Artist presents series of drawings as portrait of Gabriola Island

A few Gabriola Island residents might just catch a glimpse of themselves in an art show this week.  Opening on Thursday, Aug. 21, artist Nic Cooper will present 'I Was Drawn To You' at the Nova Boutique and Gallery as an interpretive "portrait of a place." The show will feature a collection of drawings made on the spot at different social settings, including the Surf Lodge and Pub, Ground Up Café and Catering, and several beaches.  Cooper said the show emanated from their intuitive drive to always be drawing. "The idea is that it's kind of a diary for me. But also a portrait of the island and of its inhabitants and environments," they said. "It sort of shows the trace of the seasons as well." Their technique involves no pencils or erasers, just straight marker ink to paper. As part of picking a good scene, the artist will seek out an interesting angle with one or more subjects and a compelling vantage point to see what they're drawn to, figuratively and literally. And then they'll start drawing. Quickly and covertly, to interpret the fleeting moment.  While it's important to capture the feeling of a place, Cooper said, the 20-year practice is more about decompression and mindfulness.  "If I look back on drawings from 10 years ago, I'll have a clear memory of what croissant I ate, the cappuccino I had, where I was in the world, the time of day."  However, shortly after moving to Gabriola, they noticed their whimsically representational drawings emerged as a sort of story of the island as a whole, rather than lone, isolated scenes.  I Was Drawn To You is the first show Cooper will exhibit drawings that depict a portrait of a place, as their previous off-island showings have been paintings concerning queer history.  Cooper moved to Gabriola last summer and works as a learning and engagement coordinator at the Nanaimo Art Gallery. They attended the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design for an undergrad, then completed a master's degree at the University of Ottawa in visual arts. They have taught at various institutions, including the National Gallery of Canada.  There will be an opening party for I Was Drawn To You on Aug. 21 at 7 p.m. and will remain up at the Nova Boutique and Gallery until Sept. 7.