Every year Art Walk sees new young artists, none more fresh-faced than 17-year-old high school student Daniel Daugherty whose artwork opens the Art Walk route at Taylor Made Cakes and Sweets. Daugherty is going into Grade 12 at Maranatha Christian School and has been drawing and painting for the last eight years.
Nature, wildlife and music are what he draws inspiration from, Daugherty said, as well as incorporating aspects of faith. He got involved in Art Walk through knowing Jasmine Alexander, Downtown Williams Lake’s program coordinator, who encouraged him to submit some art.
One of his pieces he contributed to Art Walk is based off a song and entitled Do You See Us Down Here? and is a moody portrait using acrylic paints of a man.
“From what I’m seeing all the artists (in Art Walk this year) they really have talent so it’s just a great way to see what everyone thinks of and what gets them going,” Daugherty said.
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Alongside the new faces are veteran artists like local city muralist and all-around artists Dwayne Davis, who has been taking part in Art Walk almost since its inception. Davis said his art has filled up space this year at the Caribou U Brew with about 10 paintings, primarily portrait works. He plans to also showcase his work at the Gecko Tree and change the art in the U Brew about halfway through, to keep things fresh for the avid artwalkers.
Davis’ style tends to be impressionistic when he paints, to better show off the use and colour of the paints. When it comes to the Art Walk, as long as he is able to contribute to the event, Davis said that he will.
He was particularly happy by the grand opening party that Downtown Williams Lake threw this year, which he took part in by painting in the paint battle. It was a lot of fun and a great way to kick off Art Walk this year, Davis said.
“There is a lot of fresh new artists showing their stuff (this year) and it’s a great way to spend the day. Everyone should come out and walk the walk,” Davis said.
A unique part of Art Walk each year is always the fibre artists who take part, though this year a new spin has been put on the concept of fibre art by Katy Tataryn of Luxarose Apparel. Tataryn is a 20-year veteran of the fashion industry and has been sewing since she was a child. She primarily works in textile design and fibre arts when creating clothing which is her “jam” and does about two colourful collections of clothing a year.
“I would say my design style is a modern Scandinavian-architectural pieces mashed up with totally artsy, bohemian, gypsy, hippie (themes),” Tataryn laughed.
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She’s provided several colourful sweaters to display at the Williams Lake and District Credit Union that are based on the mountain of scrap fabric she says that occupies the middle of her sewing room. Many of the sweaters were created by marrying brand new fabrics with scraps from the aforementioned mountain.
“At first I was really hesitant (to become part of Art Walk) because I didn’t really see how my clothing could be art. Clothing as art, it kind of flipped that little narrative and what I do is wearable art, every piece is unique so why not?” Tataryn said.
patrick.davies@wltribune.com
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