French field Artisi’s retreat in the Auvergne inspires the art of Brian Romer & Tall Trees and Toits “uiles, paintings by Brian Romer, to Feb. 13 at the Ferry Building Art Gallery Layne Christensen News Reparter Echristensen@usnews.com A summer’s sojourn in France has had a pro- found effect on the art of Brian Romer. The West Van painter has introduced warm oranges and golds to his palette of blues and greens he used to capture on canvas the rugged West Coast landscape. France forced the artist to look at the land- scape ina whole new way. “All ofa sudden I was ina place where it was sunny. [ was no tonger looking at an ocean with big Doulas firs — 1 was looking at vast fields with sunflowers, rolling greens and orange roofs,” says Romer, whose first solo show, Tall Trees and Toits Tuiles, opened Tuesday at Ambleside’s Ferry Building Gallery. Toits tuiles is French for “tile roof,” a reference to the terra cotta roofs of the stone buildings of Montaigut-le-Blane, the medieval village in dhe Auvergne region of France where Romer, with his wife fill, spent the month of July at the Summer Centre _ for the Arts, run by part-time West Van residents Paul and Babere Deggan. While on his painting holiday, Romer completed 27 canvases, one for each day of his stay — an impressive output for an artist who only last May, at ZheeClay Arts in South Vancouver, had his first public show of art. At that show, a group exhibition, all 22 of the artist’s canvases sold during the exhibit’s opening-night reception. Romer, who had never before marketed his art, was surprised by the public’s reaction and encouraged to further exhibit. In December he landed his works in Dundarave gallery Buckland Southerst. Romer, who makes his living as 2 real-estate developer, may be a newcomer to the local art scene but his vibrant, painterly style reveals a lifetime's exposure to art. His facher, C.B. (Sax) Romer, was an amateur artist who encouraged his son to paint. “Sunday “morning we would sit down at the breakfast table and we would draw,” recalls Romer. Weekends, - with friends like Llewellyn Petley-Jones, his father would go on painting excursions to the country- side. “They would sit in the back of a station wagon with a bore of wine and paint.” Thursday evenings were spent at the Businessmen’s Arts Club in the old Vancouver art gallery on Georgia ’ Street, of which his father was a founder, and where invitational instructors B.C. Binning and Jack Shadbolt would share their technique. As a teen during the °50s, like other artists, Romer turned to abstract art. Then he packed away his paintbrush and went off to business school, graduating with an MBA from the University of Oregon at Eugene and embarking on a career in commercial banking and, Isier, real-estate. About 16 years aga, he rediscovered his paints, and set about capturing the West Coast land- . scape on canvas, painting the view through the trees from the front porch at his weekend home in ‘Sechelt, completing only a couple of canvases a year. “As I got older, 1 started to appreciate more of the things around me. To interpret them in an abstract way didn’t make sense to me,” says the artist, who has only in the last four years started to paint in carnest. “There's so much beauty here. I feet there’s almost an obligation in part to retain it in my paintings.” Grian Romer ST. .fulfen Flelds ts one of several paintings that depict the idyllic landscape sur- ~ rounding the medieval town of Montaigut-ie-Blane in the Auvergne region of France. -Deggans to talk of their French art centre ““JCIN the Deggans for an after- lifestyle “between two worlds.” Information noon slide show presentation on on the July and September workshops also their school Sunday, Feb; 27 at Capilano College. >; From 2 to 4 p.m. in the Library Building, Room 321, Paul and Babette Deggan. will share the story behind their art . centre in the Auvergne and their unique will be presented. Bring a friend and plan your dream art vacation at the centre in Montaigut-le- Blanc, or just come and meet the Deggans. Everyone is invited to attend this free slide show and talk with ne ‘obligation. Admission is free. Friday, January 28, 2000 — Morth Shore News - 15 er’s NEWS photo Cindy Goodman IT’S only recently that real-estate developer Brian Romer has seriously pursued painting. A show at the Ferry Building Gallery is equally divided between West Coast landscapes and scenes of the French countryside. ‘these prices, they’re the most comfortable sofas in town. $799 “Metro” Apartment sofa from floor in Shelley Yellow — $799 “Devon” Sofa, from floor in Sullivan Sunlight 8 The way most stores price their furniture, they must think you’re sit- ” ting in the lap of luxury. Not here. Our sofas start at about $700. Delivered quickly. Backed by the best warranty in the business. So if you‘re worried about paying a fortune to get a good comfortable sofa, visit us and put yout mind at ease. Over 100 pieces in stock and on sale during our January Clearance Sale. : . é Sofa So Good S . 2219 CAMBIE STREET AT SEVENTA AVENUE: 879-4878 * PARK AND ENTER FROM THE LANE