Kanata artist active member of owaa, inspires creativity
Posted Feb 5, 2010 By Sarah Kelford
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EMC News - The Ottawa West Arts Association (owaa) has many members from throughout the west end of Ottawa. These members are artists of various mediums who share a passion for art and a desire to inspire the community.
Sarah Kelford, Kanata EMC
Kanata resident Angela Kilby is a member of owaa and will be performing a demonstration on Saturday, Feb. 13 at the Goulbourn Recreation Complex during owaa's Sweet Art Exhibit.
The owaa gallery, although located in Stittsville, features the works of artists from throughout western Ottawa. One of these artists is Glen Cairn resident Angela Kilby.
"I like the idea that the gallery is accessible to all, it really is a public gallery," said Kilby, who has been painting since she was a young girl living sea-side in England. "It's a lovely public space, the Goulbourn Rec(reation) Complex."
Kilby moved to Canada with her husband Nigel in 1966. They settled into Glen Cairn and immediately became involved in the community - including founding the Glen Cairn Nursery School.
"It's a lovely community right from the beginning," she said. "It's the community spirit. And we're comfortable here."
That sense of community is one of the attractive qualities of owaa for Kilby.
"What I like with this group is that everybody's supporting each other," she noted, explaining that it isn't competitive and if one person sells a piece of art, everyone is excited for that person.
In her spare time, what little of that she has, Kilby teaches art classes with the idea that "everybody can paint."
"I enjoy stimulating creativity, whether it's my grandchildren or the elderly," she said. "That gives me the most reward - helping others see their creativity. Everyone is creative, but most people are scared to let it out."
In addition to teaching, Kilby also runs a travel club and Not Just Tourists, alongside her husband, which satisfies her passion for traveling.
Through these efforts, Kilby has seen many parts of the world and brought supplies to those less fortunate.
Kilby explained that there is a beach in Portugal that is her favourite place to go - one that she has many paintings from. She said she will take photographs and use those to inspire her paintings.
"The pictures I've got are memories," she said.
In addition to being an artist and traveler, Kilby is also an avid dancer and is a member of the Ottawa English Country Dance Club.
"We live to dance," she said of her family. "We have a wonderful life."
Kilby paints many nature scenes, including seascapes, gardens and sunsets and, for fun, sometimes incorporates mixed media into some of her pieces.
"I love to paint," she said. "I love even more to stimulate other people to be creative."
SWEET-ART
Kilby will be joining her fellow owaa artists on Saturday, Feb. 13 at the owaa gallery (Goulbourn Recreation Complex, 1500 Shea Rd.) for the group's first ever Sweet-Art Exhibition.
The day, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m., will showcase more than 20 artists with five per cent off all works in the gallery - including new works that will be on display for the day. Door prizes include paintings, sculpture and cards. The artists encourage the public to stop by for the free events and watch painting demonstrations, in which Kilby will be taking part, as well as children's valentine crafts.
The owaa gallery features artists from all over the west end, with many artists having featured works in galleries throughout Ottawa.
For more information visit www.owaa.ca.
