Eptek Art and Culture Centre to host Double Vision Photography and Paint exhibit

CAPTION: Paula Kenney, Eptek Art and Culture Centre site director, shows off paintings and photos for the exhibit which opens Sunday.

S. RYAN QUIGLEY

JOURNAL PIONEER

SUMMERSIDE- Wendy Lefebvre was working with a photographer whose photo she was using for inspiration for a painting. After hearing his complaints about the lack of shows for photographers in Prince Edward Island, she had an idea.

She decided to put together a show that complimented the two art forms by having painters using pictures from photographers for inspiration.

Lefebvre is now one of the artists putting on the Double Vision art show premiering with an open house on Sunday at the Eptek Arts Centre in Summerside.

The show will feature artists Katharine Dagg, Tanya Sheridan, Suzanne James and Lefebvre with photographers Kim Foote, Joe Sampson, Mickey Coughran and Shirley Gallant.

There will be 48 works shown at the show, with each artist paired with a photographer for six paintings each. Though some of the pairings were assigned after the names had been accumulated, some of the painters and photographers took the opportunity to work together.

Coughran said he is excited to see the public’s reaction to the marriage between the two arts.

“We are both attempting to portray an image, some of us using lenses- others, brushes.”

James, partnered with Coughran, said the work helped her gain a new appreciation of photography and its skills.

“I feel the show will be different and an opportunity for people to compare the photo and the painting thereby raising their own awareness and observation.”

Gallant said she was interested to see what her partner Lefebvre was inspired by in her photos.

“I know an artist can’t always create a successful painting unless she feels strongly enough about it. I had to look at my own photos somewhat differently. In the end, I felt very satisfied with the results and quite honored to have my photos painted.”

Lefebvre said it’s always a risk when you put your own painting out there, but this time was a little harder.

“And it’s more of a risk when the inspiration of your painting, a photo, is hanging right beside your interpretation. I felt I had a real responsibility to do justice to Shirley’s photographs.”

Foote said she thinks it will be interesting to see what decisions an artist makes painting from a photograph.

“They will be privy to the changes and the interpretations painters make during their creative exercise.”

Dagg, who will be painting from Foote’s photograph, said it was a different experience.

“You have to find a way to do justice to his/her vision and still create a vision that expresses something that excites you as an artist.”

The show will be going from April 17 to May 13 at the Eptek Art and Culture Centre, the open house on Sunday is open 2 p.m. to 4p.m.