Sitting on the edge of our rigid seats in the centre of the tall-ceilinged room and surrounded by paint-splattered tables, everyone’s attention was arrested by the wise words and tender touch of renowned artist and guest teacher Nicoletta Baumeister.
Guiding us to train our eyes on the sources of light bouncing off and around our subject matter — a life-size iguana cast — Baumeister insisted we look for “the terminator.”
I resisted the temptation to take a cursory glance around the room for Arnold Schwarzenegger or do my apparently irritating “I’ll be back” impersonation in an Austrian-Californian accent.
No, this watercolour class was a serious business and the good ladies at the Riverside Arts Circle had been good enough to budge up and temporarily transform their friendly sphere at the Richmond Arts Centre into an oblong for the day to accommodate my invasion.
Besides, there was no time for hilarity, as no sooner had Baumeister moved on from “flat arcs,” “transitions of tone” and “the terminator” — the area where the form transitions from light into shadow, in case you wondered — she was flowing over the peaks and troughs of controlling our delicate brushes.
We also learned what an egg, a triangular piece of wood and a plastic iguana have in common.
“Know what your brush can do and be bold,” Baumeister implored on the 14-strong group of mostly retired women, as her bristles glided over the textured fibre of her fine, opus paper.
“Don’t get your knickers in a knot. Use your eyes and trust them.”
Minutes later, with Baumeister’s sage advice coursing through my inartistic veins, I dared to load my wand with colour and water and make my magical mark on the world of watercolour.
Trying desperately to ignore the mechanics of my shoulder connected to the elbow, connected to the forearm, to the wrist, hand and fingers, I had to battle the fear of the brush, having neglected to partake of the visual arts since the equivalent of Grade 11 art class in the UK.
Despite, as I was told, being a “study of concentration,” I was doing everything that Baumeister told me not to do, as I attempted to master mimicking simple eggs and a cylinder.
Although it’s highly unlikely my “work” will have them lining up at The Louvre anytime soon, the 20 minutes I spent actually painting reminded me very much of the therapeutic feel I get on the golf course, having to block everything else out in order to focus solely on one thing.
However, unlike on the golf course, there was a gentle buzz reverberating around the room at the end of the corridor on the top floor of the Richmond Cultural Centre.
As each artist dabbed and stroked, they were critiquing their own creations, while soliciting, by default rather than design, compliments from the painting partners by their side.
As Enya Jorge practised her watercolour skills on a plastic tiger and Thea Phillips on a panda, the pair explained how they’ve been friends and arts circle buddies for many years.
“I started learning (to paint) after retiring to Tsawwassen in 2008,” said Jorge.
“I always wanted to try but I had to wait until I retired, because, when you’re working and have kids, all the focus is on those things. I’m an empty nester now.”
said Phillips, who lived in Richmond for 25 years before downsizing and also moving to Tsawwassen three years ago, started painting 10 years ago after going through treatment for cancer — saying it was “therapeutic” for her at the time.
“Before that, I hadn’t touched a paintbrush for maybe 50 years, since I was at high school in Yorkshire, England,” Phillips said.
As well as discovering new ways of doing art, Phillips cited some solid friendships she’s formed during her decade in “the circle.”
Although the majority of the members are on the best side of 60 and have left behind their primary working years, you don’t have to be retired to enjoy the group’s mainly lunchtime Monday (watercolour) and Tuesday (acrylic) classes.
“I have a flexible schedule, so it allows me to do things like this,” said Richmond-based architect Brenda Clark, who’s been coming to the circle for a few years but has been painting most of her adult life.
“This building is a fantastic resource; I’ve been a member of many of the groups in here.”
Although having a rich history, relative to Richmond’s fairly short spell on the map, the Riverside Arts Circle has been struggling for numbers of late.
In 1980, the Western Art Circle located to Richmond and formed the new Riverside Arts Circle, housed in a room at the old Safeway at No. 3 Road and Westminster Highway until the current cultural centre was built.
Until recently, the circle enjoyed between 40 and 50 members, which has dropped off this year to the 25 or so.
“People move away and things like that,” said Pat Thorson, the circle’s class co-ordinator.
“The acrylic class (on a Tuesday) is the one that really needs more interest.
“There’s been a steady decline over the years and bringing in an artist costs about $750 for five sessions.”
The benefits, however, are abound said Thorson, with weekly painting opportunities, being inspired by other like-minded artists, shows and camaraderie.
“I look forward to coming every week; new friendships get formed all the time,” said Thorson.
“There’s something very special about painting together, rather than on your own, as we’re very supportive of each other.”
If you’re interested in joining the Riverside Arts Circle, membership fees are $45 per year. Throughout the year, the group also collectively fund classes with special guest teachers. For more information on the watercolour class email [email protected] or [email protected] for the acrylic class.
While the Riverside Arts Circle may be experiencing a dip in membership, that doesn’t appear to be the case with everyone involved in Richmond’s arts scene.
Although not au fait with actual membership uptick across the city, Jean Garnett, Richmond Arts Coalition secretary, said she believes the numbers are fairly steady and she hasn’t heard anything to the contrary.
“There are lots of groups doing well in the Chinese community, as well,” she said.
“It’s not a huge issue as far as I can tell. There’s certainly lots of opportunity to get involved in the arts in Richmond these days.”
Camyar Chaichian, the City of Richmond’s arts co-ordinator at the Richmond Arts Centre — based in the Richmond Cultural Centre — said the membership levels at the nine “resident art groups,” including the Riverside Arts Circle, varies between groups, but said the majority seem to be doing well.
“I have heard from groups that are having trouble attracting new, younger members,” said Chaichian.
“But organizations, such as the pottery club and the photography club, are doing very well.”
The city offers the resident groups subsidized rental rates and Chaichian said he also tries to help them network and tap into the grant process, as well as helping them come up with strategies to not just survive, but prosper.
“It very much depends on who is involved in those groups and if they have the time or inclination to get involved in those things,” said Chaichian.
“Some, understandably, just want to come in and paint or do what interests them.”
One of the struggles shared between the resident groups and the long list of city-run programs is the increasing pressure on space due to spiralling demand.
“The city is growing all the time and with more and more enrolment comes more demand for space,” said Chaichian, citing a 45 per cent growth in city-run arts program registration since 2010, most of which cater to children.
“And, of course, everybody wants after 3 p. m. on a Saturday.”
