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Hope Arts Gallery’s exhibition ‘Watercolour Unlimited’ explores different relationships

Harrison painter Alice Bottrill will feature her watercolour work from Nov.2 till Nov. 27
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The Hope Arts Gallery will be hosting the works of Harrison artist Alice Bottrill in Watercolor Unlimited on Nov. 2. (Painting by Alice Bottrill)

The Hope Arts Gallery hosts the works of Harrison artist Alice Bottrill in Watercolor Unlimited on Nov. 2.

The exhibition, which will be featured in the Back Room of the gallery until Nov. 27, focuses on the versatility and limitless potential of watercolour. A series of paintings, composed of a wide range of local scenes and subject matter, will be on display demonstrating how watercolour can capture the “spirit of a scene with what is seen or unseen.”

“The contemporary watercolor technique, I tried to push it because there’s so many possibilities,” says Bottril. “It’s not like the old days, when watercolour [was seen as] a weak medium — just here for a few washes and pretty weak when compared to other mediums. But watercolour is on the rise now. People crave fantastic, bold, colourful, and very expressive, watercolour. So, I want to show the watercolour that [I’ve] created.”

For this exhibit, Bottril says she tried to include pieces that aligned for local interests. For example, one of the paintings is from her steam engine series, which captures the “power and force behind engines.”

A well renowned artist worldwide, Bottril currently spends her time working and teaching out of Harrison. She focuses on the “artistic development of other fellow artists” especially on those who come to her to learn. Her medium of choice are watercolours, and her paintings cover a wide range of subjects including animals, people, landscapes, and city scapes. In particular, her work with animals and people focuses on how relationships can influence the personality and ‘spirit’ of her subjects.

Aside from teaching, Bottril is also the regional director of B.C. for both the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour (CSPWC) and the International Watercolor Society of Canada (IWS Canada). She is a long standing member of many art organizations and actively volunteers her time planning events and public activities. Aside from her work in the art community, Bottril has also represented Canada in numerous international exhibitions. Her works are represented by the IAG Gallery in Downtown Vancouver and the Diana Hall Gallery in Sweden.

“[Painting] means a lot to me,” says Bottril. “It’s just a completely different mindset [when] you are into art. You observe and you never feel alone. I think, for artists, one thing is that they never feel bored…art is something that fills their lives…and they see the world differently.”

After opening day, the exhibition will be available to see Wednesday through Sunday, from 11 p.m. to 3 p.m., and is staffed by volunteers of the gallery. Admission is free and everyone is encouraged to visit.

READ MORE: Hope Arts Gallery debuts exhibition all about trees in Trees, Glorious Trees on Oct.1


@KemoneMoodley
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Kemone Moodley

About the Author: Kemone Moodley

I began working with the Hope Standard on August 2022.
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