Melfort artist Carrie Hetchler has her first ever art exhibit at the Sherven-Smith Art Gallery in the Kerry Vickar Centre on Jan. 3.
Hetchler’s work is predominately mixed media abstract pieces, the art is inspired by the area she lives in and the variety of friends and experiences that are part of it.
This is her first full exhibition and it’s a bit of a homecoming since she once had art in the glass enclosures in the hallway of the Kerry Vickar Centre.
She said that it is exciting to have her own work up in the gallery.
“It’s a little like daunting too because, I mean, art is so personal, right? It’s kind of putting yourself out there a little bit,” Hetchler said.
Hetchler, who lives in Silver Park near Melfort, said she always loved painting and colouring as a child. However, she pursued a career as a hairdresser instead of an artist.
She spent 20 years working as a hairdresser in Melfort. The salon where she worked often had a Melfort artist displaying work on their walls.
The pieces were often taken down during the art fair season. Hetchler then offered to create art for the walls when they were empty, something the salon readily welcomed.
“That kind of started me on my way,” she said. “I’ve always really liked art. At the time we had three young kids and it was out of reach for us to buy art for our home so I just really started creating and playing and learning and doing things so that I could have nice art on our walls.”
Hetchler said her preferred medium of mixed media and abstract art just kind of happened.
“I can do faces and people, but I don’t enjoy the really fine, precise detail or working from a reference. I like to just kind of let it go organically,” Hetchler explained.
She she she will see something online and get inspired but she does not copy work only using it for inspiration.
“I always try to really incorporate my own view or spin on something,” Hetchler said. “We live out on the farm. Our views out my living room window—the sunsets—are just stunning. I get a lot of inspiration just by looking outside or going for a walk or seeing something neat.”
Being self-taught and working without boundaries to create makes her especially proud to have an exhibition at the Sherven-Smith. She said that the artistic community and her family have been large supporters.
“It’s fabulous,” she said. “Melfort as a community and Sandra (Dancey) and my family and friends, everyone is so supportive. I’m very lucky.”
Hetchler said that she keeps a room of what she calls “rejects’ that did not go as planned or just did not meet her expectations.
“I have so many people who are like, ‘no, put those out. You know, someone will like it,’” Hetchler said.
“Everyone has been so supportive and I wouldn’t have been able to pull this show off without my friends and family because they helped me in every aspect of it. It really does take a whole community to help.”
Most exhibitions have a title but Hetchler explained that she struggles with naming art or even an exhibition.
The name would come from where she is at when creating, but most of the time her art has no title, Hetchler said the exhibition is much the same.
“It’s more like some people exercise and some people garden or some people golf, right, to relax and unwind. I paint,” Hetchler said.
Hetchler’s exhibit on display at the Shervin-Smith Art Gallery in the Kerry Vickar Centre until Jan. 31. She said that there is a possibility for it to be extended an additional month but that is not confirmed at this point.
Michael.oleksyn@paherald.sk.ca
