By David F. Rooney
She’s been away from home for 30 years, but Tina Bafaro is back and working exploring colour and texture through painting as you can see in her show that opens at Begbie Studios this Saturday.
Sculpture and figurative ceramics have really been her first loves since she graduated from Okanagan College in 1982 but since her return home to Revelstoke from Edmonton last year she has been exploring the effects of paint on canvas.
“I love colour and this something you don’t get with sculpture,” Bafaro said over tea with artist and Begbie Studios owner Tina Lindegaard.
Bafaro is definitely not afraid of colour and she uses it to good effect in her works. If her work with oils, which she adores in part because of the way the paint responds to her brushwork, and acrylics is anything to go by the local art community will be very interested to see what she can do in the world of 3D art.
“My boyfriend’s a welder so I’m looking forward to getting back into sculpture,” she said in an interview on Monday. “I especially like functional arts and I have some great ideas for things like fireplace grates.”
Tina Bafaro’s exhibition begins this Saturday with an opening from 7 pm until 10 pm at Begbie Studios, which is located at 721 Fourth Street East.
There will be works available from other artists, including a farewell of sorts by Christina Romeo who is moving next week to Salem, Oregon.
Christina’s distinctive works are now mostly found online (Click here to visit her website) and she is rapidly reaching the point where she will be able to stop working at non-artistic jobs altogether and concentrate on her painting.
“Selling online really opens you up to the world,” she said over tea at Begbie Studios. “I’ve sold work to collectors from all over Canada and the U.S. as well as Isrsael and Greece.”
An American citizen, Christina has spent more than 20 years in Canada as a permanent resident and has raised three kids here. But she was offered a professional opportunity with a medical services company that she couldn’t pass up.
If you’d like to see and purchase some of her work this will be your last opportunity to do so while she’s here.
Speaking personally, Christina’s creativity, resilience and spirit will be missed.
