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Artist of the Month: Katherine Hicks

By in Native

Artist of the Month: Katherine Hicks
Leduc Art Club
Katherine Hicks is the Leduc Art Club’s Artist of the Month for December. (supplied)

A native Albertan and home-grown artist, Katherine Hicks’ love for the arts began with “Pierre Trudeau with Rose” while still a budding teen. Not until later in life, however, did that love take on a more structured form.

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After many joy-filled hours of exploration and workshops with instructors such as Susan Woolgar, Frank Haddock, and Rory MacDonald, her portfolio filled up with oils, watercolours, acrylics, printmaking, mixed media, pastels, and face painting.

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Although she enjoys the different mediums, an introduction to Encaustics (painting with molten wax and heated tools) plumbed the passion we are all born with, needing only a spark to come alive.  A sense of artist-self evolved through this luminous and intuitive art form which resonated deep in the Spirit.  This passion became life changing and birthed a desire to see more growth, not only as an artist, but also to share it.

More recently, she has favoured intuitive art, leaning to a more abstract realism form, loving the play with the different mediums which brings a joy to creating.

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 Katherine has been employed as a graphic artist, window painter for holidays and special events, contracted to the Town of Edson for adult and family art workshops, and children’s summer camps. She loves to hold art parties for life events, fundraisers, team building, or just a ‘something different’ for a night out.

When not painting, her spare time is filled with playing guitar with the Telford Strings for our Seniors around Leduc. She has plans to learn to play the mandolin.

“I joined the Leduc Art Club two years ago when we moved to Leduc as a way to join the community and met wonderful artists, enjoyed the workshops offered, and love the camaraderie in sharing skills. It is an exciting time, stretching and growing, finding different and unique ways to share creations of the heart,” said Hicks.

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You are invited to view Hicks’ artwork during the month of December, especially on December 8, for her Artist’s Reception at the Leduc Arts Foundry (LAF) in the Leduc Recreation Centre, from 7 to 9 p.m., to enjoy live entertainment and refreshments. 

The Leduc Art Club also present a monthly Members Gallery at the LAF, where on a rotation basis, members will show a sample of their artwork. The five December artists are Angela De Kort, Kristine Anderson, Kathleen Jackson, Rick Sluggett, and Jane Piercy. 

Being involved with the Leduc Art Club takes on many different forms such as the Leduc Arts Foundry Christmas Market on December 2, where you will have the pleasure of seeing the gathering of some of our local creatives. You will be sure to find something special.

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The Leduc Art Club is also involved with various projects in the Leduc community including the LAF’s free community drop-in every Tuesday, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. You are welcome to bring in your choice of creations, be it paint, fabric, beading, etc. or just come and be social. They also assist with the LAF’s free teen drop-in on Tuesdays, from 4 to 7 p.m.

Did you know that there is a wonderful variety of talent in Leduc? Bring your family to the Arts Foundry on Tuesday evenings, for musicians, poetry, spoken word, rap, stand-up comedy, improv, and more. You can see for yourself at the LAF Open Mic Night hosted by the Melisizwe Brothers every Tuesday at 7 p.m. You are welcome to either perform or come and enjoy the show. No need to book, just show up.

Would you like to roll up your sleeves and get painting — not on the four walls, but something to hang on them? With the new year around the corner, why not consider becoming a member or make a special request for a class or gift to someone who’s been wanting to try it out? Gift certificates are available.

For more information on our art related activities and upcoming events, please visit www.leducartclub.com.  There’s something for all ages and abilities. You don’t want to miss a thing!

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This Week in Flyers

Delicate and Interesting Architectural Photography at Casa Ojiva with Photographer Ariadna Polo

By in Photography

Delicate and Interesting Architectural Photography at Casa Ojiva with Photographer Ariadna Polo

Project of the Week

Mexico-based architectural photographer Ariadna Polo makes some of the most lovely work you’ll ever lay your eyes on, and this project — Casa Ojiva — is a prime example! Dreamy light, careful attention to shapes, tranquil tones, restrained color palates, and wonderfully framed compositions make this project shine.

This establishing shot rolls all of those elements into one powerful and attention-grabbing image. It’s hard not to want to know more about this project when viewing the photograph below.

Ariadna focuses our attention on the exterior in this simple one-point perspective shot. She still includes some foliage peeking in on the sides, while allowing our gaze to rest on the house. We can soak in the interesting shapes at hand.

I appreciate how Ariadna anchors us in the environment and presents the house from various perspectives. Below, we see Casa Ojiva peeking out of the foliage on the hillside.

And here we feel as if we are guests at the property, walking toward the viewing deck, immersed in our surroundings.

I like how Ariadna juxtaposes the sculptural staircase with the rocks and limbs that it wraps around. The scene feels both delicate and strong.

Inside, delicate scenes are composed with gentle, directional lighting. The images are simple and have a quiet, relaxing air about them.

Ahh tranquility! I appreciate Ariadna’s post-processing style and restraint here. It lends itself well to this relatively monochromatic project!

A well-framed photo draws our eyes out through the home’s glazing, to the pool, and settles on the view beyond. There are a lot of strong leading lines here, and Ariadna makes good use of them!

More mood and drama here as light streams through the skylight and rakes down through the room. It pulls out the textures and materiality present.

With the practical lights on, Casa Ojiva appears warm and inviting! The images still fit in with the rest of the set though, and the project as a whole flows nicely!

I love this next photograph, which shows the way the spaces in Casa Ojiva connect. We see the scale of the house and the beautiful lighting design here, without too much being given away. The scene still feels intimate and delicate.

What a beautiful project!

A big thanks to Ariadna for sharing another wonderful project with us here at APA! Visit ariadnapolo.com and @ariadnapolo.foto to see more of Ariadna’s incredibly beautiful work!

If you have a project you’d like to be considered for Project of the Week, you can submit it here.

The wonders of the Aztec world

By in Native

The wonders of the Aztec world

In 16th-century Tlatelolco, today part of Mexico City, a Spanish cleric and a small group of Indigenous elders, authors and artists created a manuscript documenting their rapidly changing world. As plague ravaged the population, these scholars, scribes and painters composed a document illustrated with some 2,500 images – what has been described as the first encyclopedia in the Americas. The manuscript, known as the Florentine Codex, documented Mexica culture and the Aztec Empire in brilliant detail, as well as the devastation that followed the Spanish invasion of Mexico in 1519, including the introduction of diseases to which the native population had little resistance.

The impetus for the project was practical: as part of their evangelization campaigns, Spanish mendicant friars needed to know the beliefs and traditions of the Nahua-speaking communities they hoped to convert to Catholicism. In the 1570s, the Franciscan friar Bernadino de Sahagún, in collaboration with a group of Nahua speakers including Antonio Valeriano, Alonso Vegerano, Martín Jacobita, Pedro de San Buenaventura, Diego de Grado, Bonifacio Maximiliano, Mateo Severino and others whose names are unknown to us created something far more expansive.

The Tlatelolcan warrior Tzilcatzin throwing stones at the invading Spaniards in Book 12 of the Florentine Codex (1577), Alonso Vegerano. Photo: courtesy the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Florence, and MiBACT

Following the model of European encyclopedias, especially Pliny the Elder’s Natural History, the codex is composed of twelve books with parallel texts in Nahuatl and Spanish recording the gods, ritual calendar, natural history, philosophy and other subjects of New Spain, including the events of the invasion itself. The manuscript, known as the Historia General de las Cosas de Nueva España (The Universal History of the Things of New Spain), resides in the Laurentian Library in Florence, but it is the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles that has unlocked the wonders of this remarkable work. The newly unveiled Digital Florentine Codex reveals the magisterial scope of the endeavour. With a user-friendly interface, trilingual texts (Spanish, Nahuatl and English) and superb, high-resolution images, a reader can search for specific topics with ease.

Feather worker (amantecatl) in Book Nine of the Florentine Codex (1577), Alonso Vegerano. Photo: courtesy the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Florence, and MiBACT

A reader could, for example, search for ‘feather’ and discover in Book Nine the secrets of the amantecah, the artists skilled in feather-working – one of the most highly esteemed art forms in the Aztec Empire. One could learn which birds might have the appropriate plumage – grackle feathers were good for outlines, apparently – but also read, in great detail, how the feathers would be gathered and bound, sometimes affixed to a backing with an adhesive made from orchid bulbs. Iridescent feathers from hummingbirds, quetzals, roseate spoonbills and blue cotingas would be carefully placed so they ‘glowed and shimmered,’ in the resplendent finery donned by kings, warriors and priests.

A xicalpapalotl butterfly in Book 11 of the Florentine Codex (detail; 1577), Alonso Vegerano. Photo: courtesy of the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Florence, and MiBACT

European pigments were used to depict European subjects, while locally-sourced materials were reserved for subjects from the pre-Conquest period, as was revealed in a study by project co-head Diana Magaloni. Despite such important studies taking place over the past half century, the manuscript has remained unavailable to the public and often available only in partial form to scholars. The daunting size of the manuscript itself impeded a broader circulation of the work. The Digital Florentine Codex, a project helmed by Kim Richter and managed by Alicia Maria Houtrouw at the Getty Research Institute, has been enriched by the contributions of international scholars, including co-project directors Kevin Terraciano from UCLA and Jeanette Favrot Peterson from UCSB, linguists from the Instituto de Docencia e Investigación Etnológica de Zacatecas in Mexico, and a large team of specialists. The Digital Florentine Codex team has made this important manuscript not only accessible but inviting. The reader in search of one subject cannot help but stumble upon a fascinating description of another: merchants, for example, tried not to call attention to themselves, walking about ‘wearing only their miserable maguey fiber capes,’ or that men who were distinguished by their bravery were allowed to wear lip plugs. It is a project that rewards getting lost.

Merchants acquiring quetzal feathers in Book Nine of the Florentine Codex (detail; 1577), Alonso Vegerano. Photo: courtesy the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana, Florence, and MiBACT

The Digital Florentine Codex also underscores the complexities of translation in a broader sense, not just the evident and impressive labour behind the Getty Research Institute’s initiative, but how ideas are transmitted (or not) and transformed. The side-by-side translations (which include the first English translation of the Spanish text, by León García Garagarza) encourage us to go from one to the other – an exercise that reveals distinct interests and understandings. From Nahuatl to Spanish a reader can see how concepts are elided or softened; the translations of Nahuatl to English bring back some of the rich texture of Mexica worldviews, whereas the English translation of Spanish text reveals frequent ‘code-switching’ and the use of Nahuatl words, many of which have made their way into modern Spanish. The prologue to Book Two of the Florentine Codex notes that the manuscript ‘has been examined and revised by many, and for many years, and much effort and many misfortunes have been endured in order to render it in the state in which it is now found.’

It is unquestionably cause for celebration that, thanks to the Digital Florentine Codex project, this wondrous window has been opened on to otherwise unattainable information, both in text and illustration, that offers new paths to enrich scholars and the broader public.

View the Digital Florentine Codex: florentinecodex.getty.edu

Portraits of Britain’s young artists in their studios

By in Photography

Portraits of Britain’s young artists in their studios
image

Back in 2020, Peckham-based photographer Brynley Odu Davies began taking a series of portraits of fellow south London artists. As the project grew bigger and the Instagram posts gained more attention, Davies travelled across the UK and continued to document what became a richly diverse archive of contemporary working artists shaping the emerging art world, this time in their own studios and spaces. 

Now, Guts Gallery is paying homage to these portraits with a two-part group exhibition. Accompanied by Davies’ newly published debut photography book Artists (published by Trolley Books), NEW NOW displays images from the series in the east London gallery’s HQ.

The central focus of Davies’ photography is realism and intimacy. Often taken in natural light with little to no editing, Davies’ portraits are clean and classic, aiming to capture the absolute essence of their subject. They tell the story of an artist in that specific moment in time, both in their life and their artistic career.

“I think there’s a lot of value in photographs and what they represent to people,” Davies told Dazed earlier this year, reflecting on the relevance of his series. “A good picture can serve as a memory of something that’s close to you, it can remind you of how you looked when you were younger, but it can also be a testament to the long-lasting impact of your efforts, actions and decisions, like in the case of these portraits.”

Davies’ project exemplifies the power of community, creativity, and the shared vision of shaping the future of the UK’s art landscape. Through diverse representation and a heartfelt approach, it pays tribute to the young visionaries carving a new chapter in the history of the British art scene.

NEW NOW part 1 is opening at Guts Gallery HQ on the 1st December 2023, 6-9pm.

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How I used this special flash photography technique to capture a sparrow in flight

By in Photography

How I used this special flash photography technique to capture a sparrow in flight

Wildlife photography for Martin Goff is all about escaping into nature and relaxing. As a Police crime scene investigator, he finds it helps to switch off, to forget what he has been dealing with that week and to reset his mind. He talks to us about how the photo “Soaring Sparrow” was taken, and why it works… 

1. Different technique 

Photography offers many more possibilities than just reproducing reality as we see it with our own eyes. Martin used the rear curtain slow sync flash technique to show the sparrow in focus while capturing its movement. This works with a slow shutter speed along with a burst of flash. “The ambient light captures the blurred motion trail of the moving bird while the flash freezes a well-lit image of the bird. The rear curtain part means the flash fires at the end of the exposure so the motion blur appears behind the bird and not in front of it,” says Martin.

2. Movement and speed

To show the bird’s motion, Martin captured the sparrow from a hide using four off-camera flashes. He positioned two flashes above and two below the flight path, on manual low power along with rear curtain sync with a slow shutter speed. “I used this technique to show a sense of movement and speed. The frozen image of the bird works well with the motion blur to help convey this. One without the other doesn’t work but, combined, it looks great,” he says.

Olympus M.Zuiko 100-400mm f/5.0-6.3 (Image credit: James Artaius / Digital Camera World)

Aperture: f/13,  Shutter speed: 1/10sec,  ISO: 400

Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M5 Mark III

Lens:   Olympus 100-400mm f/5-6.3 IS

Accessories: 

– Pixapro flash trigger

– 4x off-camera flashes 

– Hide, hired from Tom Robinson Wildlife Photography

3. Balanced interplay 

The art of combining motion blur with a sharp subject is to use the correct exposure time. The movement should be visible but not superimposed on the image so that the attention is on the main subject. “There was a lot of trial and error with different shutter speeds so I could capture just enough blur, but not too much,” says Martin. “As it was outside, there was constant variation in the natural daylight. This affected the manual flash power that was needed.”

4. High-contrast background

The effect of this photographic technique is best seen when there is a high contrast between the background and the subject. “I used a painted black background to really show off the blurred motion well against the darker background,” says Martin. To make the sparrow stand out even more and to enhance the overall effect of the image, Martin edited the photo in Lightroom. “In terms of processing, I just did the normal tweaks to exposure, saturation, sharpness, noise reduction and a bit of spotting on the background,” he says.

DPH 269 Pro Analysis
Martin Goff

Martin Goff is a Police crime scene investigator and a passionate wildlife and nature photographer. He graduated in fine art photography and has previously worked as a freelance photographer but has continued to follow his passion. He says shooting wildlife is a form of escapism from the stresses of working at crime scenes.

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Tyreek Hill covering pay for photographer who was suspended by NFL over touchdown celebration

By in Photography

Tyreek Hill covering pay for photographer who was suspended by NFL over touchdown celebration

Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill said he will cover the pay for an NFL photographer who was suspended after celebrating with him after a touchdown earlier this season.

Kevin Fitzgibbons, who had been contracted by the NFL to shoot Dolphins home games, was behind the endzone when Hill scored a 41-yard touchdown in the second quarter against the Carolina Panthers in Week 6. Hill took a phone from Fitzgibbons and filmed himself doing a backflip before handing the phone back. The NFL’s UK Twitter account posted the video before promptly deleting it.

Fitzgibbons took to social media earlier this week and revealed that he was suspended for the rest of the season – and “possibly for good” – for celebrating with Hill.

“[The NFL] said regardless [of] if I knew the celebration was coming or not, I still had to be disciplined and that I shouldn’t have jumped on the sidelines after the play,” Fitzgibbons said in a video.

Hill was flagged on the play for using a prop in celebration but absolved Fitzgibbons of any blame in his Week 6 postgame interview. On Thursday, he said he and Fitzgibbons are longtime friends and that he will cover any lost pay.

“Me and K-Fitz, we’ve got a long history together,” Hill said, via ESPN’s Marcel Louis-Jacques. “The news is something that I already knew. I told him don’t let this get to you. Just hold your head up. You’re still young. Continue to do what you love. Me and him are going to continue to work together.

“I told him I was going to cover his salary, whatever the NFL was going to pay him or whatever. I told him I was going to make sure that I do what’s right and take care of you, make sure you’re not out of a job. That’s my guy.”

Fitzgibbons, a 20-year-old student at the University of Miami, is still an NFL employee and is not barred from future events, an NFL source told Louis-Jacques. He acknowledged at the end of his video that he understood the NFL’s decision and thanked the league for the opportunity.

Winners pick up prizes in tree photography competition

By in Photography

Winners pick up prizes in tree photography competition

The winners and runners-ups in a tree photography competition that attracted more than 70 entries have been awarded their prizes.

In the end it was Oliver Necesito’s striking image of stars shining through the branches of a mature tree in an Exeter park that was declared the winner of Exeter City Council’s Tree Photography Competition for 2023.

Cllr Ruth Williams, Lead Councillor for Place and City Management, was on hand to present Oliver with his prize of a framed photograph of his image, along with a Haynes Tree Manual.

Oliver revealed his love for photography and how he had mounted his iPhone on a small tripod to capture the night-time shot with a five-second exposure.

The competition is held every year in the run-up to National Tree Week (26 November to 4 December), inviting people to take a picture of their favourite tree in Exeter.

Prizes for the competition were kindly donated by the City Council’s arboricultural contractors, Devon Trees Services.

A close second was Rob Geare’s delayed exposure shot of a tree in the middle of a busy road junction at the bottom of Fore Street. Rob receives a framed photograph of his image.

In the Junior section, eight-year-old Raef Harvey wowed judges with his beautiful image of a young girl hugging a giant oak tree in Rougemont Gardens. Raef wins a framed photograph of his image and a Haynes Tree Manual.

Runner up in the junior section was 12-year-old Austin Lake for his shot of a tree on the Cathedral Green starting to change colour. He also wins a framed photograph of his image.   

Junior Winners

Cllr Williams, who was one of the judges for the competition described the standard of entries as “remarkable”.

“It was a considerable challenge coming up with the winning images from over 70 submitted. In the end choosing the winners and runners up was down to those images that left an indelible mark on my memory well after I viewed them. Congratulations and thanks to everyone who submitted an entry.”

National Tree Week is the UK’s largest annual tree celebration, marking the start of the winter tree planting season (November to March each year). This year it will take place from 25 November to 3 December. Further information about national events can be found on the Tree Council website at https://treecouncil.org.uk/seasonal-campaigns/national-tree-week/

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