Artist Alison Masters had never successfully transformed sketches into studio paintings — that is, until she reworked the sketchbooks completed during a two-month walk in Spain along the Camino de Santiago. Until then, her studio had been the hillsides of Creston where she could harness sun, wind and light to paint local landscapes. With this new project she was faced with creating the essence of the image, referencing only her simple colour and pencil renderings, and memory.
The Creston Valley Public Library is pleased to present Alison Masters at its next Living Book event on April 26. Masters will speak about how a secular pilgrimage along one of the routes to Santiago de Compostela in Spain moved from physical to artistic, covered 1,100 kilometres, two sketchbooks, dozens of boards and a 45-minute film — and it isn't over yet!
Masters paints with acrylics and is now preparing for a spring 2016 show at the Crowsnest Gallery in Blairmore, Alta.
The Creston Valley Public Library’s Living Books speaker series is a way for community members to learn from each other. Living “books” are real people, your friends and neighbours, volunteering to share aspects of their own “story”. Through living books the library seeks to encourage the sharing of knowledge and passion between people. Each month, the library hosts a get-together where a member of your community shares their personal experiences. Topics are varied, from art to travel to local history to coping with loss, and everything in between. Attendees of the speaker series learn more about the people in their community and their diverse backgrounds and expertise.
Hear Masters tell of her artistic journey at 1:30 p.m. April 26 at the Creston Valley Public Library.
—CRESTON VALLEY PUBLIC LIBRARY