For 30 years, you鈥檝e seen them on Moss Street, brushes in hand, creating that mysterious thing called art. But what is it really like to be a painter at the TD Art Gallery Paint-In?
To find out, the sa国际传媒 chatted with a trio of long-time participants who鈥檒l return to Moss Street on Saturday.
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Victor Lotto, painter and retired diplomat
This 82-year-old Oak Bay artist has taken part in 19 Paint-Ins. A veteran of outdoor art festivals, Lotto has also participated in such plein air events as the Bowker Creek Brush-Up and Art on the Gorge.
Lotto first got interested in painting as a nine-year-old after winning a scholarship to attend classes at the Ontario College of Art in Toronto. He kept it up as a hobby during a long career in international diplomacy and trade. Lotto was a Canadian ambassador in Venezuela and Canadian consul general in Brazil. He also served as federal trade commissioner in Milan, Beirut and Detroit.
The TD Art Gallery Paint-In is a treat for Lotto because he loves chatting to passers-by while daubing his canvases. His introduction to this kind of public art-making was as an artist-in-residence on the Queen of the North ferry, which ran between Port Hardy and Prince Rupert until 2006, when it sank.
Lotto did this for a week at a time over the summers of 1997, 1998 and 1999. He got the job by luck. Lotto was hired when the captain of another ferry, the Queen of Chilliwack, noticed him painting as a passenger.
鈥淗e came up and said: 鈥榃e could use you,鈥� 鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was fun meeting people. It鈥檚 just part of my nature.鈥�
While enjoyable, painting outdoors is not without pitfalls. Lotto once participated at a paint-in at Royal Roads University when it suddenly began to hail. The deluge splattered not only the artist but watercolour canvases he had on display.
鈥淭hree of the paintings I had hanging up just disappeared, just like that,鈥� he said.
Happily, the benefits of paint-ins far outweigh the occasional calamity. Lotto says he invariably meets friends and acquaintances at the TD Art Gallery Paint-In whom he hasn鈥檛 seen for years.
He was once approached by a 93-year-old man who turned out to be his old Latin teacher from Jarvis Collegiate Institute in Toronto. They hadn鈥檛 seen each other for more than half a century.
鈥淎s a joke, he said: 鈥業 hope you鈥檙e still working on your Latin,鈥� said Lotto with a smile.
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Linny D. Vine, painter and shoe collector
Although Lotto holds the Paint-In record among those interviewed, this Esquimalt painter comes in a solid second. This is Linny鈥檚 13th year at the TD Art Gallery Paint-In.
Her oil and acrylic artworks typically portray buildings rendered in a colourful and fanciful manner.
鈥淚 paint Linny Land,鈥� she said. 鈥淟inny Land is a happy, sunshine-y world.鈥�
At the annual Paint-In, Vine always paints one of the nearby houses. Painting Moss Street one house at a time is not only fun, it鈥檚 a good selling point. Often, owners will recognize their abodes and buy the painting on the spot.
One such buyer kept trotting across the street to check on the progress of the painting. While chatting, Vine learned that they are both avid shoe collectors.
鈥淗e said: 鈥業 bet I have more shoes than you.鈥� And then he came over every half hour with a different pair of shoes on,鈥� she said.
What brings Vine back year after year? She loves the Paint-In鈥檚 festive feel and the crowd鈥檚 enthusiasm for discussing the creative process.
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Eunmi Conacher, painter and No. 1 Paint-In fan
With seven years of Paint-Ins under her belt, Conacher might be a relative newcomer compared to some. Still, it鈥檚 hard to beat this Sooke artist鈥檚 unbridled enthusiasm for the event.
Conacher applied to the TD Art Gallery Paint-In for several years until she was finally accepted.
鈥淥ne day, I got in. Of course, I was on top of the world. Woowee!鈥� she said.
Although she鈥檚 a professional painter who studied art at Australia鈥檚 University of Sydney and Tsukuba University in Japan, for years, Conacher considered herself a mere hobbyist. She credits the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria and the Paint-In for boosting her confidence.
鈥淵ou meet people. Whether they like your work or not, they are always encouraging you. They say: 鈥榊eah, your work is great. Keep doing it,鈥� 鈥� Conacher said.
After the Paint-In, and being encouraged to participate in the AGGV鈥檚 art-rentals program, Conacher said she never looked back. 鈥淚 just paint and paint and paint. And today, here I am.鈥�