~ by Lesley Hammocks
Eleven years after
leaving Ontario, Jean
Christie Williams says,
"I am so glad to be
living here." We are
chatting over coffee in
Jean's spacious, downtown
Duncan condo
after her return flight
from a visit with her
daughter, son-in-law
and grandchildren.
Sunlight warms her face and her green eyes are filled with intensity as she talks passionately about her art. Jean
converses with an educated intelligence as she speaks about the blending of past and present and getting to
use the richness of all of it. "It's like a reward," she says. Jean was talking about her journey through the lenses
of her Nikon F80 35mm SLR camera.
A member of the Cowichan Valley Camera Club and CVAC, Jean attends workshops and field trips with
renowned photographers. Her beautiful cards are sold in bookstores and galleries including Munros in Victoria
and she is exploring an Ontario retail opportunity. Her framed works show in a variety of art galleries and for the
past two years she has shown at the juried, prestigious Sidney Fine Art Show.
Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Jean still remembers the drawn black curtains from the war years of her youth.
Whilst in High School, as a scholarship student, she attended the Nova Scotia College of Art. Afterwards she
earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of New Brunswick. Having raised a family in Burlington, Ontario, she
then completed a Certificate Program in Library Techniques at Sheridan College. This served Jean well as a career
and is the basis of an extensive office system for her fine art photography business 'Silkroad Scenes'.
Today, Jean's world is filled with another daughter and grandchildren in Duncan, organizations, and with the
myriad of Island beauty just waiting for her lenses.
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