The Truro Art Society is sponsoring ‘The Wonder and the Worry,’ an exhibit that features Margaret Boyle and Joy Laking.
Truro’s Boyle and Laking, of Portaupique, are both mature artists who decided to use this exhibition to push their creativity in new directions. This exhibition features experimental work in many mediums, including felting, dying, hooking, painting and fabric.
All creativity is a combination of inspiration, and perspiration. Sometimes ideas are realized immediately but often it is a long and difficult process when artists are pushing boundaries with unfamiliar materials.
For this upcoming exhibition Boyle challenged herself with the creation of a large installation for the stairwell of the library, home of the gallery. She had never attempted three-dimensional work before.
Her creation employs multiple strips of organza and satin silks, hand dyed and suspended from the ceiling. There is a colour gradation in the piece that creates a soft glowing central area. Her concept for the piece is contemplative. Her other works take many paths and explore various techniques, some for the first time.
One very exciting thing that both artists did was to exchange work with the purpose of each creating a piece that was influenced by the other. Boyle found it very energizing to work with Laking’s brilliant colours and shapes, while Laking, inspired by one of Boyle’s subtle fabric pieces, found it exciting to paint for the first time on multiple layers of sheer large fabric.
Laking’s other work in this exhibition features painted furniture, felting, dyeing, hooking, weaving and painting.
In the summer Boyle and Laking worked making clay objects out of beach clay. These were later pit fired and some have found there way into this exhibition. Laking used several of her clay pieces in a large sea mobile, that will be displayed with her sea trunk, a sea watercolour and a sea felting.
The exhibit runs from March 4 to 27 (open weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.) at the McCarthy Gallery at the Nova Scotia Community College Truro campus.
An opening reception will be held March 9 from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. with both artists on hand. Refreshments will be served.
