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Eclectic style at today's TD Art Gallery Paint-in

Artist Bevin Bigalky’s home studio is brimming with treasures.
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Former Oak Bay Secondary School art teacher Bevin Bigalky with some of his painted mannequin legs. Bigalky is one of the artists featured at this year's TD Art Gallery Paint-In.

Map guide to Paint-In highlights

Artist Bevin Bigalky’s home studio is brimming with treasures.

On the top floor of a mansion on the highest hill in Oak Bay, his colourful paintings rest among stacks of boardgames, a toy record player and a smiling plastic skeleton with a recorder wedged in its jaw.

In his living room, a rainbow of lava lamps sits atop a mantel, and a cello encrusted with macaroni and spray-painted gold rests in homage to his mother, a music lover.

“Normal is boring,” said the pony-tailed former art teacher. “I like being surrounded by things that are interesting and funky and creative and colourful.”

Bigalky, who spent 27 years teaching art at Oak Bay Secondary School before officially retiring this year, is one of more than 180 artists featured Saturday at the TD Art Gallery Paint-In.

It will be his first year participating in the event, after being a long-time attendee — along with about 35,000 other annual visitors.

“Obviously, he’s an incredibly creative being and the impact he’s had on Oak Bay high school students is pretty remarkable,” said Mary-ellen Threadkell, assistant director of advancement for the gallery, who invited Bigalky to be a part of the Paint-In this year.

The Saskatchewan native began teaching in Victoria following studies at the University of Regina and UVic. He said he wanted a profession where he would work with people, show them what he had learned and learn from them.

In 2009, he won one of three Great Teacher Awards handed out by Canadian Family Magazine.

“One of the maxims I always used when I was a teacher was, ‘I want to get better at this every year that I do this. I want to get better and better and better. I want to know everything there is about printmaking or about painting or about sculpture,” he said.

But he taught his students that even if you haven’t mastered one discipline — like drawing — it doesn’t mean you aren’t a good artist.

“I want them to be open to [art] more than anything — to understand that anybody can do it and there are no rules in art. There are theories, there are techniques. But really, there are no rules.”

Bigalky is one of about 50 first-time participants in the Paint-In this year.

Paint-In visitors will find artists working on everything from painting, pottery, printmaking and sculpting to performing at the 26th annual event, which stretches along Moss Street from Fort Street to Dallas Road.

Bigalky plans to spraypaint a pair of mannequin legs during the Paint-In to add to his collection. He’ll also have some paintings on display.

Several other artists and activities are featured at this year’s Paint-In.

Visitors inspired to take a seat in the artist’s chair can participate in a “mobile life-drawing class,” led by Wendy Welch of the Vancouver Island School of Art.

Four emerging artists and a pair of models will be on hand, as well as extra drawing saw-horses, boards and materials.

“Anyone can sit down at one of the horses and draw, as well as get some direction from one of the students or artists,” said Threadkell. “Because that’s what the whole thing is about, isn’t it? It’s about education and people bringing their studios to the street.”

Classes are held on Fairfield Street at 11 a.m., McKenzie Street at 1 p.m. and Wilspencer Place at 3 p.m.

The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, located at the top of Moss Street, will be open by donation during the Paint-In from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. And the gallery’s New Extreme student exhibition has been re-hung at Duttons & Co. Real Estate Ltd., at the corner of Moss Street and Fairfield Street.

“We send artists into the school to work with teachers and students in the art classroom during after-school hours,” Threadkell said.

Students from Mount Douglas Secondary School have created small abstracts for the project, while skateboard decks came from Royal Oak Middle School and video projects were created at Maria Montessori School.

asmart@timescolonist.com

What: TD Art Gallery Paint-In

Where: Moss Street between Fort Street and Dallas Road

When: Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Admission: Free