Tara Sprickerhoff
Tribune Staff Writer
Local artist Randi Evans won Best New Artist for her painting Chocolate and the Cow Dog at this year’s Calgary Stampede Western Art Auction.
Evans was invited to enter the competition several years ago, but as she was working full time and raising her children she never followed through on the invitation.
In 2010 Evans and her husband, Sam retired back to the Cariboo from Alberta and Evans finally decided to submit her work to the auction.
Her paintings mainly focus on ranching and country themes.
“My passion has always been my horses and country life,” said Evans. “I live it, so I love it and I know it,” she continued, mentioning that she rides almost everyday on her acreage in Springhouse.
Evan’s winning painting features a cow dog trying to turn a “troublesome” chocolate brown cow during a round up at Meldrum Creek.
The auction features 90 different pieces of art chosen from 400 submissions by 250 invited artists.
“To just get accepted I was ecstatic, to get an award you could have knocked me over with a feather,” said Evans.
Evans is already prepared to submit art to Calgary for further years, including one painting that she would love to see as a Williams Lake Stampede poster.
However, as in recent years the Stampede poster has mainly featured photographs, Evans has looked elsewhere to show her western art.
She has also been invited to display her work at the Kamloops Cowboy Festival. Those looking to see Evans’ paintings can find them at Bloom N’ Gifts in Williams Lake or admire them during the WLCBIA Art Walk where they will be displayed at the new Johnston Meier Insurance building in August.