Quest artists bring exhibition to life with live painting session

Art enthusiasts are in for a treat as two celebrated local painters take their talents from the studio to the stage with a rare public collaboration this weekend

Enrique Bravo and Carolyn M. Boyd, both at left, are pictured at their current exhibition opening titled 'Hungering for Intensity, Longing for Peace'.Quest Art School + Gallery photo

Looking to get away from just the brushstrokes used to remove snow from your car? Well, Quest Art School & Gallery is the place to be on Saturday.

From 2 to 3 p.m.,exhibiting artists Carolyn M. Boyd and Enrique Bravo will be hosting a live painting performance in the upper gallery as part of their current exhibition, Hungering for Intensity, Longing for Peace.

The pair will collaborate in real time on a single 16 x 20-inch gallery-wrapped canvas, created in acrylic, in front of visitors.

“What makes this particularly noteworthy is that this will be the first time Carolyn and Enrique have ever collaborated on a single canvas in public,” Quest volunteer communications consultant Stephanie Rumball explains of the two fine artists specializing in cityscape and landscape paintings.

“While they’ve painted together many times in their home studio/gallery, their collaborative works are usually created privately.”

According to Rumball, the largest collaboration they’ve completed to date, Midland Medley (24 x 30 inches), is currently on display at Quest, making this live performance a fascinating extension of the exhibition itself.

“Adding another layer of excitement: The completed live painting will be given away to a lucky visitor once the exhibition closes on March 6th,” Rumball adds.

Visitors to the exhibition are invited to enter the draw (one entry per person), and on the day of the live performance, attendees will have the chance to enter up to three times.

“And of course, a fun local note you may recall: Enrique is the two-time defending Art Slam champion,” Rumball says. “It’s shaping up to be a truly memorable afternoon.”

The pair's current exhibition runs until March 6.

"Hungering for Intensity, Longing for Peace expresses two ends of the spectrum of human experience. City light and starlight, pavement and forest floor, horns and birdsong," notes about the exhibition say. "It is this dual longing and exploration of the human experience that they find connection with each other as artists and the viewer.

"They draw deep inspiration from their lived experiences. Enrique, inspired by the vibration of city life, juxtaposes Carolyn's peaceful experiences in the Canadian wilderness. The subject matter parallels their personal stories of immigration and living with disability."

For more information about Quest, click here.

Feature Courtesy of Andrew Phillips

For Midland Today