After 14 years of subsidizing her career as an artist by working in a deli, April Caverhill has made the leap of faith as a full-time artist.
It’s only been three weeks, but the talented Saanich illustrator has never been so excited. Caverhill has designed cover pieces and art for many of the region’s magazines, including Monday Magazine, and the cover of the upcoming winter edition of Here! Magazine, a locally-based title that focuses on new Canadians.
“It’s so great to be able to do this full-time because you just want to pour all your energy into commissioned pieces,” said Caverhill.
“When you know someone is working so hard for their publication, and they come to you for your art, especially for me, doing things the old fashioned way by hand, it’s such a great opportunity.”
Tomorrow (Nov. 6) Caverhill will be at Cafe Fantastico in Quadra Village to launch her newest show, Wage Slave No More. It will remain at Cafe Fantastico until Dec. 31.
A lot of Caverhill’s work is for her own projects, such as Pride, an illustration she created to benefit AIDS Vancouver Island, where she volunteered with the women’s art program, when it existed. Caverhill sells posters of Pride for $20, with half the money going to AIDS V.I., and they’ll be on sale Thursday.
Wage Slave No More will line Cafe Fantastico with 14 mid-size pieces and a door-sized feature, Borbala’s Upswelling, which captures Caverhill’s expression and inspiration.
“My step-mother in Hungary mails me these intricately detailed trinkets, such as this mushroom, as well as hand-embroidered table cloths. I can’t imagine the time they take to make them, and I love the colours,” she said.
Like Caverhill’s step-mother, Borbala evokes an image of rebellion and ecstasy in Hungarian high-heeled boots and seductive, bright red forest mushrooms.
Wage Slave No More is a fitting return to Cafe Fantastico, which displayed Caverhill’s work two years ago, when she was still working.
Thursday’s opening night starts at 7:30 p.m. See Caverhill’s art at aprilcaverhill.wordpress.com.
reporter@saanichnews.com