A longtime Foothills artist is having her work showcased at a dedicated event for the first time.

Jacki Bastable started painting at a young age, but after entering adulthood and becoming a mother, she no longer had much time to dedicate to her art.

Her passion was reignited about 12 years ago when her husband passed away.

Her daughter-in-law, Judi Bastable, explains how that passion has continued to burn strong even as Jacki lost sight in one of her eyes completely due to diabetic retinopathy.

"The way she explains it to me is she uses her mind's eye to put the images down. She sees certain things, but some are also from her memory and experience. Because of her sight loss, she takes creative liberties with certain paintings and has become more impressionistic. She paints them from her emotions, not just how she sees them. So, there's a lot of feeling for her in her painting. I like to compare her to Monet for example, she does get a little bit impressionistic sometimes."

Foothills residents are likely to have seen Jacki's artwork before.

"She has entered her paintings in art competitions at the Millarville Fair and has won awards. Her art is featured in certain places around Turner Valley and Black Diamond. She's also taught people over the years, not officially, but two girls lived next door that she taught how to paint. She also taught me and my kids," says Judi.

Subjects in Bastable's paintings run a wide gamut, including nature scenes, animals, and scenic scapes featuring members of her family.

Her artwork reflects Canada as Jacki has experienced it throughout her life, including scenes of Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Vancouver, and Diamond Valley.

Bastable's signature painting is the Burmis Tree, an aged limber pine in Burmis, Alberta. The tree is believed to have been standing for as long as 750 years and was a spot Jacki and her husband were particularly fond of visiting.

Judi came up with the idea for the showcase event just from seeing the sheer number of paintings Jacki has accumulated.

"She doesn't have enough room for all her paintings. That's where the idea for doing an art show came from. I told her, 'Okay, let's display some of these, and maybe you’ll sell some of them so that you don't have as many."

The art show will also serve as a fundraiser, with 50 percent of the proceeds from prints and painting sales going to the Canadian Cancer Society.

This is especially meaningful to Jacki since her husband passed away after a battle with cancer years ago, and she was diagnosed with lung cancer in May.

“To be able to showcase her art and raise money for cancer will mean a lot to Jacki, says Judi.

"It's a dream come true for her. When someone is facing illness, you look at the things that bring you a lot of joy and are meaningful to you, and sharing her art is one of those things for her. She's like a second mom to me, so I'm doing this for her. It's just a dream we're trying to make come true for her to share her art with people."

Original paintings and prints will be available for purchase at the event.

It's being held at the Valley Neighbours Club in Diamond Valley (133 Sunset Blvd SW, Turner Valley) on Saturday, October 14, from 2-5 p.m. Admission is free.

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