RIP Hare-Indian Dog: After John Woodhouse Audubon. 1949/2014. Artist cut and burnt print hand-colored stone lithograph, etched glass urn, and ashes. 13 5/8 x 16 inches. Species last observed 1800s. Photo by Casey Dorobek.

Brandon Ballangée is a biologist and visual artist who addresses the difficult issue of species extinction with elegance and grace. In his recent series, Frameworks of Absence animals are removed from an illustrated lithograph and then the remaining image is photographed and framed. The leftover cut-out image is burned and put into an accompanying glass urn. Participants are asked to scatter the ashes in memory of the species lost.

The cut-out sections are photographed in such a way as to create a shadow where the animal once existed, creating an eery almost ghost-like effect. This exhibition is accompanied by a memory book of lost species Book of the Dead (available as a pdf on the artist's website).

Visual images have a way of making inconceivable ideas concrete. We repeatedly hear the statistics on species extinction, but the information has become so commonplace that we can no longer absorb these dire facts. Looking at Ballangée's work helps us apprehend the incredible loss involved in the extinction of such a variety of species. The work also gives us a kind of resolve because while we might be saddened by these vanished species, the artist has made sure their disappearance has not gone unnoticed.

Sunday, Mar 8, 1pm-4pm

 

Often used as a pejorative term in art, this workshop takes the word 'decorative' and focuses on its potential as a way to create beautiful and intricate drawings.

 

This workshop is ideal if you want to approach drawing in a playful and inventive way. You will start from simple shapes derived from natural forms and then elaborate on them to create complex and detailed drawings. Traditional pen nib and ink as well as more modern felt-tipped pens will be used.

 

Instructor: Wendy Welch

 

Tuition: $65.00 (3 hrs) All materials included

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Sunday, Mar 22, 10am-5pm

Have you ever wondered about how to put colours together? Would you like to learn to create a dynamic colour scheme that is both pleasing and personal? Whether it's how to choose paint for your home or update your wardrobe, colour choices are by their very nature, subjective.

Our resident colour expert, Xane St Phillip will teach you how to create a gratifying colour palette by working with paper swatches and responding to personal decisions based on what are often instant and intuitive likes. Once you have developed your palette, the instructor will guide you through the addition of neutrals and complementary colours to create a personal colour scheme that is both dynamic and visually pleasing.

Instructor: Xane St Phillip
Cost: $135 (all materials included)

To register online