Summerland artist Ed Eaton, left, with Brew Gallery curator River Lewis, shows his surreal images in the main gallery space at Brew Gallery in the Bean to Brew coffee house.

Photo submitted

Vernon’s Brew Gallery continues to percolate following on the success of six art exhibitions in its inaugural year in 2011.

The gallery, located in the Bean to Brew coffee house in downtown Vernon, begins 2012 with two concurrent art shows.

In the main gallery space is a bright and fun exhibition called Satisfaction, which features 20 surrealism-inspired edition prints on canvas by Summerland artist Ed Eaton, said River Lewis, Brew Gallery curator, who has worked with Eaton previously in art exhibitions, and also comes from a professional background in virtual modeling as well as photography.

“Because we share an understanding of writing virtual reality computer code by hand in the early days of the field, a camaraderie has now developed between us in the art world,” said Lewis.

The collaboration to stage the exhibition Satisfaction allows artist and curator to celebrate their immersion in virtual environments and at the same time share with the public the exciting merger of virtual and real world on canvas.

Using computer-aided design techniques, Eaton brings scanned material textures, found objects, and virtual spaces into a collection of lively and flexible storylines.

The artist’s technical and intuitive skills are apparent in an engaging body of work selected from the past decade. Hints of text, and intensity of colour and tone offer semi-abstract scenes where the viewer is compelled to insert their own thoughts and conversations to complete the narrative in each unique conversation piece.

“Eaton is able to freely play with computer aided design much as a poet plays with words,” said Lewis. “(His) work has evolved from purely digital to incorporating collected and scanned objects found on walks in the Okanagan. In this way the art stories belong to the community.”

The Brew Gallery also has a more intimate gallery space called the Fireside that currently features six colourful mixed media artworks by Vernon artist Angelika Jaeger.

Titled Power of Colour, this mini-exhibition of handmade works on canvas includes work from Jaeger’s Migration and Colour is Power series.

“Working on the canvas in an exploratory fashion, Jaeger lets images unfold before her,” said Lewis. “Jaeger’s connection to the vibrant and soothing beauty that surrounds us is her inspiration.”

Eaton’s Satisfaction and Jaeger’s Power of Colour are both on display at the Brew Gallery, located at 3202 31st Ave., next door to the Vernon Public Art Gallery, until Feb. 2.