Join three incredibly talented and well-established visual artists: Roy Henry Vickers, Roberta Pyx Sutherland and David Ellingsen for an insightful look beyond the obvious, hosted by multi-media artist Frances Litman.

Through their expressive talents, these artists have been shifting cultural narratives and inspiring new ways of seeing that are central, not peripheral, to social change.

Learn more about the transformative power of art and the role artists play in creating solutions for a new world where life can be lived to its fullest and richest potential by seeing beyond the obvious.

“Best Program Ever! Thank you for all the variety and intensity often raised in the programs you have been offering. Today’s was brilliant.
I have been working on the connection between humans and animals/Earth for a long time and it is a breath of life to learn about other artists doing the same.
Each of the artists shared such intimate energy that I want to share with others.” – Colleen Campbell

Canadian First Nations artist Roy Henry Vickers is internationally renowned for his distinctive style of paintings, sculpture and carvings and is a respected artistic advisor on projects that have included Expo 86 and the Vancouver International Airport.
His Tofino, BC gallery is an experience and destination visited by many and he remains actively involved in numerous creative endeavours, including the illustration and publication of many books.
Roy Henry Vickers is the recipient of both The Order of British Columbia and The Order of Canada.

Roberta Pyx Sutherland is a contemporary Canadian artist who works from Victoria and Hornby Island. From her first solo show at the Victoria Art Gallery in the 80’s her work has continued to focus on the environment and the interconnectivity of all life forms. Her work has been collected by the Canada Council for the Arts, Burnaby Art Gallery, Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, Toronto Public Library, University of British Columbia, Concordia University Library, and the Bibliothèque de Genève. Sutherland particularly enjoys creating site-specific installations. In 2012, she painted an Andy Warhol tribute for the Hornby Island Arts Council. Magazines and e-journals regularly include her images.
After decades of practice Sutherland continues to be inspired by our connections to cosmic patterning and divine intelligence.

David Ellingsen is a Vancouver Island based photographer whose images speak to the relationship between humans and the natural world. David’s work is intensely focused on documenting the ways biodiversity loss and deforestation are affecting our environment.
His photographs are exhibited internationally and are part of the permanent collections of the Chinese Museum of Photography, South Korea’s Datz Museum of Art and Canada’s Beaty Biodiversity Museum and Royal British Columbia Museum. They have been shortlisted for Photolucida’s Critical Mass Book Award, appeared with National Geographic, and awarded First Place at the Prix de la Photographie Paris and the International Photography Awards.
As a freelance assignment photographer, Ellingsen worked with clients such as the New York Times Magazine, Business Development Bank of Canada, Canadian Medical Association, Oprah Winfrey Network, People magazine and CBC Radio Canada.

Additional Q&A

Q. What is the process by which Roberta Pyx Sutherland creates her mushroom prints?

A. It’s all about paying attention to the mushrooms. This work is an example of paying attention to the details. It’s so simple that it perhaps looks complicated. It’s such a rich world, not complicated.

1. Pick up recently foraged mushroom, the fresher the better.
2. Place it gill side down, on a paper, or material of artists choice.
3. Then wait some hours, don’t peek! You will get a print.

Each mushroom has individual characteristics how they print. I begin with the most elementary spore print. Then documenting and repeating. Track the results and responses … size, colour, density etc. This information will then represent the creative options available. Some prints are very fragile and others much less so.
The work shown in the webinar is five years into creative research and documentation.
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