Last week Anne Beliveau updated her gallery exhibit to a series ideal for the summer.
Now showing is Louise Drescher’s On The Road, a collection of acrylics and oils reminiscent of illustrations for children’s books but updated for adult collectors.
Beliveau is happy to display this collection, carefully curated to suit the Kootenay collector’s eyes, with many mountains and winter landscapes present. “Lots of winter scenes to keep us cool during this hot spell,” she says.
She had met Drescher some time ago, loved her style very much, and has been developing a strong professional experience with the painter.
“There are 31 pieces all together in this exhibit, different sizes and frames, all chosen by the artist. There are very recognizable shapes,” she said, pointing to scenes from all over British Columbia.
There is a red Canadian Pacific engine going through a stylized mountainscape, easily recognizable as Mount Robson; there are mountain ridges and valleys covered in snow, ferries in the moonlight, and roads that snake their way into the horizon, all very warmly depicted and displaying the painter’s keen eye on the road.
“If you love the mountains, this is for you,” said Beliveau.
Indeed, whereas usually snow scenes are depicted in bleary greys, in Drescher’s painting, winter is warm and welcoming, approachable and playful, almost whimsical but not overly so. A touch of gold activates a glisten on the mountain ridges, some colourful houses stand out in a snowy landscape, the road winds between mountain ranges bathed in the sunset.
“Winter is my favourite season,” Drescher said.
“Some of these pieces were sketched on the side of the road,” she added.
Back in March, she was on a winter residency program back in Wells, B.C., where she honed her plein air skills and came to realize that “outside in the cold, oil is better. The texture of acrylic changes. With oil, you can still blend. The coating factor (oil to canvas) is smoother.”
Born and educated in Toronto, Drescher started painting in London, England, then moved to Chicago to continue painting and exhibiting. Finally she moved to Rossland where she lives, painting out of her studio and exhibiting in regional galleries and shows, as well as working on private commissions for clients all over the world.
She is active with the Carlyle Group in Nelson and really likes the snow, as can be seen in the exhibit at Studio Connexion in Nakusp.