Three artists, presenting three different visions of the Comox Valley's McLoughlin Gardens, are being showcased this month at the Pearl Ellis Gallery.
The exhibition is called "Triple Vision" and it will be on from Oct. 15 to Nov. 9 from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m.. The gallery is hosting an opening reception this Saturday from 1 until 3 p.m.
In July 2022, the artists, Thom Rypien, Glenn Gustafson and Brenda Kramarchuk took part in a one-week studio residency at the gardens. Inspired by the stunning ocean-side location, they used their respective mediums to capture their vision of the forest, ocean and garden landscapes that are present at the site.
Rypien is a glass artists from Courtenay. His focus is primarily on stained glass, and his work represents the three ecological zones in the gardens. He also crafted some smaller panels and fused glass scenes, each reflecting the diverse beauty of the area.
Gustafson, also from Courtenay, works in various mediums, but concentrated on free-form woven landscapes for this residency. He also illustrated the three landscapes of the site.
Kramarchuk, hailing from Rosthern, SK, focused on photography to capture the three ecosystems. She also wrote poetry that reflects her personal response to the experience. Kramarchuk self-published a book called "McLoughlin Gardens - An Artist Residency" that featured her photography and poetry. The book is part of the exhibit.
Kramarchuk also collaborated with Gustafson to make handmade seaweed paper and nature prints, which they used to create a series of bound books inspired by the gardens.