The Battlefords Art Club has a long history of supporting visual arts in the community. It promotes exhibits of local work with the aim of encouraging its members in developing their potential for creating satisfying artwork in any medium. The club also encourages visits by artists from elsewhere and promotes a variety of workshops. The club meets regularly Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Don Ross Centre and new members are always welcome.
Mary Mattila grew up on a dairy farm on the shores of Lake Ontario near Kingston. After graduation from the University of Guelph with a home economics degree, she headed west with her Saskatchewan-born husband, Howard Mattila, settling in North Battleford.
The first two years in the west were spent working as a district home economist. In those early years, Mary took art classes from people like Anne Shiplett, Kevin Quinlan and a first year university painting class from James McIllivary. She also painted with Nora Krake's painting group.
Together she and Howard raised four children and during those years there was not much time for painting.
Since retirement from the North West Regional College in 2004, she has taken classes from Roma Novokosky, Graham Flatt, Dean Bauche, Karen Richter, Holly Hildebrand, Bonnie Macnab and Terry Billings. She also completed Watercolour I, a USCAD class in fall of 2011.
Mary paints regularly with the Battlefords Art Club. They are priviledged to be able to use the wonderful facilities in the Don Ross Centre and the Chapel Gallery.
The art club members are amazing. There is lots of sharing of ideas and encouragement, from many different artists with varying skill levels and artistic styles.
Mary is enjoying painting and finds it to be an interesting challenge.
Art Notes
By Mary Matilla
An enthusiastic group of art club members gathered for our usual Tuesday painting session at the Don Ross Centre. Members are painting a variety of subjects from flowers to the Brooklyn Bridge, horses and sunsets to an aspen grove. Chris, as usual, did a lovely abstract in acrylic.
Our business meeting focused on the upcoming show and sale at the Meota Sailing Club. The sale will be July 26 and 27, Saturday and Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. A number of members will be taking part and are looking forward to this event. They hope many will drop by to see their work.
The will also be a members' show in the Window Gallery of the Chapel Gallery in August.
