"For the Love of Trees"

Pop-Up Gallery Experience

By Camille Myles @Camillemylesart & Holly Archer @hollyarcherart

Partnering once again, two female artists presented an independently curated art show & sale “For the Love of Trees” in July in Penetanguishene, Ontario. The artists were showcasing two bodies of work that stemmed from their love of the natural world and a plea to the public to protect that world before it's too late. Sparked from the course “Create your Own Art Show”, by Etkaterina Popova and Gita Joshi, the artists transformed a vacant retail space in the talk of the town for 2 days of art for hundreds of community members.

Myles featured a selection of work from “Crying Landscapes”, delicate watercolours on yupo paper based on explorations over many months and during an art residency in Victoria BC. They are abstracted landscapes inspired by Georgian Bay and Coastal BC in blues and greens with simple drawing forms that bleed out on the page as they dry in a poetic and unexpected way.  

“I’m interested in imagery that reminds us that our time on this Earth is finite, that everything comes back to a natural state of being. From decay and change we find new growth and hope. We all need to listen a little more closely to the pleas of our natural world.” - Camille Myles

Archer featured a selection of paintings on canvas and paper from the “While We Were Camping”, “The Trees You’ve Never Met” and Canoe Confections” series. These pieces are fuelled by a love and nostalgia for the wild, as well as sincere hope for a future where adventure, fresh air, clear water and new life continue.

“My favourite stories capture the unexpected and bypass the void of heavy detail; my favourite art does the same.” - Holly Archer

For a more in-depth look into how this show was conceived, check out Camille’s blog “Make it happen: Launching a collection and creating a pop-up gallery experience”

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