For the youngest artist participating in the Spring Art Show, April 30 is a special day.
The fundraiser, organized by Derek Rickwood, will be held on Saturday, April 30, from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. at the Hudson’s Bay in Woodgrove Centre.
In this first-ever event, the work of Derek Rickwood, Lisa Rickwood, Halina Grzyb, Patricia Banks, Don Bonner, Libby Weir, Greg McRae, Ella Plumley and George Plumley, will see 15 per cent of sale proceeds donated to the Haven Society.
On the day, Ella Plumley will not only celebrate her first show, but also her 18th birthday.
With good reason to be excited, she is also happy to contribute to an important cause.
“I think it’s really important to support the work the Haven Society does in the community,” she said. “It’s really nice to have my artwork out there, but also having it go to a really good cause.”
Plumley was introduced to the art world through youth art classes at three years old and has continued with them since. Currently, the art classes offered at her school, Dover Bay Secondary, allow her to experiment with different mediums and expand her artistic horizons.
Post-graduation, she looks to pursue a fine arts degree at either the Vancouver Island University or the University of Victoria.
“When I’m in a really good mood I like to paint, or I’ll just get inspired by the West Coast. The landscapes we have are a big inspiration of mine,” she said. “I love looking at how the sky and the colours of land go together.”
Plumley describes herself as a painter who incorporates mixed media such as papier-mâché and collage, although she enjoys creating “cartoon-like” digital drawings.
While the Spring Art Show is her first event, Plumley contributed to a collaborative wooden panel piece installed at 13 Victoria Cres. as part of a group project for the Dazzle Camouflage art immersion program with the Nanaimo Art Gallery.
In the upcoming show, Plumley will have eight to 10 different pieces of acrylic on canvas with mixed media that range from smaller, six-by-six-inch pieces, to medium, 16-by-24-inch, pieces.
“For the art show, I really wanted to step into this ‘bright and spring’ scenery – a lot of bright colours with a focus towards wildflower fields. And just floral, bright and whimsical scenery,” she said.
Her father, George Plumley, will show alongside her as a photographer on April 30. While the two haven’t worked together on a project to date, Plumley said it’s an idea she would like to tackle, especially since her father’s work has inspired her in the past.
Their work, as originals and prints, can be found for sale in Nanaimo at the Old City Panache, 250 Prideaux St.
READ MORE: Nanaimo Art Gallery summer campers explore private, public spaces in new show
mandy.moraes@nanaimobulletin.com
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