The circumstances of Lacey Jane Wilburn's arrival in Whistler are serendipitous—both for her and for the local arts community.
Wilburn's partner lives in Creekside. She thought about moving from Vancouver to the Sea to Sky for that relationship, but needed to find a studio in town. One February day in 2023, the couple saw a sign whilst walking their dogs in Rainbow Park: a sign advertising the Point Artist-Run Centre (PARC).
At that time, PARC director Stephen Vogler had just launched the organization's art studio program. Wilburn reached out to him, and found herself putting down roots in Whistler two weeks later.
She thus gained a home for herself and her family. Whistler gained a qualified talent with a master's in Fine Arts from Emily Carr University of Art and Design, a bachelor's of Fine Art with Great Distinction from Concordia University and a semester abroad at the l’Ecole d'Enseignement Supérieur d'art de Bordeaux in France on her resume.
"I'm originally from Stoney Plain, Alberta and I've been an artist pretty much as long as I can remember … from music to theatre to visual arts," says Wilburn, who now instructs part-time at Emily Carr University. "Painting in particular was always the most compelling for me because I internalized a lot of my thoughts and I found all that nice, intimate time with myself came out better on canvas than on a stage."
'Art is a muscle'
Wilburn also enjoys teaching, which is why her Introduction to Oil and Acrylic Painting course at the PARC is something she has desired to do for some time.
"These are going to be smaller and more intimate classes of probably a handful of students, where you get a little bit more directed one-on-one time," she explains. "I did tons of smaller workshops [in the past], and I found I learned the most from them. With university training, you learn so much about critical thinking, art history and contemporary practices, and with one-off paint nights, you get a juicy and exciting adventure. But this is where I really will get a chance to sit down and teach classical training, breaking it up into easy steps."
If you have little to no prior art experience, fear not, for Wilburn's method of dealing with beginners is gentle and constructive. She'll walk her pupils through a fundamental aspect of painting in each session, helping them finish a work of their own by the end. The subject matter is wide open: students can bring their own images (like a photograph of a loved one) to recreate or use one of Wilburn's reference materials, including famous paintings from antiquity.
She encourages everyone to give the class a go, even (or especially) if they feel like they can't do it.
"When we're young children, we're all encouraged to do art, and so many people I meet say they haven't done art since they were kids and stopped because they think they're not good," Wilburn remarks. "But like any skill, art is a muscle. You don't just naturally pick up a violin at age four and know how to put bow to string.
"Some say: 'I just don't get art.' Well, it's because there's so many different facets of it, but everyone can understand there's a skill involved if you're painting something realistic [for instance]. You see all these paintings of animals in the mountains here and people recognize them … and I've got a lot of experience in teaching. If people are wary about starting art, all you really need is to have an enthusiasm or a desire to try."
'You always learn together in a group setting'
Another reason to try in this case: oil and acrylic are relatively forgiving when compared to the third major paint medium of watercolour.
The former two allow an artist to layer paint, i.e. layering light shades on top of dark ones. Acrylic dries in expedient fashion, while oil allows light to travel through and reflect off the earliest level of the painting for more of a stained-glass effect visually. Both can be utilized with similar techniques.
Watercolour requires much more technical precision, and it is difficult to rectify errors if you put down paint where you didn't intend to.
Seasoned creatives are well aware of these nuances, but Wilburn thinks they, too, can benefit from her program at the PARC.
"When I did similar classes back in Montreal, most of us were actually experienced artists that just liked a group setting in which to paint," she says. "You always learn together in a group setting, whether you're a beginner or advanced. I often learn from my students as well."
Furthermore, Wilburn is excited for a change of pace where she doesn't need to do any marking. Her students at Emily Carr are often anxious to pass their courses with good numbers, which is understandable even though art is inherently subjective and thus difficult to grade. Yet an arena like the PARC fosters a more holistic philosophy to learning.
"I find it's a more relaxed environment. It's pretty social, too," Wilburn says. "You could show up casually. You don't have to worry about whether or not your work's going to be good. I'm here to teach you the skills to make art you care about. It doesn't matter if your style and my style are different. I want to give you the tools to express yourself the way you want."
Learn more about Wilburn and her course at thepointartists.com/events/introduction-to-oil-and-acrylic-painting-with-lacey-jane-wilburn.
