Artist fascinated by pastels
An award-winning artist from Ridgeway has taken a collection of his work on the road for a twomonth exhibit at Welland’s Wall of Art.
Located at the Civic Square on East Main Street at the entrance of the public library branch, Rey Baecher’s work is available for the community to enjoy until July while visiting the municipal building.
Baecher has several national awards from Pastel Artists Canada and the Society of Canadian Artists annual juried exhibitions and has spent the last 40 years of his life in front of an easel.
He experiments with a variety of mediums including pencil, oil, and watercolours.
His current fascination is with pastels, he said while his work was being unveiled on Friday morning.
“I hate cleaning brushes,” he said with a laugh.
Much of Baecher’s style is focused on shadows and reflections on items made of glass.
“Every time I see a different shape and colour of glass, it inspires a new painting,” he said.
The first step is placing the unique piece in a spot where the light will change as the hours of the day pass while keeping an eye on what creates the most “interesting shadow,” he explained.
“I take a photo, capture the moment, and work from that,” said Baecher.
In 2016, his pastel painting Colour Fantasy was chosen as one of 50 finalists out of 200 entries from around the world in an international art competition, the Nonesuch Art on Paper Awards, held in Nova Scotia.
Dianna Kit Mete, one of four co-founders of the Wall of Art who started the vision in 2007, said she is delighted to have Baecher in the picture for the next two months.
Along with her partners Lori Hayes-Root, Andrea MacGregor and Carol Kitchen, Kit Mete says the local arts shrine is at an ideal location and has been a very popular feature at city hall since it was created.