When I first joined Artists’ Workshop a half dozen years ago, I had a few goals in mind. Rub shoulders on a regular basis with other serious working artists and cultivate a creative community of support. Strengthen my skills in composition. Work in series. Paint larger. Sell my work at live events not just online. Experiment with watercolor on canvas. Launch a solo show.
Many of these aspirations I might have pursued on my own, but creative goals are reached much more quickly and easily when fuelled by the synergy of working with others.
Developing relationships with other AW members around our shared interest in art, did help me find a community of support. What I hadn’t anticipated is the depth of friendships that would form, and how the accompanying support I experienced would also lift me up as I faced life challenges outside the world of art.
Through shared feedback in our group’s formal and informal critique sessions, I learned to analyze my works in progress. That helped me pinpoint changes to strengthen the work.
As we prepared for our Artists’ Workshop Annual Spring Shows, I learned about presenting work to the public. How to finish the work for exhibition. How to put images together to create more appealing displays. What kind of info needs to appear on labels for each of the works. How to promote an art event.
As a group, we have taken advantage of other opportunities to share our work. We have coordinated entries in shows at galleries in nearby communities like Humboldt and Prince Albert, and mounted group shows at Government House in Regina, and City Perks/Sparrow coffee shops in Saskatoon.
Over the years, I watched how fellow members arranged solo shows of their own work. With some group show experience under my belt, and the examples and guidance of others to inspire me, I eventually mounted solo shows of my own – building them around series themes like Lanterns Of The World and The Café Series.
This year, as you see from the images attached to this article, I’ve focused on creating a new series of works featuring characters I’ve encountered on my travels. I know not where that experiment will lead, but the first few steps along that path have sure been fun.
The Creative Synergy that flows from our weekly collaborations is good for all of us. As we create opportunities to learn and grow, we bring out the best in each other. We discover things together that would take much longer to learn were we working in isolation. I’m deeply grateful for my colleagues with Artists’ Workshop.
Artists' Workshop Saskatoon 