When Josephine Galang was tasked to design a promotion for the 51st annual Port Moody Art Association (PMAA) show and sale, she built a draft version around a member’s image.
But the Port Coquitlam graphic designer was forced to scrap it and start over after her club colleagues voted to have one of Galang’s artworks on the cover instead. “I was so surprised,” the two-year member gushed. “I thought they were going to pick something else.”
Her painting, titled Shall We Dance?, an 18 by 36” oil work, is one of four pieces Galang will exhibit from her swan series; the other three are also medium-sized canvasses with oil paint: Just The Two Of Us (18x24); Family Day (20x24); and The Babysitter (20x24).
For the four scenes, Galang combined a number of photographs she took while in Stanley Park a few years back to recreate the setting. “I never paint exactly what I see,” she explained. “It’s usually a mixture of two or three pictures. I let my imagination take over.”
Galang told The Tri-City News this week she looks forward to showcasing her swans in the yearly PMAA display, which opens with a reception on Friday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. at Port Moody recreation complex (300 Ioco Rd.) and continues 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 3 and 4.
She’s also keen to see in person the other 200 original paintings from PMAA members.
PMAA isn’t the only art organization Galang belongs to: She’s part of a life drawing workshop at Glen Pine Pavilion, a seniors’ facility in Coquitlam City Centre (previously, she was with Art Focus Art Association in Port Coquitlam).
Galang joined the two groups to get out and meet other artists, and gain ideas from them.
Her love for the arts started at home in the Philippines. The fourth of seven children, Galang had a large family residence that included three generations and hired help.
Her uncle, who also lived with them, was good at drawing and painting and had a mural in his bedroom that covered the walls. “I was so inspired by that,” Galang recalled.
Her creativity also sprung from her mother, an opera singer, clothing designer and sewer.
Still, Galang was the only child to continue in the arts, earning a BFA in her native country. Today, the semi-retiree paints in between her publishing projects, with portraits and landscapes being her go-to subjects. On walks around Metro Vancouver, she snaps photos when she sees the light hitting a tree or a rock in a special way.
Galang’s goal is to capture its peacefulness. “When people hang my paintings in their home, I want them to feel a sense of calmness and joy.”
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SHOW DETAILS
The Port Moody Art Association’s 51st annual show and sale opens Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. and runs Nov. 3 and 4 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Port Moody recreation complex (300 Ioco Rd.). Admission and parking are free. Visit portmoodyartasssociation.com.
