The inaugural Cobalt Blues exhibition opens November 6, 2019, at Gallery 1313 in Toronto, Ontario. The group show, “Here, There and Everywhere,” features the work of eleven local painters and will be on display until November 17, 2019.
For more information see the Facebook page: Cobalt Blues
Cobalt Blues, a group of eleven Toronto painters, have been meeting regularly for several years at different locations around the city, from Ward’s Island to the streets of Parkdale, to sketch, paint and learn from each other. The group works mostly on paper and mostly in watercolour. While many of the eleven women pursue other creative interests, as a group they are drawn to the immediacy of working “in situ” and capturing the essence of Toronto and other locations to which they have travelled individually and as a group. This, their first exhibit, is appropriately titled “Here, There and Everywhere.”
The results of working and travelling as a group are also evident in the exhibition. Cobalt Blues members regularly circulate “themed” sketchbooks among themselves to which each of them contributes; these will also be on exhibit.
In addition, each member has learned and gained from the others:
Jan Venus, a theatre costume designer who is drawn to landscape painting, says she struggles to keep her painting loose. When asked what helps, Venus says the weekly urban sketching sessions and group critiques encourage her to let go and stay fresh. “And we travel well together, which is a real plus,” she adds.
Asked about the experience of working in a group, Catharine Tanner, a Toronto architect, describes it as a motivator. “Working alongside a group of painters pushes me to improve. We support each other to meet deadlines and try new techniques. It’s a great way to work.”
Mary Spayne, who draws inspiration from nature and remote locations, immigrated to Canada several years ago. While always interested in painting, she joined the group as a way to find a new community. “This is a special group of people. We really have the best of both worlds – we’ve become friends as well as evolving together creatively.”
Cobalt Blues Painters
Rosalie Bellefontaine, Laura Brocklebank, Linda Egan, Jennifer Glossop, Stephanie Lever, Anna Payne-Krzyzanowski, Mary Spayne, Catharine Tanner, Stephanie Thorson, Jan Venus, Janis Wade.
Contact info:
Name: Phil Anderson
Organization: Gallery 1313
Address: 1313 Queen West, Toronto, Ontario
Phone: 416-536-6778