Meghan and Robert Premischook have their work on this year's Art Trail. Both are displaying art at Big Country Printers until Saturday, Oct. 12.
Meghan was trained in traditional art the Victoria College of Art (now Edison College) in what she described as an "eclectic experience."
"I got a fine art diploma through them and I did painting and drawing primarily. I love pop culture and I love fantasy so I typically combine the two," Meghan said. "I'm a traditional artist that has a passion for fantasy and pop culture, and I care about a female voice in that genre as well." While she's been drawing for as long as she can remember, the movie Lord of the Rings was a huge influence on her and helped her find her artistic voice.
Robert got his first camera in 1983 as a gift from his wife. His big inspiration was Ansel Adams, a photographer who captured landscape photos of the American West throughout the 1900s. He said Adams' books and working in a dark room helped him learn about lighting in photography.
"I've always been fascinated with the technical side. Working in dark rooms, that was an amazing experience," he said and added he was one of the first people on Vancouver Island to have a Nikon D100 camera. "Now I have a digital dark room and I love that."
While chatting about his history with photography Robert said his father was a snapshooter, something that was new to Meghan and she was happy to learn about.
"Meghan's my colour savant. Because she has the training, the fine art and colour theory which is so fascinating," Robert said. "Every photo, I run it by Meghan and I run it by my wife."
Robert's photography and artistic drive helped him support Meghan through her art journey.
"I had done a few studies of my dad's photography when I was in art school," she said. She described one of his photos of a monarch butterfly on some dying lilies which she did a painting of.
Meghan recalled when she was in elementary school and having to get a parent's signature in her planner. "He would do doodles in it every once in a while and everybody would love to come and see it," she said. She also added that he drove her to classes while she was getting her art degree as another way to support her artistic journey.
"It's nurturing that gift in your kids," Robert said.
When asked what her favourite piece of art her father has created is, Meghan got emotional while describing the shot of a tree in a swampy area. She said it reminded her of the Dead Marshes from Lord of the Rings. That photo inspired her first watercolour painting attempt, which she said wasn't her best work but it hangs in her parents' house.
"It was just a really beautiful shot and I think just because of what we were going through at that time, we really started bonding around that time in the family," Meghan said. "It's always been my favourite. I don't know but it is. I don't know why it makes me cry, but it does."
He gravitates towards storms and moody weather. When the weather starts to change and the wind begins to blow, Robert finds the best photos. He captured a photo of a rainbow over a lake.
"I knew the light was going to change and it was just pouring rain and the clouds were breaking and I go out and I take a picture and I have to back to the car because my lens isn't waterproof," he said. Eventually after going back and forth into and out of his car he saw a perfect double rainbow over Cow Mountain and the lake. "I love that. It's healing."
Robert joked that Meghan has a thing about not finishing art she starts, but his favourite of her work is a watercolour horse painting that she made as a gift for her mother.
"Just the colour palette of it, so beautiful," he said. "We have that one at home. That's my absolute favourite one."
The pair go on art adventures together from time-to-time, where Robert will go find places to set up his camera to capture the perfect shot while Meghan will work away on a drawing or painting. Meghan said they barely speak on those art adventures and it's an almost meditative bonding experience for both of them.
It's Meghan's third year having her work on the Art Trail and Robert's second.
"This is an opportunity to show my work and I feel like I have, in Quesnel especially, I have a much different voice than what people I think are used to seeing so I like to show off a little bit in that way," Meghan said. "Life's hard and I want people to continue to dream so I hope I can show them something different."
They both agree it takes bravery to publicly display art and they'd like to encourage people to keep creating their art.
