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B6 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, August 2, 2000 Arts & Entertainment O akville B eaver E ntertainm ent Editor: Carol Baldwin 845-3824 (Extension 254); Fax: 337-5567; E-mail: baldwin@haltonsearch.com Oakville artist defeats the drab, dark doldrums o f winter by splashing vibrant colours on silk school full-time that she decided to convert her creativity into a career, taking a night course first, then going back to college and finally on to university for a BFA. Most artists paint or draw on canvas or "At Sheridan (Brampton campus) I did metal paper. Peri Jolley does both on silk. and glass. You had to do everything, every stu Although the Oakville artist also works on canvas and paper with a variety of media, Jolley dio - printmaking, painting, drawing. You name it, we did it. But that was the fine art school," recently began creating on silk; and she enjoys she says, explaining that that program no longei painting abstract designs for scarves as well as exists. "At university printmaking was my drawing and painting images that she later major and painting a secondary one." mattes and frames. After graduation, Jolley's experimentation Jolley's introduction to silk, however, was turned to watercolours, and she continued with * voluntary. She attended a workshop to keep that medium for a few years, ultimately teach artist friend company and admits to only ing others to work with it at the Chatham Cul enjoying it...it didn't turn my crank that tural Centre, where she was also a member of much." However, the same friend called about six months later asking Jolley to accompany her the board and, later, ran its art gallery. `Then I went back to painting again. And I to another workshop. "I sort of got hooked then. started doing outdoor painting. I'd just been a "It's nice in the winter when it's dead cold studio major; I had never painted outside," she and I'm using those vibrant colours, when I says, adding that she now can't get out to paint and draws and paints outside, I'm usually working in a especially at her cottage studio," she explains, "Som etim es I ' ve even pulled during the summer. "When adding, "If you do water things out o f frames and friends say, `Do you want colours, silks are just duck to come over and paint?' soup." redone them because I'm ready to roll...I'll go And duck soup they are, I saw som ething about them out with a group to paint, with a little bit of drawing I didn' t lik e " but you still chose your and/or painting, a dash of own spot to paint. So, stitching, and a pinch of you're still on your own as highlighting, added of far as your vision is con course to the main ingredi cerned." ent - silk, and pot of water - in this case used The isolation that Jolley is alluding to has for washing, rinsing and steaming. The steam always been kept at bay by the artist, who has ing renders the scarves colour-fast and coldbeen actively involved in a number of arts orga water washable. nization in various Ontario communities. In `Then I roll them in hot towels and iron 1988, when she and her husband moved to them. It's a lot of work to do it because I don't have a great, huge steamer," says Jolley. "I have Oakville, Jolley joined the Oakville Art Society This year, the 35th anniversary of Art in the friends who keep asking me to do yardage, but Park, marks the first year that Jolley will be pai that's too much. I do big paintings, though... ticipating. In fact, she says, she has never show right up to 31 by 31 (inches)." cased her work in an outdoor show. Jolley's hand-painted silk scarves are always "My work always goes in galleries or art available in the Oakville Art Society's gift shop at 560 Bronte Rd., but for those who can't make rentals or gift shops. I'm not taking a booth by it to the shop, she will have many of them avail myself. I'm going in with the Art Society group," she explains. "I'll have some small mal able at the annual Art in the Park on the civic ted pieces, some framed pieces - silks and holiday, along with some of her greeting cards watercolours, acrylics and mixed media pieces, and a number of paintings on a variety of mate and the cards and scarves." rials including silk. Her cards, she says, are often small repro She even does some silks in the microwave; ductions of her paintings or prints, but they but that's another story. may also be originals - small paintings she has "I'm an experimental painter. Whatever I'm done on location to use as models for bigger doing, I'm constantly experimenting because paintings. it's just using my brain...And it's great fun," "I do small value sketches or I might even do she says. "Sometimes you mess up. But how do a small colour sketch. Then I take photographs. you grow if you don't take chances. It's like And then I sit down and paint one painting for, anything else in life." say, three hours," she says, explaining that she And life for Jolley has always included art, even as a child when she was drawn to anything paints other scenes from the same location dur ing the winter by recapturing the moment yellow, especially edible yellow But it wasn't until her three children were in through the photos and drawings. By Carol Baldwin ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Photo by Peter C. McCusker Peri Jolley's silk paintings and scarves will be available at this year's Art in the Park on Mon day (Aug. 7), along with some of her watercolours, acrylics, mixed media pieces and cards. This is the first year that the Oakville artist has participated in the Art in the Park show and sale. In fact, this show will represent the first outdoor venue that has ever included her art work. All her paintings, she adds, must be matted before she deems them suitable for signing and selling. "Sometimes I've even pulled things out of frames and redone them because I saw some thing about them I didn't like," she confesses. However, her perfectionism doesn't deter the seasoned artist. "I actually am very thrilled that I have this (art) for the rest of my life." Choir of African orphans sings in town Sunday The internationally acclaimed, Grammy-nominated African Chil dren's Choir will be appearing in con cert at St. Michael Church, 181 Sewell Dr., on Sunday, Aug. 6th at 7 p.m. The African Children's Choir is a group of 26 African children, aged 5 to 12, specially selected from needy chil dren in East Africa. Many have lost one or both parents. They perform a wide variety of songs, accompanied by drums and eth nic instrumentation, including popular children's songs, gospel melodies, lively spirituals and some contempo rary tunes. Friends in the West, formed during Idi Amin's reign of terror, brought the first African Children's Choir to North America in September, 1984. As well as providing for the physical, spiritual and educational needs of these chil dren, Friends in the West also offers emergency assistance, food and hous ing to orphans in Rwanda, the southern Sudan, Albania, Romania and Bosnia. The Oakville concert, featuring the African Children's Choir, is co-spon- Art in the Park: the little art exhibition that grew The 35th annual Art in the Park is the biggest in the history of the event, according to Joe Smith, events co-ordinator for the Oakville Art Society. "It's at its maximum level. We have over 120 artists. And we have a waiting list," he says with delight. "Art in the Park is obviously on the list of preferred shows that artists want to participate in...because it's recognized in the arts community as the show to attend." And, he adds, "Patrons know that they are going to find quality art there." Smith says many of last year's participants have returned to the show and sale in Bronte's Water front Heritage Park, but there are still some new participants in this year's juried show. Admission is $2 to the exhibi tion that will feature a variety of original art work, including paint ings, pottery, sculptures, glass work and photography from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday, Aug. 7th in the park at the foot of Bronte Road (comer of Ontario and Jones Streets). Photo courtesy of Friends in the West From left to right (front row) Hottensia Gathoni, Fred Kaggwa, Andrew Kirwa, Joyce Babirye and Diana Nabankema, (middle row) Moses Kamau, Winfred Namuyiga, Agnes Nalutaaya, Joseph Tusubira, Scovia Nabukera, Jeoffry Ssebuline, Rose Nabukeera and Andrew Mbaiseku, (back row) Annet Nakku, Berina Arinaitwe, Emmanuel Kamau, Winfred Nabirye and Fraciah Waithira. sored by Upper Oaks Community Church and St. Michael Roman Catholic Church. These two churches have also secured accommodations for the children and their adult supervisors for their nights in Oakville. No tickets are required for the Sun day evening concert. Admission is free, but donations will be gratefully accepted. 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