There was no shortage of talent at this year’s Amherstburg Art Crawl and one place to see some great work by talented individuals was at the Gibson Gallery.
Mixed media artist Louise Kollmel brought her work to town and it will be on display, and for sale, until August 4.
“I started off doing ink on paper and then did books for my kids,” said Kollmel, during the Gallery’s open reception on Saturday afternoon.
While she started out with ink, over the years she has expanded her ability to utilize oils, glazes and acrylics.
“Some things mix, and some things don’t mix,” she said.
What is obvious in this artist’s work, is her ability to combine her artwork with a beautiful frame. One, around a print of her piece ‘Boat on Shore’, which she said took about 100 hours to complete. The reason it took that long is because Kollmel did it all with markers.
The frame has a story in itself as it was made of wood that was once part of an old grain elevator in Alberta and upon closer examination, an observer can actually see and feel the imperfections in the wood.
Kollmel is originally from Windsor but moved to Calgary where she had her own gallery for over 25 years. She is a retired nurse who admits that her work is inspired by nature’s beauty throughout Canada.
“I have been artistic all my whole life, I sold my first painting when I was in grade school.”
Her work has been sold world-wide and she likes when her customers and admirers give her inspiration.
“I talk to customers and ask what they want to see,” said Kollmel.
Like a lot of artists, she puts a lot of thought into how colours complement each other and said that there are pieces she is not satisfied with so they are either forgotten or redone.
Kollmel’s show is called Artistically Inclined and fittingly billed as a feast for the eyes. To see more of her work, visit her Facebook page also called Artistically Inclined.
The Gibson Gallery is open seven days a week during July and August from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is lots going on and for more information, stop by at 140 Richmond St., visit www.gibsongallery.org or call 519-736-2826.
Mixed media art displayed at Gibson Gallery
By Fred Groves
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