Paintings Donated to Gabriola Island's Annual Salmon BBQ

Cultivate Your Goodness by Deb Chaney (4” x 6”)

Last summer I donated a painting to the wonderful Gabriola Island Community Hall to be auctioned off at its annual Salmon BBQ fundraiser. I absolutely love our beautiful, vibrant Gabriola community, and I feel so fortunate and am so grateful to live here. As my way of giving back, this year I am donating 3 paintings to the silent auction.

For this year’s auction, I created 3 little canvas pieces that work together but can stand alone specifically for this event. Each abstract painting is 4" x 6" x 1 1/4".

About the Paintings

These precious creations are a heartfelt expression of my love, gratitude, and passion for the enchanting Gabriola Island. It all began when I stumbled upon a newspaper clipping in The Sounder, highlighting a salmon barbecue event and soliciting donations. Filled with excitement, I embarked on a creative journey by incorporating snippets from The Sounder, using them as a foundation for my paintings.

As serendipity would have it, I also discovered a collection of maps, left on a stand in a free bookstore on our street. These maps, adorned with captivating images of the ocean and neighboring islands, felt perfectly fitting.

With deep chromium oxide green paint and dashes of blue, I carefully infused the canvases, allowing them to dry and set the stage for what was to come. Drawing inspiration from my tranquil forest walks on the island, I meticulously crafted silhouette images using organic materials I had gathered along the way. Each stroke and placement was guided by a profound sense of connection to the surrounding nature.

To bring everything together, a final coat of clear gloss adds a protective seal, reinforcing the unity of all the elements.

These creations are not only a gift to our community, but also a testament to the kindness, support, and profound sense of belonging I experience through life on this island. With sincere appreciation, I extend my deepest thanks.

The paintings up for auction are:

• Cultivate Your Goodness (4" x 6" x 1 1/4" Mixed media on canvas)

• Grow your Kindness (4" x 6" x 1 1/4" Mixed media on canvas)

• Allow Your Inner Wild (4" x 6" x 1 1/4" Mixed media on canvas)

Allow Your Inner Wild by Deb Chaney (4” x 6”)

Grow Your Inner Kindness by Deb Chaney (4” x 6”)

About Gabriola’s Salmon BBQ Fundraiser

The 68th Salmon BBQ is being held Saturday, August 12th. It is the major fundraising event for the Gabriola Community Hall and includes 4 hours of local entertainment, a silent auction, a kids’ area, a raffle, and of course fresh, delicious salmon.

If you have time and would like to lend a hand, please contact Julie Stewart at gicha.salmonbbq@gmail.com.

If you would like to donate an item, please contact the organizers at salmonbbqfundraising@gmail.com.

The BBQ is held at the Gabriola Community Hall, which is located at 2200 South Road, Gabriola, B.C.

There are 4 ways to buy tickets for the event:

1. Online (go to form)

2. At Colleen’s Home Fashions at 580 North Rd.

3. At North Road Sports at #4-510 North Rd.

4. At the BBQ (cash only)

Prints and Original Artwork for Sale Online

I have both original paintings and high-quality prints for sale. You can find most of my artwork that is available for sale on Saatchi Art online here:

https://www.saatchiart.com/account/artworks/499285

Reproduction prints on Saatchi Art are available in 3 formats:

Fine Art Paper

310 GSM, 100% cotton linters, archival quality, natural white finish with a slightly structured, soft-textured surface.

Metal

Specialized inks infused into specially coated, thin, high gloss aluminum sheets. Exhibit mounted on 2mm black Styrene and finished with a black Metal Inset Frame.

Canvas

Museum grade, matte textured (20.5 mil), bright white, poly-cotton blend with no additives and no agents.

Reflecting on My First Gabriola Thanksgiving Studio Tour

Deb Chaney stenciling in the studio

As I mentioned in September, I participated in the 2022 Thanksgiving Studio Tour here on Gabriola Island. It was the 26th time the Gabriola Arts Council held the free event and 65 artists took part in it. And I’m so glad that I was one of them. So I’d just like to take this opportunity to reflect on the weekend and record my experience.

Nature Was on Our Side

A fundamental storytelling maxim is never open with the weather. But when you’re talking about the Gulf Islands in October and you get a weekend full of sunshine, it deserves to be mentioned. And the weather was amazing.

If you haven’t read my earlier post, the studio is just what it sounds like. Local artists on the island open their studios (and/or homes) to the public for 3 days during Thanksgiving weekend and people can visit them at their leisure – for free. Over the course of those 3 days, we probably had around 100 people come by the house. And we basically had 2 things going on for the tour.

Two Paths for Visitors to Explore

First, we converted the house into a gallery (see the slideshow below!) with plenty of paintings of all sizes for visitors to enjoy. Many were hanging on walls, while I also had plenty of my Little Gems, unframed, that people could browse through.

Second, in the studio, I was giving demonstrations of how I work and inviting people into my process. I took the opportunity to really share about the Drishti Paintings, the large-scale new series that I’m working on. I shared the intention and inspiration behind them, along with the parameters I’m following in the creative process. By taking unfinished paintings off the wall and adding layers, I was able to share my intuitive process of painting only in situations where I know the next step. Trusting that, I keep working on it and the painting then reveals to me the direction it's heading.

It was really fun and exciting and I got the sense that people really enjoyed seeing the process up close. It was actually the first time I’ve done demonstrations during a studio tour and I found it to be a great way to connect with visitors.

The True Meaning of Community

My daughter and her friend Angelica tended to the “house gallery”, assisted by a rotating crew of helpers from the island. And we were all so touched by the incredible sense of community support.

Six different women showed up at our house for morning and afternoon “shifts” on Saturday, Sunday, and Monday to help in any way they could. They did everything from greeting visitors and answering questions, to sweeping up, to preparing the hot chocolate and muffins we provided to anyone who stopped by.

And even though we’ve got a small island community, I didn’t actually know any of them personally before. They’d simply seen our request for help on the Community Facebook page and volunteered their time and assistance. 

It was such a good feeling and I’m so grateful for the good fortune to live in such a place. The experience was really unlike any other studio tour I’ve been involved in before. Gabriola Island is not only home to a lot of artists, but the community at large has such strong support for its artists – and these 2 factors combine to create a thriving art culture.

With all the other artists around, one of the things I found most exciting was when other artists came to visit my studio. It’s always such an honour and privilege. One of the artists to stop by was Gwen Spinks, whose exhibit I attended last year. And another was Karen Cain, who is a highly regarded artist and instructor. I’m really excited to visit her studio at some point. There were others as well, and each interaction was special and amazing.

Cherishing Those Magic Moments

The weekend was full of magic moments. I collect sand from our Twin Beaches here on Gabriola Island. And when kids came by, I showed them how I mix the sand with gel medium to use in my paintings. I got out my stencils and palette knife and showed them how to apply it, and some people watching announced that they wanted to go home and do it.

They were so inspired and that’s what I love – because art can be so fun and healing. If I can share what I’m doing and people get excited about it, it’s an incredible thing to witness.

Other magic moments include:

My friend and neighbour Paul stopped by with a prayer plant for my new studio.

My friend Moe came by with his partner Ocean, a wood carving artist, and she brought me the most delicious pear. (Which was perfectly timed with my growing hunger.)

Then my neighbour Nadine brought me some beautiful flowers.

And my other neighbour Larry noticed my doorknob was in need of little love – so he came back with his toolbox and fixed it for me. It’s a wonderful feeling to have these supportive and loving neighbours.

There were other moments too… like when strangers were gathered in the studio and someone pulled out a bottle of wine to share. Or someone suddenly started singing. Or chanting. Or all the conversations about spirituality and healing, and people just being open and authentic, sharing some of the most personal aspects of their lives.

This is a truly special place.

We even had Surprise Visitors

Like special guest stars surprising a studio audience, I had a couple of surprise visitors show up. My life coach, Michelle Falcone, whom I wrote about in August, texted me to say that she’d be coming over to the island with some friends. And one of those friends turned out to be my friend Susan Greig! (Susan is an artist as well and she owns and operates Braid St Studios, which I also wrote about earlier.)

My jaw dropped. I couldn’t get over that she was here. And she also ended up purchasing The Moon at Night, and it always deeply flatters me when another artist buys my work. It means the world to me that they are spending their hard-earned money to add my artwork to their personal collection.

Original Artwork Sold (plus Prints for Sale Online)

We sold a lot of other smaller paintings as well, and we have 2 larger paintings on hold while the interested buyers measure their home. We also had little notepads for sale, which turned out to be quite popular. They were a fun keepsake for people to remember the studio with.

If you were unable to attend the tour, you can browse through my collection on Saatchi Art’s online gallery. You can also find many of the paintings in my Little Gems Series there. 

Saatchi Art offers multiple options to suit your personal tastes or needs. You can choose to have your print on paper or canvas and choose from 4 sizes to best fit your room. You also have the option to have it framed in white, black, or natural wood.

The “View In A Room” image on Saatchi Art should give you an idea of its size and let you see what it looks like on a wall.

Donating Art for Gabriola Island's Annual Salmon BBQ Auction

Gabriola Island by Deb Chaney (9” x 12”)

I’ve donated a painting to the indispensable Gabriola Island Community Hall to be auctioned off at its annual fundraiser. The painting is called Gabriola Island and I and some other island artists were mentioned in our local paper, the Gabriola Sounder.

The 67th Annual Gabriola Community Hall Salmon BBQ

Our local community centre – the Gabriola Island Community Hall – is holding its 67th Annual Salmon BBQ on Saturday, August 13. The festivities include the salmon BBQ, as well as a raffle, live music, activities for kids, and the silent auction. There’s a beer & cider garden for the adults and play area for the kiddos.

The event starts at 4pm on Saturday and goes until 8pm. Tickets are just $20 for a salmon dinner with homemade salads, buns, watermelon, and more. They’re available at Colleen’s (our local home and fashion store), the Community Hall’s website, and at the event.

Source: Gabriola Island Community Hall

Gabriola Artists and Performers Contributing to the Event

Gabriola Island’s community is an incredible supporter of its artists and artisans. And as a way of giving back and supporting the seat of this small, close-knit populace, local artists, artisans, and businesses have donated their goods or services to the fundraiser’s raffle and silent auction.

The painting I’ve donated is called Gabriola Island. It’s a 9” x 12” x 1.5” original mixed media piece on wood panel. I painted it years ago when I’d come to Gabriola Island on a retreat. Whenever I go away on a personal retreat, I have my beloved old leather satchel full of the art supplies needed to create small paintings. And this is one of the paintings to come from that. The ground layer of this painting is an old nautical map of the Gulf Islands surrounding the Salish Sea, with the text for Gabriola Island visible.

In addition to myself, other artists featured at the auction include Tammy Hugeon and Carolyn Bell.

Tammy Hugeon is a painter and glass artist “creating wild & soulful work” on the island. She’s a self-taught artist and was the BC Glass Art Award winner – twice! Her colourful, nature-inspired work includes mixed media paintings and large-scale sculptures of glass, steel, and wood. You can visit Tammy’s website to learn more about her and her work.

Carolyn Bell is a painter, writer, musician – and more! – based on the island. Her body of work includes a “heroic women” series of abstract paintings of Margaret Artwood, Julia Child, Ruth Bader Ginsburg styled as religious icons. You can see some of Carolyn’s work on her Facebook page, although the most recent update is from 2018.

The live music stage is set to include performances by Paul Gellman, Brooke Gray Harris, Sarah Osborne, Tom MacLachlan, Cursing Cousins, John Gresham and Friends, and Snake Island Railroad.

Original Artwork and Prints for Sale

This section usually has links to where you can buy the original or prints of the painting mentioned in the post. But seeing as my painting Gabriola Island is up for auction in 2 weeks, the original is only available to the highest bidder.

However, you can order prints of Gabriola Island on Saatchi Art or find another original painting in my collection on Saatchi Art’s online gallery. 

Saatchi Art offers multiple options to suit your personal tastes or needs. Prints can be on paper or canvas and are typically available in 4 sizes to best fit your room. You can also choose to have it framed in white, black, or natural wood.

The “View In A Room” image gives you an idea of its size and lets you see what it looks like on a wall. But take it one step further with the “View in My Room” tool that lets you see what it looks like on your wall.

Group show opens today: contraction. E X P A N S I O N at Free Spirit Gallery, Gabriola Island, BC, Canada

Group show “contraction. E X P A N S I O N” opens today at Free Spirit Gallery on Gabriola Island. This exhibit includes original artwork including painting, sculpture and assemble by artists including (but not limited to) Sheila Norgate, Karen Cain, Stephen Cole, Ocean Mussack, Gwen Spinks, Nerissa Layton, Seraphina Khephera, Deb Chaney and more.

About Free Spirit Gallery Free Spirit Gallery Studio Shop is an art space on beautiful Gabriola Island showcasing local contemporary art and goods from emerging to established artists on Gabriola and across BC. We also offer classes and workshops for kids & adults that aim to nurture the creative spirit in us all. We aim to be a space for people to come and immerse themselves in a creative space for both creating, collecting and appreciating visual arts.

Free Spirit Gallery Location: 590 North Road, Gabriola, BC, V0R 1X3
Phone 250-247-0197, Email info@freespiritstudio.ca
Winter Hours: Tuesday - Friday 11am - 4pm

The painting I was invited to include in this group show is entitled “Tangled Heart” 23" x 30" x 1.5" Mixed media on 300 pound arches paper mounted on wood panel and is part of my Fragments of Life Series.

About “Tangled Heart” We often fragment parts of ourselves in various relationships and situations so that we 'fit in' or that people like us. This fragmentation is a contraction away from our true selves. By consciously making art I reclaim the fragments, re-align to my authentic self and allow my full expanded being to be and shine in this world.

This painting can be purchased at the gallery during the exhibit dates (MARCH 15 - APRIL 9, 2022) or online via Saatchi Online Gallery: https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-Fragments-of-Life-23-Tangled-Heart/499285/3406523/view

Artwork Featured Online Vancouver Island Library Art Exhibit

'The Writing is in the Air - Gabriola' 30" x 40" x 0.5" Ink, Pencil and Acrylics on Canvas

I am excited and grateful to be featured in the virtual art exhibit with the Vancouver Island Library. There are a few recent artworks posted and photos inside my studio and of me painting.  This online exhibit features artists from The Gulf Islands, Vancouver Islands, Hadaii Gwaii and Bella Coola. 

The online show can be viewed here: Vancouver Island Regional Library Virtual Art Exhibition has gone live and can be viewed here: https://my.nicheacademy.com/virl/course/31655. The Exhibition runs from February 2022 – April 2022.

My work specifically is featured on this page: https://my.nicheacademy.com/virl/course/31655/lesson/109123

'The Writing is in the Air - Gabriola' 30" x 40" x 0.5" Ink, Pencil and Acrylics on Canvas

Featured artwork 'The Writing is in the Air - Gabriola' 30" x 40" x 0.5" Ink, Pencil and Acrylics on Canvas was inspired during the time period where I finally knew my daughter and I would be moving to our dream place, Gabriola Island!  The painting begins with pencil lines and spiritual writing in inks that were blurred into the piece to create the finished piece. This original painting is available via Saatchi Online Gallery to  purchase for your collection: https://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-The-Writing-Is-In-The-Air-Gabriola/499285/8686356/view