Art & Photography in the Garden - Milner Garden Qualicum Beach

Over the weekend, my partner Susan and I took in "Art & Photography in the Garden" at Milner Garden. Local artists had booths set up to show their work, provide demonstrations and just share their joy and knowledge with the public. Potters, photographers, painters and sculptors were on hand even though the weather didn't completely co-operate.

We spent a great deal of time speaking with local photographer Alan Cornall, MPA, F/PPABC of Parksville who retired after 50 years in the profession. He shared his secrets on the type of camera, lens and printer he uses for his digital photography. Many of his shots were wildlife including tigers, eagles, wolves, various birds or just beautiful outdoor scenes.

Larry Aguilar and Sandy Richardson both displayed their pottery and provided demonstrations of their work. These two have worked together for many years and do incredible work.

Several of the local area painters caught our eye including Margaret Bonneau of Nanaimo, Dan Gray of Errington, and Elissa Anthony of Bowser. There were as many different styles and techniques as there were artists.

Margaret's work is a blend of both Figurative and Contemporary Abstraction using pastels and watercolors on textured surfaces and a variety of media.

Dan has worked in soft pastel since 1975 - always painting from live models... always ‘en plein aire’ when painting the landscape. Dan is hosting and Open Studio on August 11th and 12th in Errington.

Primarily working in oils, Elissa also uses acrylics and watercolors. Her works are often created as commissions.

It was a great afternoon and Susan hopes to display her artwork there next year.