For some families, quarantine isn’t about staying apart, but becoming closer with the help of a few paintbrushes, paint, paper and canvases.
Early on in the COVID-19 quarantine period, Halifax, N.S., resident Tisha White was looking for something to do with her nine-year-old daughter Claire Lumsden. She noticed a social media post about a virtual paint night on Zoom and signed them up.
“It was a good way for us to sort of do something different,” she says. “We can sit down and paint ourselves, but for someone to lead us through the painting, it was really good.”
Claire agrees.
“I liked spending time with (my mom) and learning new techniques, so then when we did other paintings, we could use those techniques,” she says.
White says most of this type of event seems to be geared toward adults, which makes it difficult for some people to participate.
“I’m a single parent, so it’s harder for me to make arrangements to get a sitter and actually take part,” she says. “This allows me to take part and do something with her because sometimes these events aren’t catered to kids participating.”
That’s also the reason Annette Nippard, from Halifax, N.S., took part in an event with her 10-year-old daughter, Olivia Bazagar.
“It’s just the two of us, so it can get a little bit boring at times and she loves to paint; it’s one of her favourite activities,” says Nippard. “We found two of them and we really enjoyed doing them.”
Along with painting with her mom, Olivia liked seeing the final product.
“I liked that you got to see how good it turned out,” she says.
Nippard, meanwhile, says she herself found a talent she didn’t know she had.
“I learned that I can paint; I never thought I could, and to follow someone along who knows what they’re doing, it’s not as complicated as I had anticipated,” she says. “I learned that I could probably love doing it as a hobby.”
“I liked that you got to see how good it turned out,” says Olivia Bazagar. – SaltWire Network
How it works
Many painting organizations and groups on the East Coast have hosted online events since March, when the provinces entered a quarantine-like state. Facebook groups were also formed, like Quarantine Paint Night, and events were hosted by organizations like That Art Thing and YayMaker Halifax (formerly Paint Nite Halifax).
As soon as the quarantine happened, Yaymaker Halifax owner Kourtney Prentice said her organization switched to alternative delivery models.
“It was just another way to continue offering our events,” she says. “We just had to get used to the technology, (but) other than that, it was pretty straightforward.”
As with most paint night events, there is a set painting that participants are expected to copy. Over the course of an hour or two, they are guided through a step-by-step process by an instructor, which for virtual events, was usually through Zoom. For the events White and Nippard took part in, there wasn’t a per person fee, but rather a per household fee, which meant anyone on the Zoom call from a household could take part.
Both Nippard and White said participants could use whatever supplies they had available, if they didn’t exactly have what the instructor was using.
“You don’t have to go get anything fancy,” says White. “You could use paper, canvas, watercolour, acrylics; it doesn’t really matter.”
Prentice says for Yaymaker’s online events, they can drop off supplies to participants.
“We were lucky that we have a storage facility with all of our venue supplies and were well stocked up,” she says. “We are able to offer a delivery service, so customers can send us a message on a Facebook page and tell us what they want, like canvases and paint; we’ve also been selling off our gently-used brushes, easels and aprons.”
While she enjoyed the whole process, White did miss the in-person aspect.
“Over Zoom, it was hard, especially when there were so many people participating,” she said. “(The instructor would) say, ‘OK, show me what you have,’ and people would hold it up, but it was more like general complimenting, as opposed to giving any real feedback.”
Still, it’s something she like to do again.
While Yaymaker says organizations will eventually host in-person events again, virtual events are something they’d like to continue as well.
“We’re able to reach a wider audience,” says Prentice. “There’s lots of areas that we don’t do, and so with this more people are able to access our events.”
Nippard says a painting event is something she’d like to do again, but she’d also like to see the events expanded, once social distancing is more relaxed.
“I would love to see more offerings where children can take part; there’s only a select few from what I’ve seen,” she says. “I’d like to see them available for birthday parties; I think children would really like that and it’s something they can take away with them, as opposed to a bag of candy.”
LONDON (AP) — With a few daubs of a paintbrush, the Brontë sisters have got their dots back.
More than eight decades after it was installed, a memorial to the three 19th-century sibling novelists in London’s Westminster Abbey was amended Thursday to restore the diaereses – the two dots over the e in their surname.
The dots — which indicate that the name is pronounced “brontay” rather than “bront” — were omitted when the stone tablet commemorating Charlotte, Emily and Anne was erected in the abbey’s Poets’ Corner in October 1939, just after the outbreak of World War II.
They were restored after Brontë historian Sharon Wright, editor of the Brontë Society Gazette, raised the issue with Dean of Westminster David Hoyle. The abbey asked its stonemason to tap in the dots and its conservator to paint them.
“There’s no paper record for anyone complaining about this or mentioning this, so I just wanted to put it right, really,” Wright said. “These three Yorkshire women deserve their place here, but they also deserve to have their name spelled correctly.”
It’s believed the writers’ Irish father Patrick changed the spelling of his surname from Brunty or Prunty when he went to university in England.
Raised on the wild Yorkshire moors, all three sisters died before they were 40, leaving enduring novels including Charlotte’s “Jane Eyre,” Emily’s “Wuthering Heights” and Anne’s “The Tenant of Wildfell Hall.”
Rebecca Yorke, director of the Brontë Society, welcomed the restoration.
“As the Brontës and their work are loved and respected all over the world, it’s entirely appropriate that their name is spelled correctly on their memorial,” she said.
In a case that has sent shockwaves through the Vancouver Island art community, a local art dealer has been charged with one count of fraud over $5,000. Calvin Lucyshyn, the former operator of the now-closed Winchester Galleries in Oak Bay, faces the charge after police seized hundreds of artworks, valued in the tens of millions of dollars, from various storage sites in the Greater Victoria area.
Alleged Fraud Scheme
Police allege that Lucyshyn had been taking valuable art from members of the public under the guise of appraising or consigning the pieces for sale, only to cut off all communication with the owners. This investigation began in April 2022, when police received a complaint from an individual who had provided four paintings to Lucyshyn, including three works by renowned British Columbia artist Emily Carr, and had not received any updates on their sale.
Further investigation by the Saanich Police Department revealed that this was not an isolated incident. Detectives found other alleged victims who had similar experiences with Winchester Galleries, leading police to execute search warrants at three separate storage locations across Greater Victoria.
Massive Seizure of Artworks
In what has become one of the largest art fraud investigations in recent Canadian history, authorities seized approximately 1,100 pieces of art, including more than 600 pieces from a storage site in Saanich, over 300 in Langford, and more than 100 in Oak Bay. Some of the more valuable pieces, according to police, were estimated to be worth $85,000 each.
Lucyshyn was arrested on April 21, 2022, but was later released from custody. In May 2024, a fraud charge was formally laid against him.
Artwork Returned, but Some Remain Unclaimed
In a statement released on Monday, the Saanich Police Department confirmed that 1,050 of the seized artworks have been returned to their rightful owners. However, several pieces remain unclaimed, and police continue their efforts to track down the owners of these works.
Court Proceedings Ongoing
The criminal charge against Lucyshyn has not yet been tested in court, and he has publicly stated his intention to defend himself against any pending allegations. His next court appearance is scheduled for September 10, 2024.
Impact on the Local Art Community
The news of Lucyshyn’s alleged fraud has deeply affected Vancouver Island’s art community, particularly collectors, galleries, and artists who may have been impacted by the gallery’s operations. With high-value pieces from artists like Emily Carr involved, the case underscores the vulnerabilities that can exist in art transactions.
For many art collectors, the investigation has raised concerns about the potential for fraud in the art world, particularly when it comes to dealing with private galleries and dealers. The seizure of such a vast collection of artworks has also led to questions about the management and oversight of valuable art pieces, as well as the importance of transparency and trust in the industry.
As the case continues to unfold in court, it will likely serve as a cautionary tale for collectors and galleries alike, highlighting the need for due diligence in the sale and appraisal of high-value artworks.
While much of the seized artwork has been returned, the full scale of the alleged fraud is still being unraveled. Lucyshyn’s upcoming court appearances will be closely watched, not only by the legal community but also by the wider art world, as it navigates the fallout from one of Canada’s most significant art fraud cases in recent memory.
Art collectors and individuals who believe they may have been affected by this case are encouraged to contact the Saanich Police Department to inquire about any unclaimed pieces. Additionally, the case serves as a reminder for anyone involved in high-value art transactions to work with reputable dealers and to keep thorough documentation of all transactions.
As with any investment, whether in art or other ventures, it is crucial to be cautious and informed. Art fraud can devastate personal collections and finances, but by taking steps to verify authenticity, provenance, and the reputation of dealers, collectors can help safeguard their valuable pieces.
