Vol. 105 No. 14
THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2014
20 pages
$1.25
Bringing news to Biggar and area for 105 years! Box 40, 122 Main Street, Biggar, Saskatchewan S0K 0M0
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Local artist featured at Museum and Gallery with visually stunning ‘Wing and a Prayer’ by Kevin Brautigam of The Independent
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nspired by the Grand Masters, area artist Diane Larouche-Ellard has put her own personal twist to a new series of paintings that will be featured for the month of April at the Biggar Museum and Gallery’s Credit Union wing. Called affectionately “Wing and a Prayer”, the shape, the form of Larouche-Ellard’s work all blend in to a seamless and stunning beauty reminiscent of the most important art epochs of mankind. “It mostly comes from an interest in Italian Renaissance drawings,” said Larouche-Ellard. “The piece I called ‘References’ is right from a da Vinci drawing - it’s very ‘da Vinci-esk’.” Da Vinci’s ‘Divine Proportion’ - the ‘Golden Ratio’ is evident in Larouche-Ellard’s work. Da Vinci’s scientific equation encompasses everything, from art, science, music, nature - the geometry of life itself - and is a ratio he used to great effect because of its aesthetically pleasing qualities. “For me it’s much more just being so moved by the images themselves, and of course because of the time artists were financed by the Church, so they are all religious images - which is why a lot of them are angels, that sort of thing,” she explained. “I have a real interest in spirituality whether it’s Christian or whatever you would consider it. I think art almost transcends that, because it’s a concept of the divine or what people hold as sacred. That really interests me.” For Larouche-Ellard, putting her works on display is a time of great trepidation. “ I a l wa y s f e e l v e r y exposed, in a way. It’s really hard to open yourself up to any kind of commentary, but as an artist you are
looking for a reaction,” she explains of the doubleedge reality - criticism and praise. “Yeah, I’m looking for recognition, but I look at where it’s coming from. It’s very hard as an artist to have my vision and to stick to it because I am so influenced by what people think.” Although she remains her toughest critic, what people think is part of her continuing evolution as an artist, taking it all to heart, but never following the ebb and flow of the majority, never corrupting vision, but ever listening . . . “It’s all valid, right? To me something has to hit you in the gut,” she adds. “Different people look at things for different reasons. I don’t necessarily believe art has to be ‘beautiful’ to be valid.” A previous show in Regina brought out a petition to bring down her work. The pieces, based in an earlier Renaissance period when the depiction’s of beauty were far different than today’s ideals, offended. The intent completely eluded the viewers. “Beauty and good don’t necessarily have to go hand-in-hand,” adding that the petition was retracted
once she explained her motivation and intent. “That was probably the most flattering thing that has happened to me as an artist . . . ever, to have that kind of an impact on somebody so that they actually stop and look.” Letting go of her work,
Larouche-Ellard admits, is hard. You always want to tweak here, change this, add, remove that . . . the hardest thing is to know when to let go. Picturing a work before you start, and ultimately what you end up with, well, it’s very different, and it should be
Diane Larouche-Ellard, right, with Rita Sutherland, left, and Adam Chabonneau were installing Monday.
a soul-searching evolution, she stresses. “If you haven’t stepped outside of that box and felt really uncomfortable for a little while while you are working, than you haven’t gone through that creative process.” After a brief hiatus,
Larouche-Ellard is looking forward to the Biggar show, viewing it as another step on an artistic journey. “It’s important for me to have my work out there, and to hear what people are thinking.” ‘Wing and a Prayer’ is on display from April 1 to 25.
Larouche-Ellard’s works will be on display for the month of April. (Independent Photo by Kevin Brautigam)
Friends from Biggar get to dream with $238,394.90 LOTTO MAX win! I magine
winning the lottery while on vacation. Or picture being woken up in the middle of the night to find out that the ticket you shared with your friend had matched six out of seven and the Bonus! That’s what happened to Dale Kolberg and Carl Nicholls – the friends won $238,394.90 on LOTTO MAX! D a l e a n d C a r l h av e played lottery together on occasion, but as Dale was on vacation overseas, Carl bought their ticket for the December 20 draw. Carl e-mailed Dale their numbers, but on the night of the draw, Carl went to bed without checking
the ticket. Dale, being hours ahead, checked the numbers online and discovered that they had matched quite a few. “I didn’t know the amount, but I thought it must have been about $200,000 or so. I thought, ‘He better have sent me the right numbers, or he’s going to be in big trouble!’” Dale joked. Dale immediately got on the phone to Carl back home. It was after midnight in Biggar- a 13hour time difference. “He asked if I had checked the numbers yet, and I said, ‘Why, what’s up?’” Carl said. Carl checked the Saskatchewan Lotteries
Web site and discovered back from vacation, the their prize together. long-time friends claimed the win for himself. “I couldn’t sleep after that,” Carl said. Carl waited until the Quick Stop at 601 Main Street – the same place he bought the ticket - to confirm the win. “It was like winning the lottery twice, because we won more than I originally thought,” Carl said. Carl went straight home once he confirmed the win and called Dale to tell him the good news. Carl Nicholls, left, and Dale Kolberg have reason to smile given When Dale came their recent lottery success. (Submitted Photo)