VIVID: The Power of Imagination
VIVID returns to Ladysmith Gallery this autumn, bringing together seven artists and seven distinct creative practices in a celebration of imagination, craftsmanship, colour and form.
October 23 – November 1, 2026
At the heart of VIVID is a shared curiosity about the creative process: how an idea begins, how it changes through the act of making, and how something imagined can eventually become something we can see, touch and experience. Across painting, pottery, fused and blown glass, jewellery, mixed media and woodturning, each artist approaches this process differently, bringing their own materials, perspective and visual language to the exhibition.
The result is a collection that celebrates both difference and connection — seven individual practices gathered together through a shared belief in the possibilities of making.
Together, these seven artists demonstrate just how many directions imagination can travel.
A rough piece of wood becomes a vessel. Powdered glass becomes an image filled with light. Metal becomes something worn close to the body. Pigment, texture and gesture become a painting. Clay becomes an object held in the hands. Across every medium, the exhibition offers a glimpse into the transformation that happens between an initial spark of possibility and a finished work.
There is also an invitation within VIVID to slow down.
Whether you are drawn to colour and surface, sculptural form, beautifully crafted objects, or simply the pleasure of encountering something unexpected, VIVID: The Power of Imagination offers an opportunity to wander, look closely and discover where imagination can lead.
This exhibition runs from October 23rd – November 1st, 2026 from 10 AM – 4 PM daily at the Ladysmith Gallery – Unit 7 -32 High Street, Ladysmith BC.
Meet the artistS
Claudia Lohmann, one of the original members of VIVID, helped establish the group in 2019 with its first exhibition at the Ladysmith Waterfront Gallery. Working primarily with acrylic and pencil on wood, Claudia has continually allowed experimentation to shape the evolution of her work. Her practice has moved between strong geometric shapes and lines and more abstract visual imagery, while recent explorations with alcohol ink on Yupo paper introduce fluidity and spontaneity in contrast to her more structured compositions. In 2024, Claudia became a Signature Member of the Federation of Canadian Artists.
Katherine Moore approaches image-making through the luminous possibilities of fused glass. Using powdered glass layered onto sheet glass through multiple firings, she creates works that carry some of the qualities of painting while retaining the depth, transparency and shifting light unique to glass. Some pieces are mounted in wooden frames to hang on a wall or rest on a shelf, while others are created specifically for windows, allowing natural light to become part of the work itself.
For Vancouver Island multidisciplinary artist Danielle Dickson, creativity is an ongoing process of curiosity and encounter. Moving between painting, digital art and mixed media, her work explores our relationships with self and the natural world, as well as cycles of growth, loss, transformation, dreams and the passage of time. Nature remains a steady presence and ally within her practice, while the process of making becomes a kind of personal dialogue — a way of noticing, questioning and responding to the continually changing experience of being alive.
For jewellery designer and gold and silversmith Karin Schieber, a piece may begin as an image in her mind, a drawing or a simple sketch. From there, the process becomes one of discovery as individual elements find and complement one another. Each one-of-a-kind piece develops its own character through this intuitive relationship between material, form and imagination, resulting in jewellery that carries both craftsmanship and a distinct creative presence.
Glass artist Diane Brinton of Flow Designs embraces the extraordinary versatility of her medium. Glass can be melted, blown, sculpted, molded, sandblasted, stretched, etched, cut, cast and carved — and Diane’s practice explores many of these possibilities. What began with bead making and glass fusing has expanded into increasingly adventurous work with flame-worked and hand-blown glass, including sculptural pieces and garden art. Unexpected reactions and happy accidents are welcomed as part of the process, allowing the material itself to participate in what emerges.
Painter and potter Janet McDonald uses texture, colour and narrative to draw attention toward the natural world and its abundance. Her paintings invite viewers to notice the world as something living, breathing and filled with wonder. That same visual language extends into functional and accessible forms, including hand-glazed and painted pottery mugs, pillow covers, wooden coasters and wall hangings — allowing art to move beyond the gallery wall and into the rituals of everyday life.
Steen Hjort, a self-taught woodturner, discovered the craft after being given a small wood lathe ten years ago and quickly fell in love with the process. For Steen, part of the magic lies in discovering what is already held within a rough piece of wood. As it turns, a beautifully formed bowl gradually emerges, revealing grain, pattern and character that may have been hidden within the original material. His finished pieces are carefully smoothed, food-safe and created to be both beautiful and useful.
