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Local artist gains recognition

MaryAnn Bidder Local featured in International Artist Magazine
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Artist MaryAnn Bidder with Jimmy's Shed.

Kimberley’s MaryAnn Bidder is a long time member of the Federation of Canadian Artists and has had numerous paintings juried into Federation shows at the Federation Gallery in Vancouver. Many of those paintings have received awards.

This award winning artist, known for highly detailed and realistic watercolours, will be gaining more recognition internationally this month, with an eight-page layout in Internatnional Artist magazine. The article takes the reader through the creation of her painting Jimmy’s Shed.

Bidder was inspired to paint the shed, belonging to Kimberley resident Jim McKim, when she saw it up the St. Mary Road. The magazine takes us through every step of the painting, from the many photographs Bidder took from all angles, through  sketches to the first wash of colour to final details..

Bidder spent much of the beginning of 2013 preparing the article.

“As soon as I saw Jimmy’s Shed I knew I had to paint it,” Bidder told the magazine. “It has so much character and so many unanswered questions. What is behind the broken window and the door that is held closed with a rusty bucket? What was in those barrels?”

After spending much of this year working on the painting and the article, Bidder will now move on to a project close to her heart. Her son Robert, a former member of the Canadian military, suffers from Post Traumatic Stress and works closely with the organization Soldier On, which assists wounded veterans as the adapt to changed lives. Bidder will paint a soldier who returned from Afghanistan after having lost both his legs. He learned to sit ski through Soldier On and Bidder will paint him on the sit ski.

The painting will be auctioned off to raise funds for Soldier On.

Bidder is also a member of the International Guild of Realism.

Her paintings can be seen locally at Trickle Creek Gallery, Chateau Kimberley and Arrowsmith Gallery in Boswell.

You can also visit her website maryannbidder.com

 



Carolyn Grant

About the Author: Carolyn Grant

I have been with the Kimberley Bulletin since 2001 and have enjoyed every moment of it.
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