Tag: painting

An Update from Westland Gallery, Al Stewart

by Richard Young

Submitted by Gallery Owner, Al Stewart

I figured it was time to share an update on the Westland building, which, as you probably know by now, is currently for sale. While our intention is for the Westland Gallery business to eventually move down the road to The Art Exchange building, the 156 Wortley Rd. address remains for sale.

Over the past few months, there’s been quite a bit of interest in the building, but nothing that makes us ready to leave the building just yet. The building will remain available for purchase in the coming months. Until someone comes along who we think can look after our historical building and give back to the village, the gallery will stay in this building, continuing on with our planned exhibitions for 2025 and 2026.

Our next exhibition is a solo show by Lisa Johnson, and it is going to be a knockout. Lisa spent a month in Newfoundland at an artist residency in Pouch Cove, painting absolutely stunning landscapes. I can’t recommend visiting Lisa’s show, opening on October 28th, enough. It’s certainly a must-see.

(Pictured: Painter Lisa Johnson)

Unfortunately, because of the time required to plan the Square Foot Show, we have decided not to do it this year. Both the planning of the show and the returning of artwork take months and months to complete, and we couldn’t commit to a show of this scale this year.

I know there are going to be many disappointed artists and collectors, but it just wasn’t the right timing, with the potential sale of the building.

In place of the Square Foot Show, we have a number of small pieces by our gallery artists on their way for December! We will also be presenting pieces from the estates of several renowned London artists to be sold at very accessible prices for collectors who would like to own a piece. We will have work from the estates of Helmut Becker, Herb Ariss, and Kerry Ferris, to name just a few.

See you at the gallery,

Al Stewart

For more information about Westland Gallery, visit https://westlandgallery.ca/

Nature Nurtures and Teaches: The Root of Wisdom at Westland Gallery.

by Richard Young

by Beth Stewart, The Beat Magazine 2025

The Root of Wisdom at Westland Gallery marries the work of two disparate yet ultimately complementary artists. Ottawa artist Clara Kim’s work with its frenetic brush work reveals recognizable forms, whereas Guelph artist Christopher Cape’s work is understated and ethereal. Together, they offer a respite from the day-to-day with a giant serving of the natural world.

According to Kim, the title of this joint exhibition is a nod to poet William Wordsworth. She is likely alluding to his piece “The Tables Turned” as, in it, he advises “Let Nature be your teacher/ She has a world of … Spontaneous wisdom”. Nature as teacher is certainly seen in the work of both artists.

Kim’s work with its colourful birds, bears and other beasts is contained in the front gallery. Most of the pieces are quite large. She depicts her animals in a style that she says is influenced by both ancient Korean arts and contemporary western sensibilities.

Through the ages, Korean art has been naturalistic, favouring the beauty of raw materials and natural patterns. Kim takes these traditional values and extends them with modern materials and approaches.

To this end, Kim employs a variety of tools and materials in her oil and acrylic paintings including knife scratching, and ink crayon, and pastel drawing. This is clearly seen in her abstract backgrounds and in what Westland Marketing Coordinator Anna Wilson calls the “evolution” of Kim’s mark making.

(Clara Kim’s oil and acrylic piece on canvas, “My World”. Image courtesy of Westland Gallery.)

In Kim’s “My World”, the bear stands firmly on calligraphic shapes and is backed by abstract forms. In her “Rainbow Raven #2”, colourful lines meander playfully as flecks of similar hues dance across the blackness of the bird’s plumage.

(Clara Kim’s oil and acrylic on canvas piece “Rainbow Raven #2” Image courtesy of Westland Gallery.)

Christopher Cape’s plein air landscapes occupy the upper gallery. Bold and mysterious, these works shun detail in favour of colour, reductionist form and evocative titles. They avoid obvious telling and beg for individual interpretation.

(Christopher Cape’s oil on cradled birch “Before the End”. Image courtesy of Westland Gallery.)

On the other hand, his “Take Flight”, with its stacked birds, bucks the non-representational trend while still embracing its pastel colouration and a limited depth of field.

(Christopher Cape’s oil and acrylic on cradled birch, “Take Flight”. Image courtesy of Westland Gallery.)

Titles stand out as integral to Cape’s art. His are evocative. To what end does “Before the End” refer? What happened “Moments Before”? What does “You Remember More than You Know” mean?

Happily, for the artists, there are lots of red dots to be seen; a few pieces have already gone to their forever homes.

“The Root of Wisdom” continues to October 25, 2025, at Westland Gallery, 156 Wortley Road. For more information, visit https://westlandgallery.ca/

Reviewed by Beth Stewart

For information about Beth Stewart’s art, visit https://bethstewart.ca/

New Exhibition, Echoes of the Land, opens at Westland Gallery, Sept. 2.

by Richard Young
MEDIA RELEASE – Westland Gallery’s incredibly brilliant and successful textile show will be closing this weekend, and I will be installing the next show, titled Echoes of the Land, this Sunday. This exhibition features Jane Roy, VC Glennie and Denise Antaya; three painters who are creating landscapes and urban scenes with a few figures thrown in to mix it up a bit. Denise is a high realism painter whose landscapes are generally from close to home. VC’s work is leaning towards abstraction, with some architecture and figures introduced for a more urban appearance. Jane has created two impressionistic series of works based on landscapes in both Canada and Scotland. We have worked with Jane for almost as long as she has been painting. She started taking painting lessons with Jamie Jardine 8-10 years ago and within a couple of years she was ready to show her work. I was fortunate enough to be the gallery that Jane chose to exhibit with. I was confident that she had the talent, drive and mentorship that would take her a long way.
Over the years Jane has found her own style, as well as confidence in her ability to create some wonderful work. She and Jamie are now both friends and collaborators and have created many pieces together that are really incredible. Somehow she has an endless supply of energy to be a mother, hockey player, painter and co-executive director of the London Foodbank with her husband, Glen Pearson. I feel honoured to have Jane as a part of our gallery.
Denise Antaya has been with us for about eight years, and again, when I met Denise, I knew she was determined and destined to be a star in the art world. After a life altering event she chose to return to school to study high realism painting. She went to the Academy of Realist art in Toronto where they teach you how to draw and paint like the old masters. Denise is a lifelong learner who keeps evolving and getting better and better. She was a finalist in the Great Canadian Landscape painter show on CBC and wins awards around the world for her beautiful landscapes. Nobody sees or depicts light like Denise. Her paintings make you feel the warmth of the sunshine and the joy a beautiful sunset brings.
VC Glennie is a more recent painter for us. Although she has been in our Square Foot Show for years, she was never able to commit the time to paint a full show for us. VC was a caregiver for aging parents for four years and she selflessly took on the role and drew whenever time allowed to keep her skills honed.
VC has had extensive formal training, starting off with a BA from the University of Western Ontario, then B.Sc.A.A.M. Art as Applied to Medicine from the University of Toronto.  She worked for years in the field as a medical illustrator until she found it too isolating. She then went to Sheridan college to study computer animation and then worked in the United States in that profession for a while. When she returned home, VC took a studio at The Arts Project until she was needed at home full time. When life changed again, VC went back to painting and has explored an array of different styles and subject matters. She was recently in The Figurative Show and has now created  architectural and figurative landscapes that push the definition of landscape painting just a bit.   The show promises to be another great one, I hope you all will be able to come and see it.

Al Stewart, Westland Gallery
For more information about Westland Gallery, visit https://westlandgallery.ca/

Q&A Profile Audrey Cooper & ArtWithPanache 

by Richard Young

Soon-to-be ninety-eight-year-old Audrey Cooper is the proud proprietor and curator of London’s downtown art gallery, ArtWithPanache. The Beat Magazine 2009 recently spoke with Audrey about her gallery and what the future holds for her. 

What follows is an edited Q&A Profile. 

When did you open your gallery? What motivated you to open it? 

I opened ArtWithPanache in September 2013. I was given the opportunity to convert 2,000 square feet of retail space in the Talbot Centre in downtown London into an art gallery. So, I said, “Why not? I am only 86 and it sounds like fun.”  So, I signed up and never looked back. 

The real motivation behind it though was when I came to London and started to paint, there were no galleries here willing to take the risk of showing emerging artists. I gathered all the artists I knew, hung their art and away we went. Over time ArtWithPanache became a sort of hangout for artists who would drift in for artist talk and companionship and that continues until this day. We are the only gallery that encourages artists to spend time in the gallery interacting with clients. I do not know why; I love it. 

What is the significance of the gallery’s name? 

I am something of a word junkie and ‘panache’ to me conjures up pictures of cool fashions, 1920s art, and the fantastic background decor in black and white Fred and Ginger movies. 

Have you always been at your present location? 

Yes, the gallery has always been in the Talbot Centre, but because of renovations to the first floor we are in a different space on the first floor. 

What does “London Gallery Run by Local Artists” mean? 

AtWithPanache operates primarily as an ‘Artists Collective.’ Artists who become members of ‘Panache Artists’ are not charged for displaying their work in the gallery; however, they must exhibit at least two paintings at all times and are eligible for one complimentary solo exhibition annually. The gallery commission on sales is set at 5% lower than the standard ArtWithPanache rate. Participating artists are required to volunteer in the gallery for a minimum of two days per month. Gallery staff are always available to assist customers with purchasing original art and to engage in discussions about art with visitors or fellow artists. 

Do you have scheduled exhibitions, or is the artwork displayed on consignment for set periods? Or both? 

Panache Artists regularly exhibit in the gallery, and non-gallery artists are welcome to display their work for two- or three-week periods on commission. Art groups and clubs also participate. Currently, Portside Gallery from Port Stanley is hosting a show with us. 

September is a particularly eventful month for you, with the opening of a show featuring an Oh Canada theme. The gallery is celebrating its 12th anniversary, and you will mark your 98th birthday. May I ask if you have any special plans for the month? 

September will be hopping. The Oh Canada show opens on Saturday, September 20, from 12:00 until 4:00 with our artists’ heartfelt depictions of their love for Canada and what it means for them to live here.  Artists will be on hand to mingle with visitors; refreshments will be served and lots of other stuff going on. 

September 30 is our day to celebrate our 12th Anniversary as ArtWithPanache and my 98th Birthday with an Open House in the gallery. Refreshments and lots of fun and surprises, Join us please. 

I see you were named to. the City of London Mayor’s 2024 New Year’s Honorary List under Arts. Tell me how it felt to receive that recognition. 

Ha! I was completely gobsmacked and still believe there was a mistake made at City Hall. 

Is there anything else you think The Beat Magazine 2009 readers should know about Audrey Cooper and ArtWithPanache? 

Since I have packed in 98 years there is lots more to tell but you will need to drop into ArtWithPanache to find out. 

To learn more about Audrey and ArtWithPanache, visit https://artwithpanachelondon.weebly.com/

You can also follow ArtWithPanache on Facebook and Instagram.