At The Paint Spot, we’re lucky to have a diverse team of artists and we have a lot in common including a shared love of art materials and the camaraderie to support each other through the challenges with helpful critiques and encouragement. The best part is we enjoy celebrating the accomplishment of finishing a challenging piece of art. Speaking of challenges, this year’s annual staff show provided a unique opportunity to rethink ideation.
Where do you find inspiration? This year’s annual staff show provided a unique opportunity to rethink ideation. Here is how it was set up:
- Each participant chose an image but did not reveal the picture to anyone.
- Next, we wrote a description based on our image.
- Then, names were randomly matched to a description and each artist was tasked with interpreting just the written word to create a 24 x 24″ painting.
- The original images were only revealed after the show was on display.
Are you curious to see how the finished work compared to the original image? Visit our gallery, in person, to view the completed work!
Exhibition runs: January 3rd to February 3rd, 2025
The beauty of this show is the element of surprise and mystery! Artists had the freedom to interpret their descriptions as literally or conceptually as they felt. Valuing the essence of the description in some shape or form.
Here is a gallery of images and further down the page is the reference photo and description. Can you guess which piece is responding to which descriptions?
Visit our gallery, in person, between January 3rd to February 3rd to view the completed work!
The Completed Works
The Inspiration
Here are the written descriptions the artists were given. The actual photo references were not revealed to the artist until their art was complete.
- Can you match the reference to the images above?
- How would you have interpreted the written words?
An empty parking lot, with debris (old tires, bits of metal etc) in front of a low retaining wall of cement blocks. There is graffiti on the retaining wall.
There is a metal railing on top of the retaining wall. It is bright blue with bare, rusty patches.
There is a large patch of fireweed growing through the junk and it is blooming
The obvious, or the recognized, is only the grain of film and the vignette of blackened shadow, absorbing most of the image. Where the light does selectively strike, we see what might be a torso, emerging from or descending into water.
Above this vague figure is a dark, rubbery form, starting from the top of the figure’s head, growing until it reaches a point, like a cone or a birthday hat.
Beyond the focal point of the image, more shadowy figures, wearing similar garb.
A woman wearing a purple hoodie and black pants stands in the middle of a bedroom with a wood floor. The room is painted in bright blues and yellows. There is a small wooden bed, chair, and table. A vase of flowers sits on the table. The window looks out to a field of flowers. Two pictures hang on one wall. The third wall features a hanging shelf with a jacket hanging underneath. The color composition features various shades of blue, yellow, brown, and red.
A woman sits, wearing a voluminous hairstyle and a white dress with extravagant sleeves. She leans to her left, her left arm resting on an enormous vegetable that extends to the floor. The same type of vegetable- also enormous in size- is balanced on her right knee, with her arm resting on top. She has a slight smile on her face, but a steely look in her eyes. She knows she should get first place for her vegetables!
Eye contact of pure love at least for what you’re eating.
Stone background , metal head with horns, beard and chubby cheeks blowing water.
A figure stands triumphantly against a verdant background. It is lit from overhead by dappled sunlight.
Set me free. Chained hands are stretching up to reach a dream of hope in the shape of a butterfly.
He stares at you.. judgingly.. as you observe him confined in his domain, his life framed in shades of white and gray.. donning an orange and white coat, he longs to be free. and you cant help but want to be close to him.
Naess Gallery
10032 81 Avenue | Phone: 780 432 0240 | Email: [email protected]
Named for Sidsel Naess Bradley, The Paint Spot’s founder. who recognized the need for spaces that promote the exploration of artistic ideas and innovative processes. We are extremely proud of this heritage and its contribution to the development of many artists. Naess Gallery continues to be inclusive, encouraging dialogue among artists and visitors. We welcome proposals for exhibitions that push materials, techniques, subject matter, and conceptions.
In planning the Exhibition Year, we will be inviting artists whose practices we admire to exhibit their new works. It will be a year to revisit artists who have shown in the Naess Gallery in the past and to reveal new artists as well. We are going to see an exciting and enriching program of shows! If you have questions about the Naess Gallery or its exhibition program, please ask Kim Fjordbotten phone 780 432 0240.
See what’s new at the Naess Gallery, or be inspired by past artist talks.