Local artist Christy Mitchell will show her popular Monotypes this weekend at the Filberg Loge in Comox.
“The monotype process with it’s painterly effects has kept me intrigued since 1994,” says Mitchell. “The challenge of ‘working backwards’ and never quite knowing how the piece is going to turn out is a constant adventure and it requires both patience and a sense of humour.”
Mitchell works with different subject matter, often with abstract elements that allow the viewer to make their own decisions about how to view the piece. Whether the piece is a floral image with dramatic colour or an interpretive landscape, the artwork has taken many layers of colour and repeated transfers to develop into the finished piece.
“With the landscapes I often draw from many small ‘thumbnail’ sketches which I compose to create the artwork.”
Therefore the viewer really brings their own experience into viewing the work as it may suggest a memory of some place they have been rather than the artist painting a specific scene.
The Filberg Lodge and Park is a great place to visit all year round and visitors can wander through the grounds to enjoy this time of year when the gardens are at rest. With all the leaves down, the views to the water are framed by the trees in sharp contrast and there is a unique beauty to the park.
The lodge will be open this Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mitchell will be on site to both answer questions about her unusual technique and also provide information about this interesting building that once housed a prominent Valley family. The collectibles gift shop upstairs will also be open at 61 Filberg Rd. in Comox.
— Christy Mitchell