, I read The Forest Lover by Susan Vreeland. In my opinion this book presents a good visual of British Columbia life at the time, and set a vivid, colourful stage of Emily’s puzzled and courageous life between 1871 and 1942.
2. Next, I read Klee Wyck, by Emily Carr. This is her own account of her travels as she ventured along the coast to paint. Klee Wyck is the aboriginal name given to Emily by the First Nations People in
Ucluelet; it means "laughing one."
3. I have spent many hours wandering through the
Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver. I love seeing first hand the totem poles and artefacts of the myriad of First Nation groups throughout BC. I tell everyone to go there. Often.
4. Emily C