‘Five Friends’ come together to create art show at Alton Mill

Written By CONSTANCE SCRAFIELD

“Basically, the five of us are presenting in the show,” said Robert Chisholm of the Five Friends Art Show taking place in the Falls Gallery, upstairs at the Alton Mill Arts Centre, from November 20 (yesterday) through to Sunday, November 24. 

He told the Citizen, “We used to do the Hockley Art Show for two years. We're the same group; we've been together as a group for four years.”

It makes it easy to put a show together with a relatively small, closely knit group.

In addition to Mr. Chisholm, there are Johan Koeslag, photographer; Marion Morgan, artist and crafts extraordinaire; Catherine Howard, acrylic and oil painter of wildlife and domestic animals, outdoor scenes [an intimate landscape – this writer's definition]; and BJ Thompson paints abstracts.

Considering that there are only five artists, the variety of work and choices for purchase is surprising.

The organizer for this year's Five Friends show is Mr. Chisholm and he told the Citizen a bit about his own life as an artist: “I've been painting all my life but, you know, when you raise your family, you get so busy. So, you plan for it and go back to it. The greatest compliment for is that people recognize my style by the strokes of brush. 

“My pieces have gone to Australia, the U.S., all over Canada. I was a member of Beaux Arts in Brampton – where I started out. People you work with get to know you. I was manager at the Tip top Tailor in Orangeville and people still remember that.

“I have been in the Alton Mill for five years. I share a studio others who are not in this show.”

Of what he paints, Mr. Chisholm explained, “I paint landscapes and I paint in acrylic and some oils. My paintings range from $95 and up for a book shelf paintings; larger pieces are different prices.” I also do commission work and I do my own stretching of canvas. So, I can make it any size you want – long , narrow. For visitors this show, my studio is just down the aisle, if they want something different.”

We had the chance to speak to photographer, Johan Koeslag, who takes photographs “of whatever catches my eye. I've been doing this all my life. My first camera, it was a Brownie, my mother's camera. I took pictures everywhere I went.

“From that simple Brownie, I went on to today, I use a Nikon D6-10 digital. Moving to digital I thought it was great, although there are points for the old films. There was the film darkroom and now there's the digital darkroom, my computer. I use photoshop, yes I create my pictures, although, sometimes, the image comes out just perfect.”

Mr. Koeslag is a member of the Orangeville Photography Club.

BJ Thompson is an abstract artist who talked about her work and career as an artist, “I've painted for a number of years. I started in oil and, then, coloured pencils. I moved on to acrylic, doing abstract. Having years behind you, you know at least what you're doing. There's construct. You come to it with knowledge and information. 

“Abstract is not for everybody.,” she commented. “Some people can't see into it. They prefer the reality of [objects and scenery] but a lot of people can feel it. It calls to something inside them or some life experience they've lived and as they see it in an abstract. There's something that makes them feel something – whether happy or sad.

She acknowledged, as perhaps, we all do, “Life is a little bit abstract. I have painted in a lot of different places.

“I met Catherine [Howard, who organized the first two shows in Hockley] at Blackhorse Theatre and we hit it off. Her daughter and I both played something in a play there and then, we met again, years later, through the arts in Dufferin and we hit it off again. We've shown several times together and we've done fairly well. I am bringing all originals.”

“Catherine paints wildlife,” Mr. Chisholm said. “We like to mix it up a bit. We're not all the same; we each have our own unique style.”

Catherine Howard, who has her painting on one of the “boxes “ in Orangeville, was clear about how she enjoys working with the group of friends, “I love doing shows together because its no stress, just fun. I'm bringing prints, originals and three new paintings. 

“I am bringing cards – all my wintery and Christmastime cards. There's two called Coming Home I and II. More and more, I'm leaning toward the idea: someone said where I really shine is illustration, story telling and the Coming Home series – you're telling a story but whatever story you want to tell.”

She added, “I just finished 30” x 15” looks like a Scandinavian scene' still winter. I'm happy – we're happy - to be together. We're sticking together, supportive of each other; we admire what each person is doing.”

Marion Morgan told the Citizen, “I am a self-taught artist who has worked with water colours, acrylic and oil and now, I am experimenting with alcohol ink, sitting under numerous teachers. I've enjoyed moving from precise and methodical stock work to the highly experimental medium of alcohol based ink.

“It's an ink which has an alcohol base. I just love the way it flows like wine - the trick is how to control it. Is a medium that can defy the imagination. I create a mix of a combination of abstract and realistic paintings by blowing and mixing brightly coloured fast drying dye based ink onto a smooth water resistant surface like Yupo or ceramic tile. 

She said, “I can't help experimenting.

“I also create three-dimension and two-detention felt work,” she continued, elaborating on her wide range of creative work, “my two-dimensional felting is like a painting and the three-dimensional is a soft sculpture.” 

Ms. Morgan will bringing a variety of her diverse works.

Although Ms. Morgan lived in this area for some years, she now resides in the Greater Napanee area and is a member of the Greater Napanee and Area Arts Association and the Bath Artisans (Kingston and Bellville). She still loves to come to Headwaters to do shows with her friends. 

Mr. Chisholm summed it up for us. “All originals, prints, cards and objects d'art are for sale. A nice chance to pick up something original for Christmas.”

He added, “There's no reception as such. Come and meet the artists. Marion does a lot of little small pieces for Christmas; little sheep, something like that. She'll have a table of crafts, maybe, pebble art . Everything at the show is all original art.”

This Five Friends Show is being held in the Falls Gallery at the Alton Mill, this week from Wednesday to Sunday, November 20.