January 13th, 2010
Things have really been happening since South Hollow took over Leapenhi Paper Design (see October 2009 – What’s New)…
Moving downtown to Courtenay’s main street provided an immediate increase in visitors over our previous Kilpatrick location. It was quite a rush to get the artworks moved and store ready for opening November 12, 2009 before the Comox Valley Christmas season officially kicked off the following week. The combination of art gallery and handmade paper store scored a big hit with many people impressed with the quality and range of local artwork on display.
New guest artists at South Hollow Gallery include lampmaker Cameron Flowers, glass artist Loris Dawn Nygaard, jewellery maker Nicolle Sicotte, weavers Karin Valeri and Signhild Marie Olsson, and painters Barb Hutson, Cathy Korvan, Peter Moore and Sophie Skapski. Look for their Guest Artist pages with more information to appear on this website soon.
If you’re visiting Campbell River, BC from January 22 through April 9, check out the special exhibition of Michael Neufeld’s photography in the Campbell River Art Gallery located at 1235 Shopper’s Row.
Now that Leapenhi Paper Design is part of South Hollow, we’d also like to share what’s new at Leapenhi…
Attention art students and printmakers – Leapenhi now stocks white and natural Stonehenge paper! A classic all-purpose art paper, this 100% cotton rag, acid-free, neutral pH sheet is excellent for all drawing media as well as most printmaking techniques including etching, embossing, screen-printing and some water-based media. Stonehenge features 2 deckled edges and a pleasing vellum textured surface.
We’ve also expanded our overall paper selection, including many new patterns of Chiyogami. Many of the patterns on this exquisite Japanese paper depict traditional symbols such as cranes for long life, bamboo for flexibility and plum blossoms and pine boughs for beauty and longevity.
Cardmakers and other artisans will find an expanded selection of craft accessories, supplies and magazines including calligraphy pens, inks, glitter, embossing powders, encaustic art materials and more. We will continue to add to our inventory in the upcoming months so if there’s a product you’d like to see at Leapenhi, please drop by and let us know.
The Spring 2010 Leapenhi Workshop schedule can now be viewed online at http://leapenhi.com and is also available in a brochure from the shop. Based upon what some of our customers told us they like to do, we decided to start off by offering our version of some classic Leapenhi favourites – image transfers, coptic bound books, fairies & more. This session, all classes will be taught by either Penny or Pam. Please sign up early for these workshops if you’re interested as some are expected to fill up fast.
As a special treat for us all, Penny McCullough will be returning for a few Thursday mornings in January and February to provide some fun drop-in classes in basic cardmaking techniques. Penny will also be instructing the evening coptic book and collage lamination workshops.
We will be offering drop in classes on many Tuesday and Thursday mornings (10:00 am – 12:00 pm). No registration is required and all materials are supplied. Cost is $10 + GST. To find out this month’s offerings, come by the shop or call us at 250 334-0221 for more information.
October 28th, 2009
Local artists Pam Young and Valerie Taylor will take over Leapenhi Paper Designs as current owners Penny McCullough and Lea Mann retire at the end of October
BIG NEWS!!! South Hollow Moves Downtown
An exciting change is coming to Downtown Courtenay in early November as South Hollow Art Studio & Gallery moves to 218 – 5th Street. After operating Leapenhi Paper Designs at that location for over 15 years, current owners Penny McCullough and Lea Mann are retiring on October 31st. The Leapenhi store will then be temporarily closed until November 12th, when the well-loved creative arts venue will be re-opened under new ownership and a new name, South Hollow on 5th.
South Hollow’s owners are Comox Valley artists and entrepreneurs, Valerie Taylor and Pam Young, who have been operating their fine arts gallery and working studio at another location in Courtenay since June 2008. South Hollow features a wide range of original contemporary pieces by artists from Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland, including resident artists Valerie and Pam. Available works include paintings, photography, giclee and other prints, fibre art, sculpture, glass, wind chimes, papier mache, gazebo tiles and more.
“We specialize in Comox Valley, West Coast and garden images exclusive to South Hollow,” said Pam Young. “Now as part of the downtown scene, our new 5th Street location will make it even easier for people to discover local artists and local images.”
Some of Leapenhi’s existing clientele have expressed their concern about what will happen to their favourite creativity centre once South Hollow on 5th opens. Many have been regularly coming to the store and attending weekly art workshops for years. The new owners are confident these people will be happy with what they’ll find in the transformed Leapenhi venue.
“The new South Hollow on 5th store will retain everything you’ve come to enjoy about Leapenhi, including the exquisite handcrafted papers and fun-oriented art workshops,” said Valerie Taylor. “Pam and I just want to make a great thing even better.”
While the new owners are preparing to move, the south Courtenay location of South Hollow Art Studio & Gallery at 3030 Kilpatrick will be closed to the public and will be only open for viewing by appointment.
August 22nd, 2009
Starting with this newsletter, we are changing our format to provide a quick sketch of the latest happenings at South Hollow…
We always offer an exciting collection of local artists and local images. Visiting South Hollow is the best way to enjoy the artworks. But if you can’t come in person, remember you can see much of our collection by visiting the Galleries on our resident and guest artists’ pages. To make it even easier to locate a specific type of item, soon we will have direct links to photos and descriptions of all of our products including jewellery, sculptures and more.
Here’s what’s new:
- Leaf Imprints: Check out five beautiful new leaf imprints by Valerie Taylor. In addition to imprinting on paper, Valerie is now working directly onto stretched canvas. As many of her inks are water soluble, the firm surface of the canvas is providing an opportunity to develop some interesting effects not possible with the softer surface of paper.
- Montage Jewellery: Our collection is ever-growing, featuring a great variety of fun to wear bracelets, as well as single and multi strand necklaces by Pam Young and our newest guest artist, Nicolle Sicotte. Montage jewellery can include a wide range of materials, from semi-precious stones and pearls to wood and plastic components, so you never know what you’ll find – that’s part of the adventure in selecting the right piece for you.
- Gazebo Tiles: New glass West Coast Reflections tiles showing images of the Comox Valley and west Vancouver Island are added on a regular basis, so expect an ever changing selection. The Garden Expressions tile collection tends to reflect the changing seasons, so as the warm months wind down you’ll see more fall and winter images every week.
- Lampwork Jewellery: Starr Hanson is creating her unique style of earrings and necklaces featuring many of the charming handmade beads and pendants she makes in her own studio. Every piece is one of a kind with a distinct personality of its own.
- Quilts: For a novel approach to quilt design, Nina Christmas’ latest creation is a must see. Like all of Nina’s works, Afternoon Smoothie is a very colourful piece. However this kaleidoscope style batik quilt features an unusual shape – irregular octagonal - and is finished with hand folded edging.
- Photographs: Known for capturing the essence of the moment, Michael Neufeld’s latest photos focus on West Coast land/seascapes and are printed very effectively in sepia tones. The landscape works of our most recent guest photographer Claude Dalley evoke calm, meditative feelings and feature local images as well as some from the Prairies and BC Interior.
- Art Glass: The latest shipment of Robert Held art glass has arrived and includes vases and perfume bottles in addition to an exciting selection of stunning hearts and paperweights, many in Robert’s newest design, Mosaic.
- Wind Chimes: Pam Young is creating wind chimes combining new materials with reclaimed quality stainless steel or aluminum tubes and rods. Her latest works feature sea glass, wood and driftwood pieces collected locally. In the near future, watch for Pam’s new approach - wind chimes made from driftwood and hand painted glass rods.
Love original art but don’t want to pay the price of an original? Now you can have the image of an original at a greatly reduced cost. We now offer giclee printing of many of our paintings and photographs. Printed onto canvas or paper, giclee prints look virtually identical to the original but cost on average about 75% less PLUS they can be ordered in any size up to that of the original artwork.
Pass it on… If you like what you see here at www.southhollow.ca please help us tell the world. Feel free to add our link to your blogs, Facebook pages or wherever else you can – thanks!
June 16th, 2009
Welcome to our website and latest newsletter. If you (or someone else you know) is into art AND if you like what you see on our website, please help us tell the world – feel free to add a link to www.southhollow.ca to your blogs, Facebook pages or wherever else you can. Thanks!
Happy first anniversary to us
How time flies! South Hollow Art Studio & Gallery celebrated its first anniversary with two days of Open House festivities. About 50 guests dropped by between 3 pm and 7 pm on Saturday, June 6 and Sunday, June 7 to enjoy light refreshments and experience what’s new at our unique artist-run venue. South Hollow specializes in artwork featuring Comox Valley, West Coast and garden images. And we’ve added a lot since opening last May. The gallery is filling up beautifully with a really great selection of original contemporary works by local artists from Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland.
Meet our guest artists
The South Hollow guest collection includes small works by Robert Held (Canada’s largest hot glass studio), quilts by Nina Christmas, photography by Claude Dalley, Michael J Neufeld and Rena Rogers, pottery sculpture by Tom and Sue Daly, lampwork jewellery by Starr Hanson, crystal and metal sculptures by Roberta Meilleur, burnished metal wall hangings and sculpture by Walter and Sandra Moses, and paintings in a variety of media by Christopher Little, Robert Lundquist, Scott Crawford, Victoria Scott and Samantha Young.
New extended hours of operation
To make it more convenient for people to come by and view our exciting collection of locally produced artworks, South Hollow Art Studio & Gallery is now open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm. Although we are closed to the public on Mondays and holidays, appointments can be made outside those hours by calling 250.338.2199 or 250.218.8240.
Giclee prints now available
Owning an original can be a costly investment especially if all you really want is to view a copy of the image. South Hollow now offers the less expensive alternative of ordering it as a giclee print instead. Available on canvas or paper and in a wide range of sizes, a giclee print looks essentially the same as the original image but costs a fraction of the price. Many of the artworks displayed at South Hollow are available as giclee prints, so if you’ve been thinking about adding some original art to your walls, this may be a low cost way for you to purchase it.
Art – an investment in beauty
Purchasing an artwork is a meaningful purchase. Not only are you buying an object to enhance your surroundings, you are also making an emotional and financial investment in beauty that hopefully will grow in value over the years. While we trust you will always enjoy the pleasures associated with your aesthetic choice, we remind everyone purchasing an original work that they are buying only that specific artwork. Unless the artist has provided written notice relinquishing their copyright, all rights to reproduce any of the works of art displayed are retained by the artist who produced it. No copy can be legally made without written permission from the artist.
February 12th, 2009
Welcome to our new website and the first edition of our quarterly newsletter. Every three months we’ll update you with the latest on what’s happening at South Hollow Art Studio & Gallery, including featured guest artists, scheduled events, workshops, and anything else relevant that comes to mind.
Sign up to be among the first to know
You’ll notice there is a Newsletter Sign Up box at the bottom of each page of the website. By signing up, not only will you be assured of receiving a copy of the newsletter “hot off the press”. You will also receive First Notice of any new works produced by resident artists, Valerie Taylor and Pam Young. And don’t worry – your privacy is assured. We will never share your email address with others.
People sometimes tell us we’re hard to find
Actually it’s easy – you just need to know where to look. .. South Hollow Art Gallery & Studio is located in the inner courtyard of a small live/work complex on Kilpatrick Avenue in south Courtenay, British Columbia, Canada. (Kilpatrick is the first major road west of Cliffe Avenue and the main traffic route to the Anfield shopping centre area.) Drive south on Kilpatrick through the main intersection at 29th St and look for the South Hollow sign at the bottom of a short tower of assorted signage for “3030 Kilpatrick”. Take the very last left turn at the base of the hill and follow the roadway into the inner courtyard. Voila!
Check out our incredible guest artists
On display at South Hollow Gallery this Spring: quilts by Nina Christmas, art prints & watercolour paintings by Scott Crawford, functional stoneware art & pottery by Tom Daly & Sue Thomas-Daly, oil paintings by Christopher Little, metal & glass crystal sculptures by Roberta Meilleur, steel wall sculptures by Sandra & Walter Moses, photography by Michael J Neufeld, photographic gift cards by Rena Rogers and oil paintings by Victoria Scott.
Michael J Neufeld Photography
Active in photography most of his life, Michael J Neufeld shares his vision of the world through exquisitely produced photographic images created with ‘artistic intentionality’. A selection of Neufeld’s colour and monochrome photographs focusing on the Pacific Northwest landscape will be on display in Courtenay at South Hollow Art Studio & Gallery from now through mid-April.
In Neufeld’s view, for a photograph to capture both form and meaning, the creative process must include intention. “Producing the intended effect begins long before the shutter opens and ends long after it closes”, says Neufeld. “What I am trying to do through my work is use the framework of ‘artistic intentionality’ to bring life to my own ideas and emotions through the images I create.”
Beginning with a thought or feeling, Neufeld carefully chooses his subject and then combines artistic composition with skillful development to convey that idea or emotion. His success is apparent in the range of photographs selected for display in this special gallery showing. “I am drawn to the quiet solitude that natural landscapes afford and constantly strive to interpret these in meaningful ways.”
Neufeld is also dedicated to ensuring that his finished works meet fine art museum quality standards. All photographs are printed on archival fibre based glossy paper using an Epson printer with K3 inks, then mounted on acid free board and matted using archival quality materials. This technique ensures the longest available print life for every photograph, an expected 125 years without fading.
As a practicing family physician in Comox with an active household of his own, Neufeld finds the diversion of photography to be both an escape and a challenge. “Living in the Comox Valley gives me an incredible opportunity to create images from the natural landscapes that surround us. Digital photography provides a unique medium of artistic expression and makes it possible to show the world beyond its obvious realities.”
To see Neufeld’s work up close, take the last left turn on Kilpatrick Avenue to find South Hollow Art Studio & Gallery in the inner courtyard of 3030 Kilpatrick. Additional samples of his images can be seen online at www.mjneufeldphotography.com
Christopher Little
A passion for art combined with extensive travels over his life provides Comox artist Christopher Little with the ability to bring a vast array of subjects to life using canvas and “a little oil”. With a keen eye for detail, Christopher employs realism to bring “art to life”, depicting wildlife in their natural settings.
According to Christopher, “variety is the spice of life”, a statement certainly true of his artwork. Painting a vast array of subjects, Christopher is able to appeal to a wide audience. His style, though basically realistic, provides a hint of abstract in many of his works. Birds, animals, underwater scenes and landscapes are among the images captured in oil paint and canvas.
A sampling of Christopher’s work is currently on display at South Hollow through Spring. To view more of Christopher’s oil paintings, go to his online gallery at www.alittleoil.com
Roberta Meilleur RustWorks
Courtenay artist Roberta Meilleur is well known locally for her uniquely beautiful revisioned metal and glass crystal creations. Skillfully fashioned from discarded rusty metal and vintage crystals, Roberta’s sculptures and window hangings celebrate how old materials can be used in innovative and artistic ways.
In Roberta’s own words, “discarded metal is an intriguing medium for me – a source of lines, patterns and forms. Removed from the context of its original purpose, a rusted gasket, spring, washer or gear contains the unlikely elegance of a wild flower, weaving, dancer’s outline, brooch – just with a twist of perception. By playfully changing the context of these objects – or juxtaposing them with crystals – something once masculine becomes quite feminine, the viewer gains a shift in perspective, value is bestowed on a ‘waste’ product and, as a consequence, the world regains a bit more balance and delight.”
RustWorks are at their best when viewed in real life. Visit South Hollow from now through Spring for maximum appreciation. After April, check out Roberta’s online shop and gallery at www.rustworks.etsy.com
Art – an investment in beauty
Purchasing an art work is a meaningful purchase. Not only are you buying an object to enhance your surroundings, you are also making an emotional and financial investment in beauty that hopefully will grow over the years. While we trust you will always enjoy the pleasures associated with your aesthetic choice, we remind everyone purchasing an original work that they are buying only that specific art work. Unless the artist has provided written notice relinquishing their copyright, all rights to reproduce any of the works of art displayed are retained by the artist who produced it. No copy may be legally made without written permission from the artist.
