Paint splatters and Gauntlet chatters: A 2024 art review

By Ilana van der Merwe, December 9 2024—

Welcome to the Gauntlet, where our shared passion for journalism results in more than just a newspaper. With cold weather and stressful exams at a high, volunteers, editors and coordinators of this UCalgary based organization gather to destress, connect, and paint! 

Artists Laura Beldor, Leigh Patrick and Lexus Rae created portraits of classic holiday symbols. It is clear that spirits were merry during this event. Beldor commented on her work sharing the importance of the artistic skill of ‘going with the flow’ — an outlook also useful for surviving the holiday season. 

“At first, I was hoping to paint ornaments, which ended up smudging. I added some more pink and light pink smudges to turn them into roses,” Beldor said. 

Rae shared a similar mantra when experiencing difficulties manipulating the pigmentation of the crimson paints used in the work Snowman. Similar shades of red were used in Patrick’s work to illuminate colourful holly berries. 

However, with the completion of the holiday masterworks, all three artists were satisfied with their contribution to the paint night, and proud of their pieces. 

Moving away from the holidays and into the abstract vision were artists Daman Singh and Sumaitah Ahad. 

Making use of high contrasting colours, Singh stuck to simplicity to pay homage to David Bowie. Their work utilizes contradiction to make commentary on the singer’s work. Regardless of the inspiration taken from the album cover, the painting Black Star by David Bowie holds up as a solo piece in its own right. 

Pastel Tears is a mesmerising cool-toned piece that depicts feelings of emptiness in places that lack warmth. Without direct commentary by the artist, viewers may experience a variety of sensations while deciphering personal meanings of this piece. By depicting an eye without deliberately depicting sight, one may wonder: What does Ahad sees their own work reflecting? 

A secondary commonality in the featured artists is the recurring theme of animals. With artists Nazeefa Ahmed, Maggie Hsu, Ethan Langenberger and Dianne Miranda depicting a variety of creatures, their use of acrylics on canvas brought a light hearted approach to animalism. 

Opening up about his painting process, Langenberger shared that he decided to paint dinosaurs because he liked them. Langenberger commented that the struggles of the inconsistency of acrylic led him to select an animal that was an approachable shape.

“I hope my piece holds up over time, I hope people in the future will know what dinosaurs are,” Langenberger said, commenting on his hopes for his painting in the future. 

By utilizing a light brush stroke, Ahmed was able to realistically embody the delicacy of feathers. With the painting Berb depicting a male blue jay, Ahmed’s work freezes the beauty of nature on canvas. Typically, the blue jay symbolizes communication, confidence and a good omens. Optimistically, one can hope that the creation of this piece within the Gauntlet offices will bring with it the benefits of spotting a blue jay. 

Hsu’s work Temu Squishmallows makes use of muted blues, pinks and purples in hopes of reproducing the softness of the plush toys inspiring the piece. The use of white and greens as a landscape brings a warm feeling to the scene. 

Miranda’s George uses a mesmerizing array of colours to imitate the reflective and holographic scales of a fish. Placing this fish in a scene of orange framed in dynamic shapes it would not normally be depicted in creates a curious visual which is highly playful and inviting. 

Playing with similar shades of tangerine, amber and peach is Malia Jolly’s work Oranges. Warming up the office with hints of citrus and reminders of summer weather, Oranges was the first piece of the night completed.

With doors open year round to new volunteers, the Gauntlet works to create a platform for people to uplift their voices, share others’ stories, write about what inspires them and occasionally paint. Dianne Miranda, the Gauntlet’s volunteer and outreach coordinator spoke on what joining the Gauntlet’s volunteer base looks like. 

“To become a volunteer, folks must first complete a volunteer orientation. Those interested can fill out the form on the Gauntlet website or email volunteer@thegauntlet.ca to get in touch with the Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator and schedule their volunteer orientation. After this, folks will receive story-list emails from editors detailing assignments they can take on, from story-writing to taking photos to creating illustrations. Story pitches are also welcome!” Miranda said. 

The Gauntlet is a warm and welcoming environment, receiving high praise from volunteers and editors alike. Speaking on this is Maggie Hsu the Gauntlet‘s Sports and Lifestyle editor.

“We are a learning environment that is open for all who are interested in all aspects of journalism to build their skill set for the Gauntlet and other professional pursuits. Whether it’s writing, photography, graphic design, copyediting, research, etc. we are always looking for people to join our space to work but also hang out and study,” Hsu said.

For more information on volunteering with the Gauntlet, check out the Gauntlet’s website.