When I think of any artist painting, I picture an easel set up by a tranquil lake with the sun filtering through the shoreline trees, birds twittering above and the haunting call of a loon echoing off the distant, rocky cliffs.  There would be a nice glass of wine close by (why not, this is my vision after all) and of course, no bugs.  It seems like an idyllic way to spend several hours on a warm, summer afternoon.  Well heck – any painter can do that right?  Why not crank up the heat a little and turn it into a friendly competition.  Somebody decided it might be fun to put a bunch or artists together in a room with just the tools of the trade (medium is acrylic paint and they can use brushes, palette knives and non-mechanical implements), have crowds of people milling about looking over their shoulders and give them only 20 minutes to produce something amazing.  Talk about the other end of the spectrum – no pressure there!

That is exactly the premise of Art Battle.  Now in its sixth season in Canada, the Battle takes place in cities and towns all across the country over several months.  The winner is chosen by the audience’s vote and that person goes on to compete against the winners from other regions at a later date.  One such event was held at the end of last year in Bracebridge and the winner was Huntville’s own Helena Renwick.  Helena’s winning work is shown here and she can now move on to compete in the Regional finals in May of 2015.

On January 23, 2015 at 7:00 pm Art Battle 201 is coming to Huntsville for the first time.  It will be held at the Summit Centre and tickets are only $10.00 in advance ($15.00 at the door).  What a unique opportunity to watch the process of creating a work of art and then being able to vote for your favourite to help them move on in the competition.

So, I would like to issue a challenge to the many talented artists in this area – and believe me, I know there are a lot of you out there.  At first glance, this might not seem to fit into your vision of yourself as an artist.  Perhaps my original description is more what you have in mind.  But why not try something a little different and challenge yourselves a wee bit?  There are only twelve artist spots available in the Battle and I hope you will step up your game and get your names on the registration list.  Sadly I suffer from a severe lack of talent in the painting department, but I’m really looking forward to this exciting event.

For more information on Art Battle, to register as an artist or purchase advance tickets, please visit artbattle.ca