October 2021

​​​​​​​​​​​​​Art Adventures - by Patricia Banks©
Published October 2021 in Nanaimo Magazine and Voyager Mag

It’s exciting and inspiring to visit a live art show where real artists are present who can speak to their wonderful works of art! I visited such a show this weekend and I was thrilled to see and feel the enthusiasm and creativity that was in the room! Now, of course, masks were required indoors, and health cards and identification were shown at the door for entry, but these were small things to be asked of compared to the opportunity that awaited. It was a wonderful in-person event at an elegant winery, with numerous, awesome, original artworks to savor.

​So many similarly planned events have been cancelled over the past year and a half, and for an artist, this can be disheartening if not disastrous. Art shows have also moved online to a “virtual art show” format. While this may provide a wider global marketing opportunity, it possesses none of the intimate fanfare, personality, or charm that warms your heart to the talent, skill and energy of a true creative person! While most of us enjoy browsing the internet, and many of us do a little shopping there too, patronizing our local artists is a godsend to these small businesses, and provides a community of tax paying citizens right here in our own hometowns.

As I caught up with each artist personally at the venue, we chatted about the plusses and minuses of selling one’s work in person versus on an internet platform, their painting processes and techniques, their journey as an artist and their views about their creative futures. A few words sum up their collective sentiments and they are: “Creativity allows me to express myself, it brings me joy, and it inspires me to share this positive energy with others.” What does your art journey look like?