Art Through the Ages by Cynthia Keith, Debbie Drain, Annika & Amy Davey.

Bio for Cynthia, Annika and Amy

My painting journey went from acrylic folk art to a gradual shift to primarily watercolour and occasional acrylic paintings.  I had the privilege of learning watercolour painting from 2 talented and committed artists. Willie Wong, a multimedia Edmonton artist who has the gift and creativity to make his beautiful work look so easy…. Not!! He threw me into the throws of watercolour after my first session!   Next instruction was to bring paintings, questions to him so we can work on it.  A wonderful learning experience. 

Then a move to Winnipeg where I struggled in seeking watercolour development.  Eventually I found online a talented, brilliant, retired teacher Louise DeMasi.  Her life goal was to retire from teaching to start her Patreon water colour tutorial program. I was one of her earlier patrons to her now successful business. Our friendship grew as well as my painting skills.  Louise resides in Australia however distance only strengthened our friendship and painting bond. With the trust we share, I see her program workings from a Patron, and she can agree or disagree with my input! 

After a move to Portage, I started painting with the ladies at the Herman Prior Centre. A heart-warming experience. From the feedback from these ladies, I submitted paintings into 2 juried art shows. Exciting times…. 3 of my submitted paintings are hung today.  In my first Juried Program, the Underwater River painting had the privilege of attending the rural art galleries and to the Winnipeg Pavilion Art Gallery. The Autumn Flowers submission was in the second Juried Program. I felt very privileged to have this painting accepted on tour to our local rural art galleries. 

My paintings each represent one or more different techniques/styles of painting and they included the challenges of using this fascinating media, primarily watercolour. If you look closely at the Yellow Tulip, it has been woven from 2 paintings using the same outlines but different colours. The paintings demonstrate many of the techniques and drama that watercolour can achieve, demonstrating the FUN and CHALLENGE of this wonderful painting media!

This Art Exhibition is very special since it has the added challenge of having 4 painters, including our 2 granddaughters, a fellow painter and myself. 

Artist Statement and Bio for Debbie Drain

I worked at Herman Prior Centre as  cook in 2005. Marguerite Ruddle was teaching watercolor classes at the Centre every Tuesday morning.I would take every chance I could to go check out what everyone was doing. She knew I was every keen on learning  how to paint and she started helping  me. She would stay for lunch and when I was done my work, we would go to the back kitchen and she gave me private lessons. 

I started doing landscapes and soon realized  that still life was my passion. I'm striving to do hyperrealism, it is challenging but very satisfying. Watercolor  is the most challenging of the three mediums to learn and I love it.There are so many techniques to learn by using  things like salt,  saran wrap, sponges etc and sometimes letting the water do it's thing can produce  wonderful effects. 

I usually paint in the evening and I remember really getting into the  condiments picture (Pass the Ketchup) every once in awhile I would check the time it was getting later and later so by 3am my arm was starting to hurt (carpal tunnel ) so I went to bed only to get up in 4 hours to go to work, such fun!

Marguerite  is no longer with us but I'm so grateful to her for giving me the most enjoyable hobby ever. 

Bio

My name is Debbie Drain and I was born and raised in Portage la Prairie. I now live on hobby farm that was once a place alive with cattle , sheep, hogs  and a couple of donkeys and don't for get the cats.

I started painting about 20 years ago.I was thrilled to finally find an outlet for my creativity. I've loved painting from my very first brush stroke. Watercolor is the only medium I paint with because I really love it's challenges. I have a weakness for detail work ,sometimes l get lost in my work and time slips away. I've been painting for quite awhile now and my enthusiasm  for painting  is still going strong .