Joanne Ayley. Joanne Nemeth. Rosemary Park. Sylvie Peltier. Susan White. Val Wheater. These six women have more in common than a love for the natural beauty of Vancouver Island and a knack for displaying it with their unique creative talents.
Each of them has crafted a work to serve as scenery for an upcoming dinner theatre production – and is donating their contribution for a live auction to raise funds for Qualicum Beach area nonprofits.
Joanne Nemeth led the charge to find artists willing to join the cause with her after hearing the plan for community theatre aficionado Julian Packer’s murder-mystery dinner theatre taking place this November. Packer’s “Death at Eaglecrest Manor” – reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s “And Then There Were None” – is a nonprofit production benefiting six social service providers, and the addition of original art to the set doubles as another way for attendees to contribute to the cause. (Read more about Julian Packer and the inspiration for the show, here.)
About the Vancouver Island Artists
Joanne Ayley Joanne paints bright colourful paintings of her travels (local and beyond) in acrylics. She loves visual drama and contrast so tends to use lots of sharp edges and complimentary colours. Her interpretive style evolved over several years of painting after working as a graphic designer. Joanne grew up, studied and worked in Quebec and Ontario. She feels lucky to now be living on Vancouver Island where she finds endless inspiration for her art.
joanneayleyart.com
Born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, Joanne Nemeth retired from a career as a petroleum engineer before taking up art as a hobby. Through many classes and workshops, she tried a variety of media and techniques including oil pastels and watercolours. After arriving in Qualicum Beach a decade ago with her husband and their three tabby cats, another artist introduced her to painting acrylic dots on rocks. She was smitten, she says, and a pointillist was born!
joannenemeth.com/
After working for over 40 years as a speech and language pathologist throughout BC, Rosemary Park says her retirement “has been greatly enriched by rediscovering painting and the mental and creative challenges painting in oils presents.” She is intrigued by the relationship between creativity and wellbeing and says, “I find the doing is often as important as the outcomes as I paint.” She loves meeting fellow painters and being surrounded by nature’s beauty on Vancouver Island.
https://decosmos.org/rosemary-park/
Though Sylvie Peltier grew up in Quebec, she was amazed at an early age by the scenes of British Columbia, where she ultimately came to live. After operating a documentary production company, she began painting, and has been wielding her brush for the past 12 years under the artist name Esspé, the phonetic expression of the initials of her name. Her joyful, abstract works are inspired by the natural world around her. In 2023, she moved to Qualicum Beach, and says, “It was there that I finally devoted myself to my life as an artist.”
sylviepeltier.com/
Susan White is a professional artist inspired by the abundant wildlife and botanical subjects surrounding her. She has been working exclusively in soft pastel for 10 years and recently began exploring monoprinting and collage work. She is a member of the Federation of Canadian Artists, holding a signature, and of Pastel Artists Canada, holding a master pastelist signature. She also belongs to DeCosmos Fine Arts group.
susanwhitestudio.com
Val Wheater also started painting later in life and discovered it brought great joy and grounding. “Retirement provided me more time to paint and volunteer in the art community,” she says, so it’s no surprise she said yes to this collaboration. Her preferred medium is now acrylic on canvas or wood. Though her style is realistic, Val loves adding a touch of whimsy, evoking a story for the viewer. Inspiration comes from her passion for nature, gardens and travel, painting plein air and from my photographs. She enjoys being a permanent resident of Vancouver Island again, “Where I am very inspired by the beautiful parks and scenery all around me.”
instagram.com/val_wheater_art/
Purchase tickets for “Death at Eaglecrest Manor,” a once-in-a-lifetime experience that includes a four-course dinner by Extreme Eatz Catering!
Visit Extreme Eatz on Instagram or email oura@extremeeatz.com.
Proceeds from ticket sales and the auction of artwork will benefit seven charities in the community:
Coast Karma Academy (a school for children with challenges), the Society of Organized Services, Saint Stephen’s Church (meals for the homeless) Forward House (mental health and addiction services), Manna Homeless Society, Kwalikum Secondary School, and Ballenas Secondary School
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