Painting people unite

The red brick building in the background with a row of lights
running along the side over one
of the main doors is a special
place for me. This is the building
at The Brick Works, where I go
on Tuesday nights to paint with
a group of fine painters.
www.brickworks.ca
Our styles are wildly different , but through that club I've learned so much, and made friends with some great artists. Flora Doehler and I
met because we'd loved each
other's paintings in a show, and
we sought each other out to praise the work. We've been friends ever since. But there are too many people to name who are amazing painters, and good friends. Last month
I exhibited with Peter Adam, whose work is just fantastic.

When I go to the club my good friend
George Shane, who you can just see the
edge of in yesterday's images, often goes
to get me an easel and a table. The kindness
I experience with that group of people is
wonderful.

I've read other artist's debates about art clubs. Some
people put them down as fostering mediocrity. It's
true that many art lovers don't favour, experimental
or abstract work, and that can make artists' groups
biased towards realistic and conventional work
because it sells. What's nice about our club is that
there are activities -- opportunities to paint
together, or listen to a lecture, or attend a
workshop almost every day of the week. That
makes it easy to find your own type of group
and people who understand what you're
doing in one of many settings.

For me it all happens in this beautifully
restored building, in a studio upstairs for
portrait, or life painting evenings.

The painting is by Peter Adam, badly photographed
by me I'm afraid at our last show.

Have a sublime day