SERAYA SMIT

When summer drapes its golden shawl across the city, the artist’s heart turns inward — not to slumber, but to dream. In this quiet season, the brush listens more than it speaks, and inspiration slips in through sunlit silence.

A Season of Stillness and Spark

Summer, in its essence, is a paradox. It's both a time of pause and a time of awakening. When we step back from routine — from weekly gatherings, critiques, and studio chatter — something remarkable happens. Space opens up. And in that space, inspiration has a way of creeping in like the morning light through a sheer curtain: gentle, unexpected, but powerful.

Whether you're traveling to new landscapes, revisiting favorite spots around the city, or simply staying close to home, summer brings with it a unique palette. The golden prairie sunsets, the bold flowers of July, the quiet shimmer of the river valley at dusk — Edmonton itself becomes a living gallery, always shifting, always inviting us to see.

Creating Without the Pressure

Sometimes the best art happens when we don’t set out to "make art." Instead of deadlines or perfect compositions, summer invites us to reconnect with the why behind our practice. That quick sketch on a napkin. That mix of colors inspired by a garden walk. That photograph you snapped just because the light made you stop in your tracks. These are the seeds of something more.

So if you're not painting every day — that's okay. This is a season for filling your cup: with beauty, new experiences, and rest. Creativity isn’t a machine; it’s a rhythm. And like any rhythm, it needs rests and pauses to breathe.

Inspiration Is Everywhere

Art doesn't always begin with a brush or pen. Sometimes, it starts with how we notice the world:

• The way steam curls off a mug.

• The texture of tree bark after a thunderstorm.

• The shadow of your own hand reaching across a sunlit canvas.

By giving ourselves the gift of being present, creativity finds its way quietly into our days” — delighting us when we least expect it.

Take a moment to visit the local art exhibits still running through the summer. Wander the Whyte Avenue Art Walk. Talk to other creators. Observe, admire, absorb.

September Will Be Here Before We Know It

And when we reunite? Oh, what stories we’ll have to tell.

The fall return of the Edmonton Art Club always brings with it a jolt of electricity — new faces, renewed energy, and a bursting sense of possibility. We’ll gather around canvases once more, share what we’ve created, and lift one another up in that magical way only artists can.

If you're returning in September, consider bringing a piece that represents your “summer lens” — something small or simple that captured what inspired you during the hiatus. It doesn’t need to be finished, or even polished. The beauty lies in sharing the journey.

To Our Community

To all our fellow artists, hobbyists, and art enthusiasts across Edmonton — whether you're a longtime member or someone who just wandered into one of our exhibits and found yourself moved — this message is for you too.

Your creativity is valid. Your art adds value to the world. And your story is worth telling through every brushstroke, sketch, sculpture, or photograph you create.

The arts are not just a mirror — they’re a bridge. They connect us across backgrounds, generations, and experiences. And we are all better for that connection.

A Final Note Before the Pause

Take this summer to live colorfully. Let your senses guide you — the sounds of buskers downtown, the vivid turquoise of a rain-washed sky, the scent of lilacs and oil paint. These are all tools in your creative kit, whether you realize it or not.

We don’t stop being artists just because we stop attending meetings. If anything, this is the season that reminds us art is everywhere — not just on canvas, but in how we move through the world.

So, rest if you need. Travel if you can. Reflect, recharge, and reconnect — with nature, with yourself, and with that irrepressible spark inside you that longs to create.

We’ll see you in September. Until then, keep painting your world