Some people just have to be drawn, and a local artist is doing just that. Lynn Strendin's show Pencil Paparazzi is currently at the community pARTners gallery at the Yorkton Public Library, showcasing intricate and detailed pencil drawings of people Strendin has seen in the community and in her travels.
The images start when Strendin goes to an event and takes photos of the crowd and people she sees. She says that she wants to draw people, but that finds working from candid photos much more rewarding than something more posed, and that she has always found crowds fascinating at different events.
She says that there are usually three reasons to pick someone out of the crowd. One, they might tell a story through what they are doing. She notes that, for instance, with a drawing taken from a pow wow shows a mix of old and new, tradition mixing with modern references. Two, she says people often accidentally reference art history, their candid poses being in classic or dramatic poses while enjoying an event. The final reason is just that Strendin says some people are just compelling, and she finds she needs to draw them.
The majority of the subjects are from events in the Yorkton area, with some from North Battleford and Victoria, B.C. Strendin says that it represents people at ease, enjoying events and relaxing, capturing a certain flavor of the community.
She add, that it takes a day to do the actual drawing, but that the thought process behind it takes much longer, as she plans what she is going to do and how she is going to execute the actual work. She says her priority is to capture the moment and the story.
She admits that she cannot always contact the people in the work, but she says that her goal is to show the subjects of her work in the best light she can, and she hopes that if someone sees themselves on the wall they are happy with what she has done.
"If I do somebody it's because I like them, and I think they're interesting, and I hope other people like them too... I always like the person, and I always feel good doing it."
There will be an artist reception for Pencil Paparazzi on January 5. To learn more about Strendin visit lestren.blogspot.ca.
