A local artist is thinking outside the box.
Glen Collins is showcasing his work at Airdrie Office Supplies Ltd.
“I think it is a great idea to have local businesses support artists,” he said.
“It is a great relationship. I wanted a place where people can go and look at the work in person.”
Jean Simpson, co-owner of Airdrie Office Supplies Ltd., said she would recommend any business partner with a local artist to give them exposure and “spruce up the place.”
“It makes a nice addition to our store,” she said.
“Artists in the area don’t really have anywhere to display their work and the customers are really interested in it. It brings something unique to the store.”
Collins paints local landscapes and works with watercolours and acrylics. His work includes elevators, trains, farms, fields and prairies.
He reproduces his own work with a Giclee printer, a machine that sprays paint, instead of printing, on an easel.
“It takes out all the hard edges and allows the colours to blend together,” he said.
“The final print looks like a real painting.”
Collins said printing his original paintings on his press makes them more affordable.
“Very few people can afford to buy one-of-a-kind artwork,” he said.
“The more you print, the less valuable they are but if you find that right mix, it allows people who wouldn’t normally be able to purchase art to do so.”
Collins has been interested in art since he was 10 years old.
He attended the Alberta College of Art and Design in the 1970s and worked in advertising after graduating in 1978.
He is a member of the Airdrie Regional Arts Society, the Irricana Art Coop and is currently showing his work at the Irricana Municipal Library.
He said he enjoys how expressive art is.
“I like that I can go out in the mountains and paint one aspect and you can see something totally different,” he said.
“It is about being able to express what you see.”
Collins works out of his home about six kilometres northwest of Goldenrod hall is currently working on an eight by 48 foot mural in Irricana.
“When they approached me, I thought this would be a great idea,” he said.
“I am always looking for ways to promote art in Airdrie.”
Collins said the arts have come a long way in Airdrie and it is a great time to be an artist in the city.
“However, there are still a lot of artists in Airdrie working by themselves and I would like to see them come together,” he said.
“I think we need to work together to get the awareness of the arts out there. The arts are exciting and I think it is time for it to bloom in Airdrie.”
For more information on Collins work visit, www.collinsartworks.com or stop by Airdrie Office Supplies Ltd. at 101-400 Main Street NE.
