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| Judy Thorley shares her views on art. Painting in background: "Circle" |
Thorley, 63, of Grimsby, is a featured artist participating in the 2011 Pelham Art Festival(PAF). The festival takes place on Mother’s Day weekend (May 6-8) and this year marks the 25th anniversary of the event.
This will be Thorley’s second time displaying her art at PAF.
“It’s a great festival,” she says. “I am so impressed with it. I like that it’s indoors and it lasts three days. I also like the fact that when people go to this festival they are going to look at art; they truly like art, so you have a captive audience.”
PAF is a fine art show displaying the works of 70 artists from across Ontario, Quebec and the United States. Each year three juried artists are selected to be featured; 2011’s chosen artists are Jamie Maclean and Carol Putman; along with Thorley. One piece of art from each of the featured artists will be raffled. Proceeds of the festival benefit Pelham Libraries and Community Arts Projects.
“There is all different kinds of art at the festival,” says Thorley. “It’s a nice mix of art. There’s contemporary art, realistic art, abstract art and there’s really nice handicraft things like glass and jewellery.”
Patricia Haftar, PAF advertising co-ordinator chair, as well as participating artist, says the quality of the show is kept high.
“We have minimal space open every year, and when a spot does open the artist has to be juried in,” she says. “The idea is that when people come to the show they want to be able to purchase something that is very special for them, and is hopefully one of a kind. Something unique. That’s the aim of the entire show.”
Hafter says PAF wanted to give back to the community in honour of their 25th anniversary.
“Pelham Art Festival has made a very special donation of $25,000 to the Pelham Library, Maple Acres Branch,” she says. “It’s to contribute towards the purposed building of a new library in Fenwick.”
There will a special presentation made at the Volunteer Appreciation evening on April 20th in the Festival Room at Pelham Library.
It has been 25 years since PAF was officially formed, but a simpler version of the show began in 1984 when a group called Friends of the Fonthill Library wanted to raise funds for the library.
“This festival originally began with art literally being hung in people’s back yards,” says Haftar.
The first show was in the back yard of Lois Schonewille, a Pelham Art Club member. Art work was displayed on the fence and hung on easels. It was held in the same location the next year, but moved to the Pelham Arena in 1986, after Dorothy Higgins, a member of Friends of the Fonthill Library and Pelham Art Club (now Pelham Art Association) suggested the show become more ambitious.
Friends of the Fonthill Library and Pelham Art Club joined forces to create the show, naming Barb Simpson the convener. It was called Artmat Niagara (renamed PAF the following year) and local artists and commercial art galleries displayed works.
Heidi TeBrake is now chair and convener of PAF; she took over the position from Barbara (Culliford) Lanneval who served from 1988-2008.
Since then PAF has contributed $325,000 to assist Pelham’s library and it’s services.
PAF encourages the development of art appreciation in children by promoting the arts in schools and holding community events.
“And each year they give $1000 to a graduating fine art student at E.L Crosby to help with their expenses when they go to university,” says Haftar.
Haftar is looking forward to the opening gala evening which kicks everything off on Friday, May 6 between 7-10 pm.
“I love the gala evening. I just think it’s so much fun,” she says. “ We work so hard to get there…this is the first show of the season and we get to see what everybody has been working on over the winter. There’s always excitement around that night. You’re exhausted because you have been setting up, but by the time the evening comes it’s just buzz and excitement.”
She says this year it will be even more exciting because local dignitaries have been invited.
“Everyone is excited to be there and waiting to see who’s going to come and what the feedback from people will be. Every year it’s a different show.”
Thorley is also anticipating the gala.
“They have a reception and live music playing,” she says. “It’s really enjoyable. It’s a nice outing. It’s a great place to take your mom if you want to go out for Mother’s Day. What mom doesn’t like to look at art?”
Thorley thinks it’s important for new artists to take workshops, lessons and be around other artists, but she has some more advice too.
“Take risks with your painting,” she says. “I think that’s a big thing. It’s only a painting, so try something different. Try something new if you feel like you want to do it, even if you’re frightened. Go ahead and do it because it’s only canvas. I think taking risks lets you discover amazing things that never would have happened without the risk.”
Thorley has been painting for about 15 years. She began with water colour, but then “branched out and started trying other things.”
Currently most of her focus is on acrylic and collage.
“I am mainly working with collage like mixed media and acrylic right now. I do a little bit of everything. I like the fact that I can put whatever I want into my paintings. I like to mix it up and make it surprising.”
Thorley sees inspiration in renaissance portraits and vintage papers and incorporates pieces into her work.
“I’ll find a renaissance portrait that I really find interesting in one way or another. Maybe it’s the colour or the hair. And then I’ll use that as my focal point in the painting. But I start out very random,” she says. “I’ll take a lot of vintage papers and I’ll collage them onto my work surface. Right now I use a lot of water colour paper as my work surface, and I’ll just paste everything down randomly on my paper. Then I’ll put paint over top of that and then remove some of the paint to show a bit of the lettering.”
She will continue to add and subtract paint until she feels it’s time to “incorporate the portrait.”
She enjoys challenging herself with new paintings.
“I’ll put the paint down and let it dry partially and then I’ll run it under the tap and run the wet paint off. Then I’m left with bits of dry paint and it’s all totally random,“ she says. “Then I’m forced to figure out how I’m going to do finish the work because it’s so random and unplanned. I have to incorporate it so it all comes together. I find that fun.”
She remembers the first time she sold a piece of her work.
“Oh, I was thrilled; totally thrilled. Someone bought my painting who was not a friend or a relative; it’s just somebody off the street who bought something because they must have really liked it. It was sort of like being validated in a way.”
Thorley’s art has become a therapeutic vessel at times, as she was recently diagnosed with cancer and is in the midst of radiation treatments.
“There was a lump on my neck; it is lymphoma. I’ve been through the chemo and am half way through my radiation. The cancer has not changed my art, but when I’m working it’s like I get in the zone and time has no meaning. Sometimes the paintings just paint themselves. They sort of tell you where they’re going and you sort of have to follow them. It’s very therapeutic.”
Thorley is a signature member of the Toronto Water Colour Society and one of her paintings won an award last fall.
“Winning an award was really exciting for me,” she says. “And I also won a Best in Show at the Art in the Mist show in Niagara Falls last summer. That was pretty exciting too.”
Her paintings have also been displayed at the Grimsby Art Gallery, and she is honoured to be a featured artist at the Pelham Art Festival.
“It was exciting being in Pelham last year; it seemed like it was really successful. I can’t wait to go again this year.”
PAF is being held at the Pelham Arena at 1120 Haist Street in Fonthill on May 6-8. Tickets are $8.00 for Friday’s Gala Evening; $5.00 for Saturday or Sunday; or $10.00 for a weekend pass. For more information visit www.pelhamartfesival.com.
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