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Art Club showcases local painter at annual sale

“I always thought it would be a fun thing to do but I didn’t want to paint a bowl full of apples.” Ponoka artist Eleanor Tangjerd
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Featured artist Eleanor Tangjerd stands in front of her work during the Ponoka Art Club’s annual sale last weekend at the Seniors Drop-in Centre.

For the last 25 years Eleanor Tangjerd has taken to oil paintings like a kid in a candy store.

She decided to try her hand at a brush because it was something she always wanted to attempt and rather than wait for it to come to her and once the trial was over, Tangjerd made a commitment to herself to start painting.

“I always thought it would be a fun thing to do but I didn’t want to paint a bowl full of apples,” said Tangjerd.

Her work was showcased at the Ponoka Art Club’s annual sale last weekend at the Senior’s Drop-in Centre.

Painting never came easy to her, though, and Tangjerd said she had joined the art club approximately 20 years ago. She still takes classes hosted by the club, which forced Tangjerd to get out of her comfort zone, removing distractions and start painting. “I can’t get myself doing it…Everything gets in the way.”

Tangjerd has learned many skills over time and uses them to improve her work. “I’m not a natural, I use all the tricks there are,” she said.

Some of Tangjerd’s paintings have taken one day to complete, but others have taken weeks. The trick for her is being able to work closely with the oil paint to get a finished piece she is happy with.

“I find it easier and you can change it, make adjustments,” said Tangjerd.

Still, there are paintings of hers that don’t quite meet her exacting style but that doesn’t stop Tangjerd from continuing with her passion. Many of her paintings are nature scenes and she uses photos as inspiration for her work.

Art lovers will always know if they have a genuine Tangjerd as she signs all of her paintings with her middle name, Rosina, and she includes the year it was painted.

Young artist learns through classes

One young artist also had a chance to show off her work during the exhibition.

For the last two years Shaelyn Goodwin, 11, has been taking classes through the Ponoka Art Club. She presented six pieces, mostly watercolour, over the course of the weekend and says she has always loved painting.

Goodwin started classes two years ago and feels her skills get better each time she takes a class. “They’ve improved my skills a lot, because they teach you different techniques,” she said.

While she also presented a pencil drawing, Goodwin’s watercolour scenes of trees and lighthouses are filled with a cheerful colours. Working with watercolours can be fun, said Goodwin, because the strength and depth of the colours depend on how much water is used when painting.