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Trees of Hope art auction returns

Fairmont Chateau Whistler and Mountain Galleries host 10 artists who will create canvases for sale
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West Coast Art Artist Gail Johnson painting at Trees of Hope in 2015. She is taking part in the 2016 landscape art sale at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler. Photo submitted

When Nanoose Bay painter Brent Lynch was still earning his crust as an illustrator and designer he was handed the gig of a lifetime, designing the Vancouver Canucks' famous logo — an orca bursting out of a stylized letter "C."

It was 1995 and to get full approval took two years, he says. The team wears his design to this day.

"It was fun but I think I'm good for one professional logo, that's it," he laughs.

"It's the facilitating that takes time. You can't be wrong with something like this, you have to test focus groups, that sort of thing."

Soon after, Lynch moved into painting and never looked back, building a reputation as a landscape artist, capturing scenes from the West Coast, the Rockies and Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

Lynch often paints Whistler scenes.

"Whistler is an old stomping ground of mine. I grew up going there every weekend skiing, when there was the old gondola and that was it," he says.

Lynch is one of 10 artists taking part in the Fairmont Chateau Whistler and the Mountain Galleries' second annual charity art auction, Trees of Hope, raising money for the Canuck Place Children's Hospice.

"With fundraisers, I try and keep it honest. We have to do a painting in a weekend, so I'm not going to bring any research. I'm going to start painting and see what happens," he says.

The other Trees of Hope artists for 2016 are Linda Wilder of Calgary, Randy Hayashi of Edmonton, Gail Johnson of Vancouver Island, Charlie Easton of Vancouver, Shannon Ford of Okanagan, Wendy Wacko of Jasper, Karel Doruyter of Penticton, and Whistler's Doria Moodie and Andrea Moore.

All 10 artists are coming to the Fairmont for Nov. 19 and 20, where they will create their paintings for the auction. There, visitors will be able to watch and speak to them about the works in progress.

The artwork will go on display at the hotel until Jan. 4 and can be bid for in a silent auction.

Last year's Trees of Hope painting auction raised $11,000 for Canuck Place, says Wendy Hargreaves, director of sales and marketing at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler.

"Last year was the first year we had run Trees of Hope that way," Hargreaves says.

"We really wanted to partner with Mountain Galleries... and this was completely outside the box go at it from an artistic point of view. We are doing something similar this year because it was so successful."

She said they were grateful for the donation of time and artwork by the artists.

"We find the guests and the local community, everyone who comes to see the artists at work, are very inspired," she says.

"These are some of the best artists in Canada. It's a special treat for everybody."

The auction goes live at noon on Thursday, Nov. 24 on www.32auctions.com/WhistlerTreesofHope2016.