Art lovers mark your calendars — the Artists’ Association of St. John (AASJ) is having one of their most exciting openings of the year on Friday evening, January 12.
The second annual Replicating the Masters Show will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. at AASJ’s gallery on the second floor of The Marketplace.
While the same format — of unveiling each piece individually with a presentation by the artist — will be followed this year, a new twist will make things even more exciting.
Live Auction Added
“This year we’re doing something new which is an auction of several pieces that have been donated to the association and several works from the Replicating the Masters,” said Bob Wilkinson, president of AASJ.
Organizers are expecting a big turnout for the show, which is one of the association’s major fund-raisers of the year.
“Last year’s who was really popular, we had over 250 people and sold more than $10,000 of art that night,” said Wilkinson. “This is one of our biggest fund-raisers and arguably the most fun art event of the season because we unveil the paintings individually and the artist makes his or her own presentation about the painting or the artist being copied or emulated.”
Last year’s show included Caribbean renditions of Joh-annes Vermeer’s Girl with a pearl earring, Vincent van Gough’s Starry Night and John Singer Sargent’s Madame X.
Refreshments will be served beginning at 5 p.m., with the presentations and auction kicking off at 5:30 p.m.
Interpreting the Greats
Replicating the Masters was actually the brainchild of Bob Wilkinson’s wife Claire Wilkinson.
“Claire is the executive director of the gallery and it was really her idea to promote a showing of works inspired by the masters and it evolved into a replicating the masters concept within which the artists here copy an actual work or work their interpretation in the style of the masters with different mediums,” said Wilkinson.
A number of renowned local artists are planning to contribute to the show including Lee Eng, Deborah St. Clair, Livy Hitch-cock, Lucy Portluck and Janet Cook-Rutnik.
AASJ is also sponsoring an exciting workshop at their Lumberyard studio from January 10 through 14 led by Sean Dye and featuring both traditional and water soluble oil paints.
Painting Workshop
“Sean (Dye) has written a book on how to paint with water soluble oils which is a new take on the traditional oil paints,” said Claire Wilkinson. “The water soluble oil paints are much better for the environment and are really a nice alternative because they still act like oil paints but there is no need for toxic materials like turpentine or solvents.”
Dye is AASJ’s first official off-island artist to lead a workshop and the group hope’s have many more in the future, Claire Wil-kinson added.
Space in the workshop, which will include both plein air and studio sessions, is still available. Contact Claire Wilkinson at the AASJ gallery at 774-2275, Monday through Friday, from 11 a.m. to 5p.m., for more information and to enroll.