The Artym Gallery is pleased to present two renowned B.C. artists — Alex Fong and Danny McBride. Both artists will be in attendance at the gallery for an opening reception from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, June 8. On Saturday, June 9, both artists will be at the Artym from 11 to 3 p.m. helping passers-by create an original collaborative piece.

Alex has helped create collaborative paintings before. In the past few years, he has often taken part in the Artym Gallery’s celebrated “A La Carte” art series, selling out a dining venue in Invermere during which he helped attendees work together to create a single original painting. For this show, he has prepared a 24” x 30” canvas by under-painting and sketching out one of his trademark whimsical compositions. Anyone can come and try their hand at painting a little piece of the whole painting, with coaches Alex and Danny McBride nearby to assist with paint mixing, technique or any other bits of advice.

Alex is a standard at the Artym Gallery and his career spans over 25 years. His paintings of chickadees, golf scenes and flowery landscapes capture the imagination of the viewer, especially with his whimsical trademark of brightly coloured dots, termed “confetti dots.”

Danny McBride is best known for his paintings of sophisticated women in hats — chatting at a café, relaxing in the garden or taking a stroll through the Tuscan landscape. These unique portraits are immediately recognizable and compelling. Danny has been painting since 1997, before which time he also had a noteworthy career in music.

This is a great opportunity to meet these two amazing artists, see their latest works and have a hand in creating an original collaborative painting. If you can’t make it to the Artym for any of the revelry, take a look at the painting exhibition online at artymgallery.com.

— Submitted by Deanna Berrington