He paints for the fun of it but now Dr. Dick Wray of the Olds Art Club will get his moment to shine.“Everybody likes to have something that people will appreciate. I always feel good when somebody says, that's a nice painting,” Wray said.The Olds Art Club will be holding a free exhibit at Olds College's Bell e-Learning Centre on April 5 and 6.Hours on Saturday run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.The Olds Art Club meets at the Bell e-Learning Centre twice a month from October to March. It holds two exhibits per year: One in the spring and the other in the fall.At each exhibit, an artist will be featured. This spring, it will be Wray along with Michele Brewster, a Bowden artist educated at the Alberta College of Art.Featured artists are allowed to display as many paintings as they please while others are allowed six to eight pieces. Artists are featured on a rotational basis so all members of the club will get their moment in the spotlight.The paintings will also be available for purchase.Over the years, Wray has gone on holidays during the winter to warmer climates. During that time, he took photographs and has based many of his paintings on his shots, he said.A retired physician, Wray has been a member of the club since 1960. He said the group, which brings 20 to 30 people together, is a place where people become better artists.As a novice artist at the time of joining the club, Wray said he struggled with perspective and colour choices.“When I first started, my pictures weren't very good,” he said. “They were childish.”At each meeting, there's an instructor, usually a local artist, who critiques members' work and helps them improve. They specialize in different media, from pastels, watercolour, acrylic to sketching, Wray said.“It's been a great group to belong to,” said Brewster, a club member of more than 40 years. “If you're going to paint, you need to be around people that inspire you so that's the reason why I keep going.”For Wray, the club is also a social gathering.“It's a fellowship type of thing. You encourage other people and they encourage you,” he said.“One of the reasons I like joining the club is because there's a nice bunch of people there. It's a very collegiate atmosphere. Everybody wants to help everybody out and we're all friends,” he continued. “If I don't get to a meeting I feel bad because I've missed something.”[email protected]
