#ArtistoftheMonth

NFCA Chapter News Blog

We are very proud of our NFCA artists and we want to highlight members' accomplishments. If you are a member and have something that you would like to share please use the website to contact us!

Apr 1, 2019

ARTIST OF THE MONTH - APRIL 2019

TRUDY BROADLEY I was fortunate to grow up in Hartley, Kent, a small village in the English countryside where adventures were endless! I spent a lot of time at the stables with the horses and much time sketching them, too. Art was my favourite subject in school and I never had to worry about my marks. However, math was another story! The first recognition I received for artwork was The Brooke Bond Student Art Award, where students from many schools sent in their work. My pa

Mar 1, 2019

ARTIST OF THE MONTH - MARCH 2019

ROSINA MARIA SOLYLO "PAINT WITH YOUR HEART" - quote from Dennis Brown really means a lot to me. Born in Holland, raised and lived in Edmonton until 2005 when Nanaimo became “home”. Graduated from the photography program at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology. Studied and worked in this field for over 37 years. Displayed award winning prints with the Professional Photographers of Canada, Nanaimo Arts Council and Ladysmith Arts Council. Rosina has had Shows in Edmon

Feb 6, 2019

ARTIST OF THE MONTH - FEBRUARY 2019

LAVERN HELEN HILLIER ASSOCIATE OF VICTORIA CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC- PIANO TEACHER – 35 YEARS Retired – Former member of BC Registered Music Teachers Association Active Member of FCA – Nanaimo Chapter Member of Ladysmith Gallery Member of Nanaimo Group of Artists Acrylic Landscape Artist: My usual paintings depict scenes in which my husband and I have walked, boated, skied and travelled. My art work is a journal of some of the highlights of our weekly adventures. We have liv

Jan 22, 2019

ARTIST OF THE MONTH - JANURARY 2019

DOROTHY SEVCOV To get to know our members better, we use a list of questions known as the Proust Questionnaire, made famous by French author, Marcel Proust. 1. What is your idea of happiness? Spending time with family and friends 2. What is your greatest fear? That I won't live long enough to paint all the images I have in my head-2025 seems about right. 3. Which living person do you most admire? My daughter Lea for going through so much and finding happiness and her

Dec 1, 2018

ARTIST OF THE MONTH - DECEMBER

HAROLD ALLANSON Shortly before taking early retirement twenty years ago, I enrolled in a one-day-a-week watercolour workshop with the FCA .... four different instructors, three days each for a period of twelve weeks. Thirty-five years prior to the FCA workshops I attended the Chicago Academy of Fine Art where I studied commercial art for the better part of two years. Lack of finances to carry on in Chicago meant I had to find a real job, as they say, so the trucking industry

Nov 21, 2018

ARTIST OF THE MONTH - NOVEMBER

KIM FURNELL To get to know our members better, we use a list of questions known as the Proust Questionnaire, made famous by French author, Marcel Proust. 1. What is your idea of happiness? More than anything else, my idea of happiness is being in my home and garden with my husband and children. 2. What is your greatest fear? Very steep stairs and enclosed spaces!! So very steep stairs to an enclosed space? 3. Which living person do you most admire? The living person I admire

Oct 1, 2018

ARTIST OF THE MONTH - OCTOBER

SARAH BOILEAU To get to know our members better, we use a list of questions known as the Proust Questionnaire, made famous by French author, Marcel Proust. 1. What is your idea of happiness? My idea of happiness is pretty simple, the blueprint is to live life fully present in the moment and to remember to be thankful for what I have. I believe happiness is a choice and an attitude of gratitude is the key. 2. What is your greatest fear? I don’t put much thought into fears, mos

Sep 17, 2018

ARTIST OF THE MONTH - SEPTEMBER

RICH WILLIAMS I have been fortunate during my life to have had the opportunity to paint alongside numerous accomplished artists and to have been mentored by two of them. Painting with others makes one aspire to become a better artist. A mentor once gave me a couple of pieces of advice that I have tried to follow throughout my carrier, " Create don't Copy." and "If you can paint what is at your feet and make it believable you can paint anything." As an artist the most importan

Aug 1, 2018

ARTIST OF THE MONTH - AUGUST

EILEEN WILLIAMSON I live in paradise and I am renewed daily by the beauty of the natural world around me. My purpose as an artist is to study and paint the green spaces both wild and preserved as parks and marshes in the urban landscape of our growing communities. Eileen has created art in oils, watercolour, pen and ink, pencil crayon and charcoal. Her passion now is for acrylics. Eileen has worked as a photographer and dark room technician, paste up artist, writer, muralist,

Jul 1, 2018

ARTIST OF THE MONTH - JULY

HARALD WETKLO I was born in Germany and received my education in Germany and Austria. In 1959 I immigrated to Canada and settled in Victoria, BC where I continued my profession as a Dental Technician. In 1971 I established my own Dental Laboratory with a partner and sold it after 30 years. Since retirement, I have focused on learning more about Art. Watercolour was the first medium that took my interest. After several years I switched to Acrylics and treated it like wate

Jun 1, 2018

ARTIST OF THE MONTH - JUNE

JOSEE DUFFHUES In an effort to get to know our Members, Artist of the Month participants share their lives through the popular Proust Questionnaire. WHAT IS YOUR IDEA OF HAPPINESS? 1. I doubt my idea of happiness differs much from most--family, friendship, health. But I find the most joy in travel and know that the more of the world I've seen, the more I wish I could keep traveling. I was born in The Netherlands, spent my childhood in Australia, followed by 2 more years

May 15, 2018

ARTIST OF THE MONTH - MAY

MARILYN STRONGITHARM Do people who have an artistic bent see the world a little different? I think so. Details and Colours. As a young woman in Toronto, and again when I moved to Vancouver Island in 1973, I decided fabric would be my medium of choice. I had my own store in Yorkville (Toronto) in the early ’70’s, and another when I moved west to Gaston in the late ’70’s I sold my work and many other artists'work. I made a living at this, but sometimes lost my “Art”. I work

Apr 26, 2018

ARTIST OF THE MONTH - APRIL 2018

DENISE MAC NEILL Denise was born in Oakville Ontario and moved to Vancouver Island in 1991. I’ve been an artist all my life and have been given a great “gift” to be able to paint the world around me. Vancouver Island and especially Nanaimo and its inhabitants offer an endless source of inspiration for me. Nature is the perfect subject to be transformed. I have been in partnership with three Art Galleries in Nanaimo - “The Public Hanging” shared with my Father John MacNeill

Mar 22, 2018

ARTIST OF THE MONTH - MARCH 2018

JANICE EVANS What is your idea of happiness? Happiness is laughter…being able to laugh at myself and with others. We all have times when we take the world and each other far too seriously. I’m for seeing newness, doing different things and finding meaning in my days. I don’t want to miss a thing in my life or spend time dwelling on what should have or could have happened. What is your greatest fear? …becoming old, and grumpy with life. I want to feel the joy forever! Which l

Feb 18, 2018

ARTIST OF THE MONTH - FEBRUARY 2018

CLAUDIA LOHMANN AN INTERVIEW WITH CLAUDIA .......... What is your idea of happiness? My idea of happiness is being surrounded by my family and having time to work on my art without interruption. Also seeing my family healthy and happy. My new granddaughter Hypatia also has made me very happy this last month. What is your greatest fear? My greatest fear is having to face a close family member or friend getting terminally sick. Another fear of mine is not being able to maintain

Jan 1, 2018

ARTIST OF THE MONTH - JANUARY 2018

CHERYL SHAW When I first picked up a paintbrush in 1998 (on a dare!) I wanted to paint well enough to be a “photo-real” artist. Needless to say, that didn't happen! I took several workshops, classes and bought lots of "how to" books to learn the techniques of watercolour. Although I was improving and was encouraged by more experienced artists to keep going, I was just not satisfied with the results .Then I was watching an episode of Mythbusters on TV. Adam Savage stated “ I

Dec 1, 2017

ARTIST OF THE MONTH - DECEMBER 2017

CATHERINE TARON Catherine Taron is an active member of the Federation of Canadian Artists, both with the Nanaimo and Victoria chapters. When asked to reflect on her artist’s journey, she said: Doesn’t everyone want to be an artist? You know, either as a fleeting thought or, on a deeper level, as a fundamental knowingness when you were a child? Some pursue it, some don’t and some wait, thinking there’s lots of time to pursue it later. My feeling is it’s never too late to start

Nov 4, 2017

Artist of the Month - November 2017

ALDA L. SAUNDERS What is your idea of happiness? Happiness is being in a place in the world which is safe and affords me the opportunity to get lost in my art world. Having travelled quite a bit on this earth, I can take my art anywhere and be happy. My father wanted me to be a mathematician, but art won out. I feel that math and art are similar, in that one solves problems based on a skill set in both of these areas. I am lucky that my health is very good, but I did fear l

Oct 22, 2017

Artist of the Month - October 2017

BIRGIT A. COATH - AFCA Birgit’s work is a manifestation of her personal journey. Even as a child she examined her environment seeing the unique even in the mundane. In times of difficulty, she trained her senses to go beyond the apparent and question accepted logic. Out of this grew a creativity that served in her corporate years and continued in her profession as a garden designer and now as an artist. Fascination with light and dark as well as architectural elements is evid