 |
| The group's mentor Bernice Hennessy posing with her lovely mixed media work at the 2013 Stittsville Arts in the Park show. |
Bernice taught courses in Acrylics and Watercolour Pencil for several years at the Art Mad Store in Stittsville, and was a founding member of our Library art group.
She was university trained but we all felt, as Gerry says, “she was more of a mentor than an instructor. She provided information on techniques and color combination, and would explain the way certain colors beside another color would cause a certain depth perception, popping out the object that the artist is trying to convey. She would not tell you what to do but would give you ideas on what to expect with certain techniques and encouraged you to experiment. We were all very comfortable with these methods.
To this day we all feel that she has influenced us in many of the art projects we undertake in our Art Mad group and her name is often invoked when working on a difficult piece as we ask ourselves, ‘What would Bernice suggest?’”.
 |
| Bernice Hennesy and Gerry Chamberlain at the 2015 Arts in the Park |
"She
was kind, generous, wise and funny too, and beloved by us all in the
Art Mad group. Her paintings were wonderful, bold and vibrant." (Maggie)
"A funny, kind-hearted, exceptionally talented artist, mentor and friend. ...If not for her, I wouldn’t have rekindled a passion for art and love of watercolour pencils. (She’s) guided me, and many of the group, in our pursuits of creating art." (Natalie)
Bernice consistently offered the group tips and constructive ideas that helped us all to grow as artists. She is sadly missed.
ReplyDelete