Joanne Thomson's December 2015 Newsletter
 
The best of the Christmas Season to all of you and yours, no matter what your affiliations or ages! (Does that make up for the politically incorrect mention of Christmas?) I actually haven’t had much time to think about the holidays this year, likely because they won’t be holidays for me. I’ll be setting up the 300 Mason Jars installation starting on December 27th! It is coming very soon and thank you to all of you who are supporting and encouraging me in this endeavor. It is the most ambitious show I have ever put on and with all the attention it is getting I feel double obliged to make it wonderful! The theme is so appropriate to New Years too.
 
HERE IS THE PLAN!
 
300 MASON JARS: an installation of watercolours, artifacts and edibles
at the Gage Gallery, 2031 Oak Bay Avenue. 
December 29, 2015 – January 16, 2016. 
Artist’s reception (and talk) on New Years Eve 5-9 pm (some lovely nibbles and refreshing drinks though nothing alcoholic).
 
If you haven’t seen the December FOCUS article here is the link. http://focusonline.ca and click on the PDF, pages 24 – 27. I think Aaren Madden did a wonderful job with the write-up handling the subject of the show with sensitivity and respect. There is one error the Kerr creek property is in BC not Saskatchewan, that was an earlier homestead. Those of you nostalgic for Saskatchewan though will find some paintings that evoke that time and place. Most are about BC and include actual and imagined memories.
 
And I’ll be at the Gallery every Saturday during the show, some other days as well.
This project is near and dear to me and many of you have asked if you can participate by bringing a jar of your own canning. The answer is yes.  If you want to bring it and not pick it up, I hope you will accept an art card in exchange. Otherwise you are welcome to bring it and pick it up at the end of the show. I’ll have a surface ready to accept them and tags so you can label them.
 
January 9, 2016 is the free artmaking “Take the Lid Off” your creativity event.  I invite you to join me and some other Gage artists to start to fulfill those New Years resolutions about ‘making more art’. All materials supplied. 2-5 pm at the Gage Gallery, 2031 Oak Bay Avenue.
 
OF INTEREST: The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria will be having and exhibition of watercolours beginning at the end of January and running until May 23, 2016.  It looks wonderful and is quite rare to have such a focused exhibition.  http://aggv.ca/exhibitions/water-pigment-paper