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New Station House exhibit invites you to travel through a painter’s eye

Artwork of Devereux Hodgson on display
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As well as landscapes from her travels around the world, Devereux Hodgson has also painted buildings including churches from Mexico and New Mexico. (Rebecca Dyok photo)

Beautiful paintings of landscapes from across North America and Europe can be found gracing the walls of the Station House Gallery in Williams Lake this month.

Until Saturday, Oct. 30, “Travelling with a Painter’s Eye” by Devereux Hodgson is on display.

Hodgson resides in Victoria and is no stranger to the Cariboo Chilcotin or the world of art that runs deep in her family.

Her family were pioneers in the Cariboo, all of whom had ties to local ranches, and her grandmother Vivien Cowan, aunt Sonia Cornwall and mother Dru Hodgson were all artists strongly linked to the region.

“I was born and grew up in Williams Lake,” Hodgson said, noting she has been painting for about 30 years.

“Most of this work is work that I have done after I’ve been travelling, so they’re different places in the world,” she added.

“Normally, I would have painted more local scenes, but because I love to travel, I thought I’d do a show on scenes from my travel work.”

Hodgson has been to Europe several times and has travelled the U.S. extensively.

Read More: Special Station House summer exhibit honours ranching

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has significantly reduced such trips, she reminisced how her favourite travel destination is Oaxaca, Mexico, which she described as an artistic place where you can have fun by delving into that culture and seeing historical and modern art and crafts.

“As a visual person, I’m always looking at places, and I think sometimes painting makes me dig deeper into what a place looks like because it’s often very different from what I’m used to,” Hodgson said of why she enjoys capturing landscapes through the stroke of a paintbrush.

Several of her 35 pieces on display are of churches in Mexico and New Mexico.

“I’m not really great at doing buildings, but I like doing it,” she said with a light-hearted laugh.

Closer to home is one of haying in the Cariboo.

Hodgson was known for many years for her depictions of fruit and bird’s nests sold at galleries across Western Canada.

As well as being an artist, she has also trained and worked as a chef.

“I went out to Riske Creek and took some photographs yesterday, so I’ll probably try to paint some,” she said, noting of her strong ties to the Cariboo Chilcotin.

“I like coming back, but I especially like coming back in the fall. I love it this time of year.”



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rebecca.dyok@wltribune.com

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