This month the Cariboo Artist’s Guild in 100 Mile House looked in their backyards for artistic inspiration.
The guild’s new group show at the Showcase Gallery Out My Backdoor displays the diverse Cariboo landscape the artists see every day. From flowers to cows and forest trails to lakes, each of the 12 artists captured their own vision in stunning paint.
“We all just painted what we saw when we looked out our backdoors. I painted pink painted daisies that are in my garden in my yard,” Barb McClusky said. “Each year they bloom on their own, they’re perennials, and I love them.”
McClusky said she has wanted to paint the daisies for a while and the show provided her a welcome reason to. Her fellow artist Penny Bailey also jumped at the chance to paint something that frequents her backyard, a steer.
Bailey’s home backs onto a pasture where a local rancher grazes his steers and cows. Oftentimes the animals will come and visit, especially when her husband mows the lawn.
“One year I gave one a treat of a couple of lettuce leaves and the next morning I wake up, look out the window and there’s four of them standing there waiting,” Bailey said. “So my first thought for our theme was one of those steers, because I probably have 5,000 pictures of cows now. I did a nice closeup and I called it Good Neighbour.”
For Neil Pinkett, his backdoor looks out onto Peters Lake. Over the years he has painted the lake several times and chose one of his best works for Out My Backdoor.
“I paint on the acreage where I live quite a bit actually, I’ve done over 30 paintings but this one just jumped out at me,” Pinkett said. “I like to see more themed shows because everyone has their own take on the theme.”
McClusky said that her fellow artists really outdid themselves with Out My Back Door. Bailey agreed, noting that artists like Jess Thomas used the theme to embrace the entire South Cariboo as “out their backdoor.”
Thomas said her painting was inspired by the trails of the South Cariboo, including one just behind her house. The sunlit path is evocative of the feeling there are many hidden trails to explore in the region.
“We thrive together because we kind of feed off each other and get some ideas,” Bailey said. “It’s great to get feedback and see people’s different styles. It’s a great group with a lot of variety.”
Out My Backdoor is on display in the South Cariboo Business Centre until Tuesday, July 4. All art on display is for sale.
patrick.davies@100milefreepress.net
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