Skip to content
Join our Newsletter

Bird lays the creative process bare

Artist Cameron Bird is laying the creative process bare in a new exhibit launching tomorrow at Whistler’s Adele Campbell Fine Art Gallery.

What: Cameron Bird, Creative Stages

Where: Adele Campbell Fine Art Gallery

When: Saturday, Aug. 28

Creative Stage

s will feature sketches, drawings and other preparatory works alongside a new collection of oil paintings.

One of Adele Campbell’s original exhibitors, Bird’s work has been on display in Whistler for more than a decade and has been the subject of several group and individual exhibitions in the gallery.

True to form, his latest exhibit will depict scenes of rugged terrain and hearty fauna native to the backcountry area north of Pemberton where he resides.

"I actually work part time as a horseback guide so most of the time we’re up in the high alpine," Bird said. "In the show there are pictures of grizzlies, black bear, and I do actually see that."

Such strong subject matter suits the masculine style and bold techniques for which the artist has become known. Bird canvases are more at home in a hunting lodge than a chintz-and-slipcover parlour.

"I do mostly big game, so when you paint it I find you have to show the power of the mountains and the animals," he commented.

"I really try and paint with power. I’ve been taught from the very beginning to try and use as big a brush as you can. If I do a sunset and it looks like a ‘pretty’ scene I’ll try and punch up the colour just to make it that much stronger."

A dedicated conservationist, Bird will be auctioning off one of his grizzly paintings at the exhibit’s opening reception tomorrow evening and donating the proceeds to the Whistler Bear Society.

He will also be on hand in the gallery tomorrow around 4 p.m. to answer questions and talk shop with other aspiring artists. The forthright Bird is undaunted at revealing his methods, choosing to live out loud rather than hide behind a constructed artist mystique. He says he keeps a journal detailing the process of each of his works and is willing to let those who are interested read from it.

"I guess the way I see it is I don’t mind telling people. I learned from somebody else and if they would have hidden it, I never would have excelled," Bird said. "I think you have to be open and not worried that someone is going to steal your idea or how you do something. It’s something I’m willing to pass on. I’ve learned certain things and I don’t mind letting people see it."

The Adele Campbell will host a reception for Creative Stages Saturday, Aug. 28 from 6 to 9 p.m.

For more information call 604-938-0887.

New Eventov at West Coast Gallery

The West Coast Gallery is also showcasing new works by a long-time exhibitor this weekend.

Artist Maya Eventov, a Russian emigré living in Ontario, is a favourite of West Coast patrons, particularly for her warm depictions of the Tuscan countryside painted in a rich avant-garde style that betrays her Russian roots.

The gallery is hosting two receptions for Eventov tonight (Friday, Aug. 27) and tomorrow evening from 6 to 9 p.m.

For more information call 604-935-0087.