His studio space was set up in the Kiwanis Hall where the public had access to John and his work. During this period of time, John spoke to many school groups and individuals about his paintings in the exhibition and his current work in progress.

John Hartman working on a chalk pastel drawing of the Okanagan Valley

A short interview with John Hartman. 

February 11^th 2000 while working in residence at the Kelowna Art Gallery.

Kyle Poirier:   What are your initial impressions of the Okanagan Valley? Is this your first visit here?

John Hartman:   Yes it is. It took me about four to five days to get a sense of the nature and geography, partly because I figured out what the shapes were by driving through them. I’m mostly interested in the main valley areas between lakes, such as Okanagan Lake, Kalamalka Lake and Okanagan Falls, where there are lumped glacial landforms. 

KP:   Compared to Ontario, is the valley a challenging landscape?

JH:   It’s challenging because it is new. It is much more dramatic than the area I’ve worked in Ontario. In that respect it’s almost easier to make art from, due to the strong shapes and dramatic light.

Some sketches in pencil and chalk pastel

KP:   I noticed you have taken a lot of photos and have completed numerous sketches from around the valley, and now in the gallery you are working with chalk pastels. Is this common in your process before painting on linen, or do you sometimes go directly to painting? 

JH:   No. More often I go straight into painting. I sometimes do chalk drawings and I do them as finished pieces in themselves. Then I generally don’t do a painting. I’m doing chalk here, largely for practical reasons, because it’s easier to do in this space at the gallery, and for shipping reasons when I’m done.

 KP:   So is it an eventual goal for these particular drawings to be made into a large painting?

JH:   No, not necessarily. They may or may not. If I feel that I have something fully resolved, and I don’t wish I had done something else, I just leave it as a drawing. Sometimes it’s close, but I’d like to change it a bit, and instead of going in to change the drawing, I just make it into a painting.

KP:   Working in residence at different galleries, how do you find the public response as they come speak to you about your works?

JH:   For me, it’s always great to have people around looking at the work and hearing their responses. Most of the people who think it’s nice come and talk to you. It a positive experience, although it’s a little unusual making art in public. I normally don’t do that. I work in a very confusing, loud, studio space by myself.

[right]   John Hartman speaking to the BFA Grad class from Okanagan University College

John Hartman Speaking to a group of elementary school children

KP:   You have also been doing many tours for school groups that come to the gallery, both for children and Okanagan University Fine Arts students. What has the response been from these groups?

JH:   They are very good. I am in the exhibition. I am talking to people. Some have ambitions to become painters themselves, especially within the University students, who are studying painting courses. I can talk to them about a lot of the intricate aspects of being an artist. The children are also interesting. They are very frank. They ask questions immediately that pop into their head and don’t worry about whether or not it might be polite, which makes them fun to talk to. 

KP:   These questions are probably concerning the forms you add into your landscapes?

JH:   They want to know what things are. They look at a picture and can't figure out something, they immediately ask about it. “What is that?” I always think that’s a fair question.