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List of Artists in alphabetical order
Fran Tomlinson
ARTIST'S STATEMENTFran grew up in Ottawa, where drawing and storytelling were a natural part of her life. Crystal Beshara
ARTIST'S STATEMENTThe more I paint, the more I realize how much my rural upbringing influences my work. It taught me to slow down, pay attention, listen, take in my environment and record every morsel on paper. Jeffrey McIntyre
ABOUT THE ARTISTJeffrey McIntyre began his career as a muralist. Criss-crossing Canada, he accepted numerous commissions for large paintings in Ontario, Alberta, PEI, Quebec and New Brunswick. ARTIST'S STATEMENTThe Val-des-Monts Series consists of mixed media on canvas. Themes that surface are regeneration and fulfillment as they relate to nature. The paintings are a discovery of how landscape reveals itself as a metaphor to the human experience. Hilde Lambrechts
ARTIST'S STATEMENTHilde Lambrechts' background in science, her social engagement and her love for thought and language are
reflected in both her sculptures and drawings. A recurring theme in her work is the dominance of humans and the destruction
of other species.
Through the strong message contained in her artwork she aims to ignite conscious thought in, and communication with her
audience. Monika Seidenbusch
ARTIST'S STATEMENTI like to paint as to tell a story, with a character, a setting, and a mood. I like my work to bring out a sense of peacefulness, atmosphere, simplicity, life and beauty. My style is detailed and realistic when drawing; and freer and abstracted when painting. I prefer to portray the human form, but also enjoy illustrating botanicals and painting abstracts. Having been inspired by the simple lines of Matisse, the colours and exaggeration of Modigliani, the sculptures of Henri Moore and the technical accuracy of many of the old masters, such as Charles Bargue, I combine what I have learned to refine my art and bring out the essence and beauty of nature. Gwendolyn Best
ABOUT THE ARTISTGwendolyn Best was born in Montreal, but grew up in Boston, Massachusetts. She received her BSc (Arts) from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs (New York), in 1974. Over the past sixteen years, Gwendolyn furthered her artistic training in drawing, painting and sculpture at the Rudolf Steiner Institute in various colleges in New England. She has exhibited in Canada and the U.S., and has received numerous commissions to paint murals in private homes, as well as in several Ottawa Waldorf schools. Gwendolyn has taught drawing, watercolour and acrylic painting techniques and art history to both adults and children. Gwendolyn had avoided using black in her painting for many years, but now likes the abstract sign-like quality of a black figure on a simplified yet nuanced ground. Her influences include Rudolf Steiner's colour theory and the work of Francis Bacon, Edward Hopper and Charles Burchfield. Gwendolyn likes to paint intensively, often for a whole day at a time, including well into the evening, without stopping. Her work is found in private collections throughout Canada, the U.S. and Europe. ARTIST'S STATEMENTThere are two aspects of painting which hold a particular interest to me. The first are the qualities of the different colours, individually and in balance with each other. Colour itself is a reason to paint. The second aspect is form, in this case, the form of a creature, be it cat, crow or rat, and how that form speaks of the subject's inner nature. The colour black is an interesting one with which to express this form. It is an impenetrable colour, both mysterious and protecting. Shannon Whittle
ABOUT THE ARTISTShannon Whittle graduated in 2005 from the Ontario College of Art and Design with a concentration in Industrial Design. After graduation, Shannon performed risk assessment and risk management on consumer products within a scientific and regulatory framework, for the federal Department of Health. In 2009, Shannon made a career shift and committed to a full-time fine art practice. Since then she has participated in a number of outdoor art fairs and exhibited work in galleries in Ottawa and Kingston. Shannon currently teaches art to young children at a local Ottawa community centre, focusing on experimentation with materials and processes of paint, collage, printmaking, and construction. ARTIST'S STATEMENTMy goals as a painter are constantly in renewal in order to challenge myself and find different ways to present ideas. My education in product design manifests as an exploration of the interplay between natural and manufactured object and spaces, and the ways in which mass-produced objects and refuse are connected. I am also interested in the nature of work and labour and the often simultaneous heroism and victimization of the worker. My practice also includes expressive figures studies and simple visual explorations of everyday objects and scenes. Charlene Lau Ahier
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Charlene Lau Ahier worked for many years in the aerospace industry before being turning to painting and drawing,
both longtime passions. Her engineering background has always fed a kind of visual questioning of the world
around her, from which she draws inspiration. Julie Berthelot
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
The first painting of my Urban Forest Series was made because I needed something modern looking, with a bit of a retro feel, to hang in my apartment. I also wanted to get away from the meticulousness of the realistic artwork I'd been doing up to that point, and just let go with something free. Nic De Socio
ARTIST'S STATEMENTEach composition depicts a balanced relationship between spacious, free-form colour-scapes and modern urban cartography. Although the compositions are non-representational, they are suggestive of the architectural urban fabric of cities. Using the formal medium of oil and acrylic paint, each composition evolves with no preconceived idea of the final result. Instead, the paintings take shape through the gradual process of layering and buildup of colour. Benjamin Rodger
ABOUT THE ARTISTBenjamin Rodger was Born and raised in Ottawa, Canada.
He moved to Montréal to obtain his BFA at Concordia University. Rodger
continued his art studies in Europe and completed his MFA at the
"École nationale supérieure d'art de la Villa Arson' in Nice, France. ARTIST'S STATEMENTMy latest series was first based on appropriation of patterns
from different sources (wall paper, fabrics, clothes) and the relation they
have with contemporary painting. These patterns were then reproduced in paint.
What arises with this reproduction is a conversation between the painting as
an object, paint as a material and painting as a gesture. What happens when
the imitation is imitated by the thing it is imitating? 
Bill McCannABOUT THE ARTISTBill McCann paints mostly with oils on canvas, paper, wood and glass. His art has a strong
commitment to narrative, colour and energy. Although his style and subject matter are uniquely his own,
he is influenced by Fauvism and German Expressionism. Violeta Borisonik
ABOUT THE ARTISTAfter obtaining a degree in Visual Arts from the Ottawa School of Art, I kept working in my studio as a mixed media artist exploring the urban landscape of the big cities. In the last years my work has evolved into a more geometric abstract style showing a strong influence of my background as an Architect. ARTIST'S STATEMENTWith each one of these works I offer the genesis of a new language able to relate whole stories through forms, shapes, colors and textures. Instead of words, I choose dynamic geometrical patterns that echo urban landscapes. Like words that can evoke deep emotions, beliefs, and memories, my visual messages, can provoke a similar cascade of experiences, recollections, and feelings. Thus I see my works as being akin to poems. Each component interacts with the others in an endless and harmonious dance and, through this constant flow of energy, the viewer is invited to engage in a visual dialogue that transcends ordinary language but which can be equally powerful and immediate. Ingrid Hollander
ABOUT THE ARTISTIngrid Hollander was born and raised in Arnprior, Ontario, and now resides in Ottawa. She received her Bachelor of Civil Engineering from Carleton University and then worked for National Defence as both an enlisted member and a Civilian for many years. All throughout, her true passion had always been art and architecture so she began to buy old homes in Ottawa and fix them up to make them beautiful. Her success in this area led naturally to a career in interior design which she still practices today. As an artist, Ingrid Hollander has been painting for most of her life beginning at the early age of 10. She began as a watercolor artist but has experimented with many mediums over the years. Her latest series of pop inspired cut-out pictures are sheer fun and give a nice alternative to rectangular paintings. Ingrid and her husband Matthew Jeffrey are the founders of Orange Art Gallery. Megan D'Arcy
ABOUT THE ARTISTMegan D'Arcy is a self-taught artist who was born in Ottawa, Ontario in 1973. She studied Classical Studies at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec. ARTIST'S STATEMENTI think art should be provocative without being pedantic. I like to create images that lend themselves to broad interpretation. I invite people to draw their own conclusions from my art. Stephen Frew
ABOUT THE ARTISTBorn in Calgary, Alberta, Stephen Frew spent most of his childhood in Calgary's suburbs with a brief stint in Great Falls, Virginia. At the age of 16 he and his family moved to Easton, Connecticut where he graduated from Joel Barlow High School. ARTIST'S STATEMENTUnable to stay away from Canada for long, he returned to attend the University of Calgary and live with his older brother Scott. During his first year of University at U of C Stephen tried a mix of courses to decide what felt right. A photography class led to his decision to pursue Fine Arts. He studied a variety of fine arts including printmaking, photography, sculpture, drawing and painting. In 2002 he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts with Distinction and a major in printmaking. Jerome Maggiore
ABOUT THE ARTISTJerome Maggiore has been painting for most of his life. He began exhibiting and selling his work in galleries in 1982. He has participated in solo shows, group shows and gallery exhibits in Canada and Italy. Many of his works now hang in private collections in Canada, the United States and Italy. His art exhibits a provocative quality that captures the viewer's attention and engages the senses. The use of colour, images and composition are designed to make observers think and interpret the symbolism through their own experiences. He encourages viewers to engage with the artwork by exploring their personal interpretation to each piece. This is definitely the best way to experience Jerome's artwork. ARTIST'S STATEMENTThe subject matter I paint must reflect the feelings and passions that drive my curiosity and sense of wonder. I explore situations in my life, sometimes real, sometimes fantasy. When a particular experience touches me and ignites my imagination, I then attempt to create a representation of that experience. Some of my paintings delve deep into the human psyche, others are lighter in meaning but still require the viewer to engage and interpret the piece through his own experiences. I try to capture the honesty of the moment and allow others to witness and interpret that moment through their own feelings. If one of my paintings manages to capture your attention and evoke your emotions, then I have succeeded as an artist. Anita Utas
ABOUT THE ARTISTAnita Utas was born and raised in London, Ontario, and now resides in Ottawa. She received her honours Bachelor of Arts degree in Art History from the University of Western Ontario, where she studied under Paterson Ewen and Duncan de Kergommeaux, and she completed coursework toward her MA in Art History at Queen's University in Kingston. In 1993, she completed her Bachelor of Education at the University of Western Ontario. After working as an art teacher in London, Ontario, Anita traveled overseas and spent seven years teaching in international schools in Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Venezuela. She has traveled extensively and draws upon these experiences as inspiration for her landscapes. Anita's work is available through the Orange Gallery in Ottawa, the Robert Macklin Gallery in Kingston, and she is a juried member of the Foyer Gallery, an artist run space in Ottawa. Her work has been shown in many venues in Ottawa and the surrounding area, and is part of private collections in Canada, the U.S.A., and Europe. ARTIST'S STATEMENTMy landscapes seek to capture ephemeral moments recalled in nature; the brief period when the day moves from evening towards dusk, the way the sun illuminates a mountain range, the lifting of a storm. I am drawn to the calming forces of far off vistas; landscapes that are beyond simple visual identification. Through my work, I wish to offer a respite from our urban, tethered existence. We enter a work of art to divest ourselves of our physical limits; the closed spaces we have created in our lives and minds. A painting becomes a place where we can explore and experience what we are seeking, be it a communion with nature, or an inner dialogue that helps us come closer to an awareness of ourselves and our place in this world. Jay Li
ABOUT THE ARTISTJay Zhi Jian Li, Chinese Canadian, was born in Guangdong province, China
June 14, 1962. Mr. Li graduated from Fine Arts Academy of Guangzhou in 1985. ARTIST'S STATEMENTHow can one excel in work or in art? This can only be achieved by respecting
others, regardless of their social status, by learning from
them and working hard. This is the basic philosophy and strength of Jay Li. Frank Prendergast
ABOUT THE ARTIST
A third-generation Carpenter, Frank was first bitten by the bug at age ten when he built a scale-model house. By the time he was 18, Frank had opened his own woodworking shop and was supplementing his hands-on experience with design and architecture courses at Carleton University. Heather McTavish
ABOUT THE ARTISTLargely a self taught painter, Heather McTavish began a dedicated exploration of portraiture 10 years ago. It was at this time that a move to the Ottawa Valley provided the time and space needed to grow her style and technique of large scale portraits. Beginning with the most readily available model, over a five year period, Heather painted a series of self portraits. Through this journey of self exploration she discovered that a mere painted resemblance would not be sastisfactory. That in order to evoke an emotional response in the viewer she must capture the mood and essence of a personality. Thieve the soul and tell the story in colour that lays just beneath the surface of the rosy flesh. Having exhausted the use of her own image she moved on to the next most readily available subject matter, her daughters. For the past two years she has been a participant in the Perth Studio Tour where these paintings have been shown, among other local Valley venues. ARTIST'S STATEMENTIn the creation of my portraits it is with great pleasure that I put brush to paint and push it around the canvas to unfurl the individual mood and character I see lurking in the faces around me. There upon revealing, with the aid of colour, light and shadow the flotsam and jetsam of everyday life that culminates in the visage we so bravely present to the world each day. The scrapes, cuts and bruises that so loudly present themselves on the surface, while quietly simmering beneath are all our secret joys and disappointments. The sorrow that stays afloat in the dark blue pool of tear laden eyes. The sweet secret joys carefully tucked away in the pink corners of a smile. Endless tales of endurance raked into the shaded furrows of a brow, all these colouring the story of the individual. Cover it still with the fashions of the day, familiar items of adornment chosen to further define ones self in a specific moment of time and we have expressions captured forever in the permafrost of paint and canvas, the portrait. |
