FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — One of the people behind the latest exhibit at Peace Gallery North says her journey with the arts began in Vancouver after graduating from high school.
The gallery is currently showcasing an exhibit called Let’s Get Rolling created by Print Artists North, a collective that’s part of the larger Flying Colours Artists’ Association.
Print Artists North member Linda Haugen appeared on the October 3rd episode of This Week in the Peace, discussing the exhibit and her own personal history as an artist.
Haugen said she studied at Vancouver City College after finishing high school, taking a two-year program on fine arts.
“We sculpted, [we learned] pottery, painting, printmaking, drawing, design, we did all of that,” Haugen said. “I really enjoyed it, enjoyed my two years there and then when I went off to [the University of Victoria], I continued a bit in the fine arts.”
Haugen said she ultimately pivoted to a different degree, but never left the arts behind, describing it as an “asset” that was always with her as she worked at places like the Royal BC Museum.
She began working on her own art again after she retired in 2015. She says she’s been inspired by her time traveling in recent years and the animals she’s seen while on the road.
“I’ve done Pink Mountain and some of the endangered caribou and the butterflies and the marmots that live up there,” Haugen explained. “We travelled to Australia and I was absolutely overtaken by the fruit bats, so I did a whole series on bats.”
She’s also done landscape pieces based on her travels, showcasing areas like Gull Island in Newfoundland.
According to Haugen, the exhibit at Peace Gallery North features art created through a wide variety of techniques, including wood print making, etching, jelly prints and a popular newer technique called ‘eco-printing.’
“That’s actually taking items from nature — leaves, flowers, et cetera — and rolling that into either paper or materials [and] boiling it in a mordant. That sets the dyes that come off of the plants right into the surface. You get some really beautiful results.”
The exhibit is on display at the gallery until November 1st, and is free to view. Haugen says roughly fifteen artists in total have their work on display.
Haugen also said Print Artists North hosts occasional workshops to teach aspiring artists about the process of printmaking. To learn more, visit the Print Artists North website.
To view the full interview with Haugen, look below.
