Arts & Culture

Linda Loceff and daughter Ruby are looking forward to competing in the annual Steveston Grand Prix of Art.

Photo by Don Fennell

Mother and daughter bond over art

By Don Fennell

Published 12:36 PDT, Wed September 18, 2019

Last Updated: 2:13 PDT, Wed May 12, 2021

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Art captivated Linda Loceff when she was still just a small child. It’s a love she’s since passed on to her daughter Ruby.

And now the two Richmondites are eager to share their love for painting with others at Saturday’s Steveston Grand Prix of Art.

It’s the first year the pair will be participating, and they’re already excited, counting down to the sound of the Gulf of Georgia National Historic Site shift whistle that will mark the start of the competition at 10 a.m. That’s when the artists will race to pre-designated locations across the village to begin painting.

In this interview with the Richmond Sentinel, mother and daughter share their thoughts on art and gearing up for race day.

What are your first memories of art, and ultimately participating as an artists yourself?

Linda: My parents sent me to a craft day camp when I was 4, and that’s when I started liking art. I didn’t really pursue it as an adult until I was older, and took some courses at a community college.

Ruby: Well, obviously my mom is an artist, so she definitely inspired me to a certain degree, and we also always had art supplies and art-related things in our house.

What style of art inspired you, and why?

Linda: Expressionism. I liked drama of the colors and textures, but that the pictures still contained the human form.

Ruby: When my mom would paint when I was younger, she would paint abstract objects and people, and it was always interesting to me how she could create something that resembled something real, but always not quite right in some ways. That was probably how I figured out that art doesn’t always have to be perfect, or be exactly how everyone else is doing it.

What inspires your art today?

Linda: I’m inspired by nostalgia for the recent past. For example, I use old family photographs or pictures from 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s magazines like Life to start a drawing or painting.

Ruby: I get inspired by many things. One thing is pieces that I have made in the past. Sometimes I build off of them to create something new, and sometimes I simply try and remake them in a different way,

Ruby, what drew you to want to draw/paint?

Ruby: I just think that every kid draws, but some takes that next step to go further with it.

Do you have a favourite artist? If so, who and why?

Linda: Oskar Kokoschka. There’s a lot of human interest in it, and I like his manipulation of form, colour, and texture.

Ruby: My favourite artists are the ones who tried something new, pushed the boundaries, and created a new way of looking at art.

What goes through your mind when you are drawing/painting?

Linda: Sometimes it is exciting to follow a new idea, sometimes it is boring to finish up finicky details. But that’s what podcasts are for!

Ruby: Or Netflix. But whatever.

What is your favourite style?

Linda: My favourite style is abstract expressionism because it includes the human but also plays around with materials. I most always base my work on humans, and never life drawing, but from photographs. To me, doing art is a private experience. I don’t want to have make a model feel comfortable, and I don’t want to have my attention divided. Therefore, doing landscapes out in the open at the Grand Prix will be completely different than what I am used to.

Ruby: I’ve recently been painting a lot of landscapes and nature.

What are your favourite aspects of the Grand Prix of Art, and participating in it?

A: Linda: My favourite aspects of the Grand Prix of Art has been watching other artists, and the feeling of community. This is my first year participating, but I’m looking forward to trying something new, joining in with the community spirit of the event and, most of all, sharing this new experience with my daughter.

Ruby: I really love it because you can never really be fully prepared for it, you’ll never know exactly what you’re going to be creating in that moment.

Is there a project you particularly aspire to complete?

Linda: At The Grand Prix I hope only to complete the painting in the time allotted. And to have it resemble what I’m painting (because we don’t know ahead of time what we will be painting). But, either way, it will be fun! If you meant personal projects, I want to complete a series of coloured pencil drawings of 1960’s middle class, middle aged, women in party dresses. The colors and patterns of that time are bananas!

Ruby: The Grand Prix, of course!

What other areas of interest do you have?

Linda: Reading and camping.

Ruby: I really enjoy reading and writing as well as painting.

How does drawing/painting relate to these other interests, or is it a complete opportunity to break away?

Linda: I think art interrelates with reading and camping (being outdoors) because they are all to do with experiencing life and ideas.

Ruby: I also think that my hobbies/interests share some qualities.