Los Gatos Weekly-Times Photograph by George Sakkestad Los Gatos arts commissioner Elke Groves is showing a collection of her work--mostly watercolors--in the Council Chambers through Jan. 15. Elke Groves took a sharp right turn to art By Shari Kaplan Neither of her college degrees is art-related nor are her past professions. That's what makes Los Gatos resident and arts commissioner Elke (pronounced "Elkey") Groves, who now sells and exhibits pieces from her constantly growing repertoire, so proud to be an artist . Groves' most recent exhibition--mostly watercolors--runs through Jan. 15 in the Los Gatos Town Council Chambers. Her next local exhibit, scheduled April 19 to May 22, will be at Borders Books, Music & Cafe in Old Town. She will also participate in this spring's annual Open Studios of South Bay Artists. The holder of a bachelor's degree in foreign languages and a master's in business administration, Groves worked for a translation company in her native Canada and also kept busy raising three children. Because she wanted a creative outlet that would also allow her time with her husband and children, she began taking art classes in Massachusetts, where she lived before settling in Los Gatos. "I took a right-angle turn and jumped into the art field," she says. "I've always had a fascination with drawing and people's abilities to render objects. I've always been able to roughly sketch things and have perspective," she says, adding that her father was artistic, and she suspects some of the skill flowed her way. Like a diamond in the rough, Groves' classes, as well as her studies with several professional artists, helped polish her talent. One of the oldest watercolors in Groves' exhibit is "Old Soles," a still life of well-used hiking boots--one upright and one on its side as though exhausted. The variegated shades give an impression of caked dirt and worn leather. Groves painted it for a 1994 art class, and says it caused something of an epiphany regarding her abilities and feelings for painting. "I dreaded painting the old, mismatched boots because they were boring and oh-so-brown! So I tried to add as many other colors as I could to reduce the brown," she explains. "When the painting was finished, I was surprised and delighted with the result." Floral themes are a favorite of Groves, who experiments with a full palette. In "Cool Blue Sunflowers," the cheery yellow petals look standard enough, but the flower centers are deep turquoise. In "Berry Branch," which looks more like a garland or wreath, soft shades of red, pink, yellow, blue and purple take the form of temptingly colorful berries. Among her many other engaging images are "Scattered Shade, Lago Maggiore," a lanky-branched tree in Italy whose shadow Groves captures perfectly; "Stoneymeade in Snow," a serene depiction of a New England forest glade after a snowfall; "A Study in P's," a still life that invites the viewer to identify items beginning with that letter; and "Cubist Pekoe," a flower vase and hot tea kettle in a rainbow array of colors, broken up by the angular shapes of Cubism. The Los Gatos Town Council Chambers are downstairs in the Civic Center, 110 E. Main St. If the chambers are locked, inquire at the Planning Office. [ Back to Contents Page | Los Gatos Weekly-Times Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Los Gatos Weekly-Times, December 2, 1998. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.