Cliff Mann proved once again that Prince George artists are directly parallel to anyone in the province.
The Community Arts Council artist-in-residence won the Prince George regional qualification event of Art Battle Canada, which entitled him to a trip to Vancouver and a spot in the provincials.
That live painting event was held this past week in Vancouver at the Electric Owl Social Club. There, three rounds were held with five painters in each round. Each round selected finalists.
The final five then painted it out for a trip to the nationals in Ottawa.
Each round allowed painters about 20 minutes to slap down their best stuff on the canvas.
Mann did not win the top prize, but he did paint his way into the finals.
"It was so much fun," he said following the big night of bright lights and packed crowds. "All the anxiety leading up to it was worth it."
He made contacts for future art career development, which was one of his main goals going into the painting contest.
He is a professional watercolour artist, although Art Battle's medium is acrylic for its ease of application under time pressure, and quick drying properties.
"It is a pretty close-knit arts community down there, so to be accepted in, a guy from Prince George, that felt pretty cool. Everyone treated me really well. I just can't say enough about the experience.
"It's nothing like an artist usually has, in the painting process. You're used to being alone, and quiet. In a situation like Art Battle, it was loud, the crowd was amazing, people were taking pictures and videos non-stop."
He said he was happy to make the finals. His first-00round win (decided by the votes of those in attendance) was done with a cityscape image similar to the one that earned him the Prince George victory. His image in the finals was a nude that closely approximated his watercolour exhibition of nudes on now at the gallery of Studio 2880.
Both paintings sold that very night.
The eventual winner was Laura McNeice who now prepares for the July throwdown in Ottawa.
