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B4 THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, April 5, 2000 Arts & Entertainment Oakville Beaver Entertainm ent Editor: Carol Baldwin 845-3824 (Extension 254) Fax: 337-5567 From family snapshots to creative photographs By Carol Baldwin ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR T he photographs o f Michele DuCharme reflect her tenacity and, of course, her charm. And that charm, she quips, is a reflection of her surname. "My D-space-chann. I gotta work with that." DuCharme says a trip to Europe years ago got her hooked on photogra phy as she snapped photographs with a camera that she had purchased from a photo enthusiast. And she still uses that same Pen tax K-1000 35 mm camera. But she really started taking "thou sands and thousands of pictures" once she was married and had children. Then, a few years later, she took what she refers to as her "trademark or signature piece," marking a transition for her from pictures o f her children to more abstract, creative photographs. "My whole life was children and laundry and cooking. I had these chili peppers sitting on my counter, and I don't know why, but I just thought, `I'm sick and tired o f hanging dia pers'... So, I went and hung these chili peppers on the clothes line and started photographing them," she explains. That photo o f the chili peppers has been selected as one of the photos for her first exhibition this month. "I really like this whole idea of maintaining a sense of excitement and wonder that you have when you're a child. So, when I take (photographs of) things I try to get that feeling across," life is Photo by Barrie Erskine Photographer Michele DuCharme is reflected in her photo titled Can Can. she says. "If people laugh at something or if I make people look at something in way that they hadn't thought of before. To me that's the main thing. There are lots of possibilities." One of those possibilities can be seen in another of her photographs that will be in the exhibit. Titled Brain Freeze, this picture was taken at Nia gara Falls during the winter. To one of her friends the picture resembled a brain, on ice, but to her husband, it look like a dragon with steam coming out of its nose. For people to have different inter pretations of one of her photographs is the highest praise the Oakville mother of four could receive, since Freeman Patterson is her mentor. "His whole thing is about visual design. He takes ordinary things, like a glass paper weight for example, and he takes about 100 shots of this paper weight...and he gets right into it. It's all about the way the light interacts with everything else. It's unbeliev able," she explains. "He has a very dis tinctive style. Meeting him in Novem ber, 1998, was unbelievable." DuCharme admits that she doesn't have the technical skills of Patterson, whose hand she insisted on touching for good luck. However, she says, "I know I have a good eye. When I take a picture of something, it's because it has done something to me, made me stop," she says, adding, "I'm always on my stomach, on my knees, on the floor, lying on my back taking pictures...It doesn't always work, but that's why I take a lot of shots." Her first exhibit, which opens on Friday, represents her first step into anything professional, she says. And it comes with mixed feelings. "For me to have to show a portfolio of my work to Joe S m ith s.it was incredibly exciting but it was terrify ing," says the Oakville photographer, explaining that the numerous compli ments she received on her work from family and friends wasn't quite the same as showing her photos to a pro fessional artist for an exhibition. m m CORRECTION For our 48 page Sears Days Pre-Print (Sale Dates; April 3-16,2000) (C041F500) Page 6 - Nevada Overall wiU not be available for this promotion. Page 13-Horizon car seat is not exactly as illustrated. Page 14 - Save 30% on all boys and girls underwear. Offer does not apply to boys and girls socks. Page 45 - Save $50.00 Craftsman 2 HP, 15L com pressor Sears reg. 349.99 Sale 299.99 Ad should read - save $100.00 Craftsman 2 HP, 15L compressor Sears reg. 399.99 Sale 299.99 We sincerely apologize forany inconvenience this may have caused. 3 *>k O oTo: "Research advances continue to grow" |t "We are on the threshold of a new era in cancer research. We're really confident that we will beat c a n c e r" d ,. R0 b « r t ptiuiips National Cancer Institute of Canada Proof of what d a ffo d ils do. Help us d o more. Call 1-877-99Daffodll H T | H r or www.cancer.ca Make an Online Donation today! 4- Tcrvs*** Horn* & ®l · V tt S ecurity | h ttp :/ / v w w Jvaltons»arch com / c I Ick on u» today Ijiestyle & Travel She even claim s that fate was responsible for her m eeting with Smith. It all began on one of her many vis its to Beans and Blossom s where DuCharme happened to notice Smith's paintings on the wall. The friend she was with suggested that the Bronte cafe always featured the work o f local artists. So, wishing aloud, DuCharme said, "Gee, wouldn't it be fun if I could have a show here?" ' Then, two days later, she noticed a sign advertising a craft show at one of the local schools. "I'm very intuitive, and something said to me, `Go here.' I don't argue with this. So I go. "Then I'm walking around this school...and I'm thinking, `W hat am I doing here?' I don't need to be here," she explains. "I was just getting ready to go, when I went down this final hall way, and there's a man standing there with all these paintings. And they looked like the paintings in that cafe. So I walked up and I said, `Hello, are you Joe Smith?" ' He was. And after their conversa tion, Sm ith decided to look at DuCharme's portfolio, which ultimate ly led to his recommendation of her work for an exhibit at Beans and Blos soms. And Smith even selected one of DuCharme's favourite photos as one that should be included in the exhibit. This particular picture was taken in Melbourne, Ontario on the day that her late grandfather would have turned 100 years old. When the photograph, titled Nature's Web, was taken, DuCharme was standing in the cemetery where many o f her grandfather's relatives have been buried. And the old family homestead lived in by her grandfather, who was also a photographer, can be seen in the background. "Some of my favourite pictures that I have today are ones that he took of me when I was very young," she says. "I've got one o f his cameras from occupied Japan. He would just think that this (exhibit) was so cool." After her m eeting with Smith, things began to happen for the amateur photographer. A friend with a photo lab offered to enlarge the photographs that were selected for the exhibition. Then she went to a framing store where she was given "an artist's discount," some thing that lifted DuCharme's spirits and confidence another notch. "To have som eone acknowledge th at.. .Then some woman came over to me and said, `Oh, those are lovely. Where did you take your photographic training?' And I said I don't have any thing formal," says DuCharme, obvi ously delighted with the accumulation of praise for her work. D uCharm e will have 10 pho tographs in the exhibition in Beans and Blossoms at 2416 Lakeshore Rd. W. (in the Lick's plaza) which opens on April 7th from 8 to 10 p.m. All the photos in the exhibition, which runs until April 30th, are framed and for sale. Let your creativity soar to new heights (nwommKMiiir) * 2000 ,6 Snow t/ Renee Taylor & Joe Bologna ^ w ^ 'Appearing at the Toronto Show only *Stars of "If You Ever Leave Me... I'm Going W ith You!" _ The hilarious comedy premiering at The Winter Garden Theatre May 2,2000 ART & POTTERY ADULTS · CHILDREN · TEENS A 24 Month Lease on a Buick mCentury 2000 Special Edition! Visit the Grey Power Insurance Brokets Inc Booth to find out how CLASSES CLASSES BEGIN AS EARLY AS APRIL 10 4 a * § 4 5 l* lk l£ l FREE WORKSHOPS & DEMONSTRATIONS · FINANCIAL · HEALTH * COOKING 2 GREAT VENUES: · FASHION & BEAUTY · HOBBIES j H AM ILTON TO R O N T O · ACTIVE ADULT COMMUNITIES & MORE! APRIL 7th & 8th Mefro Toronto Convention Centro 2SS FRONT STREET W,, TORONTO I P S A i l l M I M MAKE THE M0ST OF YOUR RETIREMENT! T he Oakville Art Society's experienced instructors offer a wide variety of programs. From beginner to advanced, you're sure to find a class best suited for your skill level and busy schedule. Classes commence as early as April 10 and are held mornings, afternoon or evenings. Chil dren's classes are held after school or Saturday mornings. i APRIL 14th & 15th 100 ATTENDEES : Canadian Warplane FIRST EACH DAY RECEIVE i Heritage Museum 1 MONTH SUPPLY! j HAMILTON (MOUNT HOPE) "World's Most Popular & Odourless Garik P roducF" - approx. retail value $30. Kyolic ADMISSION ONLY PER PERSON 9 :3 0 A M -5 :0 0 P M DA ILY EXPLORE EXCITING TRAVEL YOUNG DESTINATIONS! ATTEND THE ATT0 INSURANCE ATTO FREE ADMISSION 50 PLUS TRAVEL VIDEO THEATRE TO R O N TO SHOW FREE ANTIQUE Bring in your treasured items FRIDAY APRIL 7 Courtesy of m m IDENTIFICATION 9:30am~5:00pm McfS/OX CLINIC CHARLTON ANTIQUES SEARS $ 2.00 Forev&n WATERCOLOR - OIL PAINTING ACRYLIC PAINTING - SCULPTURE POTTERY CHILDREN'S ART AND POTTERY - TEEN EVENING ART CLASSES TEEN AFTER SCHOOL POTTERY Register today! Give as a call or drop in to the OAS studios fo r a descriptive class brochure L lffS m SPO NSO RED IN PART BY: · T i l l OL;AY - OUTLOOK S HHJ V E L 20 001 The Oakville Art Society Teaching art in your community for 35 years G re a t, T T courtBsy of EXC D 00r * ^ b k w /b jTRIP FOR TWO FO R A LL THE DETAILS VISIT O U R W EBSITE AT w w w .prem ierconsum ershow s.com 560 Bronte Rd. 827-5711 Office Hours: Mon. to Thur 10a.m. to 4p.m. Sat. 11am. to 4p.m. T ~ .W ' W T " EXHIBITOR OPPORTUNITIES (905) 815-0017 or 1-800-265-3673 ""'K--------------