Griz adds a Gallery

In the weeks before Christmas, a dark-haired woman held court daily in Freshies. Seated at a table, surrounded by cards, a sketch pad, partially finished drawings, and a two tier box of colored artist pencils, Jocelyn Thomas took orders for original Christmas cards, finished family portraits for under the tree, and generally plied her chosen trade as fine artist.

In a world increasingly obsessed with “more� it is refreshing to watch someone make it with “a few.�

Jocelyn and her husband David moved to Fernie almost on a whim to hear them tell it. They wanted out of the city (Toronto) and read a piece about ten up-and-coming small towns out west. For some reason, out of all of them, Fernie appealed most. In June, they drove out and camped for three weeks in this area getting to know people and the valley. At the end of that time, they rented a downtown apartment, drove back to Toronto, packed up a U-Haul and moved lock stock and barrel to Fernie. Rolling into town Labor Day weekend 1998, Jocelyn plied her trade as a fine artist ever since.

Her path as an artist follows the traditions of the Renaissance more than modern art traditions. Graduating with a BA and then an MA in Art History, Jocelyn studied Art. The art of the ages. The art of modern times. She studied; she did not paint or draw.

“I seek the script to know the whys and wherefores. The story’s what I reach for.�

Detailed in a manner not commonly found in today’s art, Jocelyn’s work is layered. Starting with a structure laid in by pencil, she fills and embellishes with the pencils. The result is a work with detail, layered depth and a quiet strength.

While the classics played with bowls of fruit, Jocelyn is more likely to use her cat Churchill as a model for a flying skiing cat for her cat skiing card. Or again asleep next to a Scrabble board with a Christmas wish list spelled out for Santa. “More tuna.�

Her commissioned portraits are hung in homes through out Fernie. Again, her base and subsequent layering and filling pull out the character in the individuals.

Jocelyn’s most recent foray in the art world is the opening of a small gallery in the lobby of the Griz at the base of Fernie Alpine Resort. The new space allows her to display her work in a dedicated environment. When she opens in the afternoon, easels holding pieces spread into the lobby, giving the Griz an atmosphere more in line with a European art café than a ski lode on the mountain. With the Wood right there, it is only an appropriate addition to the look and feel of the lobby.

While “art’ is her work, she still manages to keep a finger in the critical world, writing an art column for the Kootenay Carnival, the regional art and culture magazine.

Next time you are up on the mountain, at the end of the day, take a break and wander into the Griz. Check out the gallery, have a glass of wine at The Wood and savor the new feeling in the Lodge. As with most of Fernie, the maturing created a stronger and more interesting venue.