Karen Pasieka - Polymer Clay Artist

This week, Karen Pasieka is sharing her inspiration and how one of her most beloved pieces was formed.

When I had made my first ranunculus flower brooch, I noticed that I had accidentally created a simple cane with the offcut.

I never discard any clay, and I saw an opportunity with these byproduct canes to make simple, graphic flowers when left in miniature.  For Pick Me! II, I filled a wide band of the polymer clay tile (which is a sheet of clay that I created, blended from soft teal blue to white to simulate the sky) with a cluster of these varied cane slices.  I create my composition by first placing in the flowers, then painstakingly fill in the stems from each and every flower head!

The final product is baked and then mounted in a shadow box frame.

Sometimes my inspiration comes from what I see in nature, and other times simply by the vibrant colours from my bins of clay.  When I'm working well and frequently, the designs and compositions run through my head and I simply cannot wait to get to creating them.  Very rarely do I ever sketch before I create.

I have always been a creative soul, and have been crafting and making art of various forms from various media since I was a little girl...polymer clay is the one that I always return to...I think it's the tactile nature of the medium that love so much!

Looking forward to sharing more of my work and inspiration with you during the Studio Tour! Check out the brochure for location info, dates and times!

Featured Artists: Katie Argyle and Vera Samarkina

This week we are featuring the work of Katie Argyle. Have a look at her lovely, and unique ceramic pieces. Another new artist to this years' studio tour is Vera Samarkina. We are sharing some of her paintings and photographic works. 

Katie Argyle

Katie Argyle is a graduate of the three year Fine Arts Diploma Program at the Ottawa School of Art. She also holds a BA(Hons) Interdisciplinary Studies, Medieval Art History/Medieval History and a Diploma in Broadcasting. She works in several mediums using the unique properties of each to sift out the essence of our daily lives. Inspired by narratives within our culture, she seeks to depict them in a direct, and often, humorous manner. www.katieargyle.com

Vera Samarkina

Being an artist gives absolutely new perspective to life and multiple visual tools to express appreciation of every single moment of it. Taking pictures, playing with paint on canvas or experimenting with other media brings happiness and sense of purpose in my life. www.nuvango.com/verasamarkina

 This year, the studio tour is on the October 17th, 18th weekend! Would you like to stay up-to-date, with what our artists are creating? Then please follow us on Facebook!

Art is Fun

Richmond Hill Studio Tour Artists, take their work very seriously, but they also like to have fun, and this week has been very fun for studio tour artists!

Ona Kingdon's painting won an award at an International Watermedia Exhibition in Colorado. How much more fun is that?

Victor Molev created this oil on canvas painting, which offers a very humorous and fun approach.

Sharon Kirsh, inspired by some of Richmond Hill's many green spaces is having fun, experimenting with texture and collage.

Wendy Cho's charming illustrations are always fun and joyful.

Check out our Facebook page if you are interested in learning more about Richmond Hill Studio Tour Artists.

Featured Artist: Kate Liubansky

 Tell us what you are most looking forward to about this years Studio Tour

I look forward to meeting people with different artistic backgrounds and experience. I'm excited to get feedback from visitors about my photos and frames, as well as my theme and overall concept. I also look forward to hearing other people's interpretation of my images and the connections they make based on their personal experience.

Photo by Kate Liubansky, Taken afar - Shot in Borer's Falls Conservation Area, Hamilton, 2014

Tell us how you got started in the world of art and who inspired you.

I began exploring my artistic side in 2012 after many years of wanting to start. I have always been inspired by nature and the environment for its beauty and detail, for its life and inhabitants, for its strength and wisdom. Photographing wildlife and landscapes came very naturally to me, as well as discovering the photography of architecture and the people that are part of the environment. Using natural wood when building frames for my photos is also inspired by nature and allows me to highlight it even further.

My art is about telling stories through photos, framing these photos in natural ways and ensuring that these stories live on forever.

 Photo by Kate Liubansky, Tree Swallows - Shot in Tommy Thompson Park, Toronto, 2014

Featured Artist: Ona Kingdon

Hi Everyone. Here are three fun facts about how I work:

1. Many people say people’s dreams are a way of ordering, processing and filing away events that happen in their daily lives. I do dream a lot, I guess because I have such a vivid imagination, but painting is my method of ‘filing away’ things that I have seen or done or that happen to me or those around me.

The idea for ‘Spinning a Tale’ began one hot summer’s day when I visited our local pioneer village. My subject was a volunteer who was an excellent storyteller. She told us a tale of how the wool would have been shorn, collected, washed, spun and turned into blankets or clothing in days gone by. Later, as I painted, I wanted to incorporate not only her actually spinning the wool but also include at least part of her story. 

The painting not only won an award earlier this year in an International Exhibition but also sold to a woman in California who got in touch with me. I loved hearing her tale as she excitedly told me about her father the spinning wheel that she remembered them having when she was young.

“As a child we had an antique spinning wheel in our home in New England, and my father told us a "tale" about it. There was some deep red staining on the wheel, and the story he told was of a pioneer woman spinning at her wheel as an Indian approached shooting her with an arrow. The staining was her blood as she lay across the wheel, dying (as the tale goes). Of course I believed every word, and that spinning wheel held such mystery and romance for me. I have been looking for a spinning wheel ever since, and finally have found it. I believe I was meant to find your beautiful painting. She now hangs in the perfect spot where I can see her all day long as I move about my house.”

2. I do not use white paint at all when I paint. All the whites that you see in my paintings are the white of the paper so I have to plan where I want my highlights to be and keep those areas clean of any paint or lift the colour back off the paper by gently using a magic eraser, a brush or by scratching out the highlights.   I often use several of these methods in each painting I do.

‘Mind the Step’ Transparent Watercolour by Ona Kingdon.  I am often amused by the Ducks the visit the ponds in our area. They seem to forget that they can fly sometimes, especially when they encounter tricky things like steps.  This painting sold just before the Studio Tour last year when someone saw my publicity for it.  

3. Mosquitoes and all things small and flying seem to have a magnetic attraction to my paintings as I am working on them. I often work in watercolour using a technique called ‘wet on wet’.  Basically I wet the paper first with clear water, and then the wet paint is applied to this. For a while after each layer of paint is applied the few centimetres just above the painting is just the sort of damp microclimate that tiny insects like. This isn’t a problem until one of them decides to rest on the painting itself. The surface tension of the water on the paper is very strong for a small insect. In fact usually it is too strong for them to escape so they are trapped there until the paper dries. I can’t swot them or I get an added gruesome tail tale splodge on my painting so I end up picking them off oh so carefully with tweezers and then, if needed, rewetting the whole area again and smoothing out the pigment unless I think I can get away with it. Now I will have you all looking really closely at the smooth background washes on many of my paintings to see if you can spot any insect signature footprints as well as my own signature 

You are the Sunshine of my Life’. Transparent Watercolour. This was a commission that I did for 2 very special people to celebrate their 40^th wedding anniversary.

Tell us about your most memorable moment that has happened in a previous studio Tour

When I had a Ted themed exhibition last year, I asked each of my visitors to choose the Ted painting that they could most relate to.  There was much laughter in the room as they each selected and compared their choices with friends and family. It was lovely seeing people of all ages finding a personal connection to the paintings. Many enjoyed sharing their connection with me too.

This year my theme for the tour is going to be based on our senses. My section of the tour will be designed to encourage visitors to discover the art through many senses not just our sight.  So come and visit me at Boynton House on Richmond Green on the 17^th 18^th or 19^th of October and see how many of your 5 senses you end up using or see being used in the paintings or drawings. There will even be nibbles to tempt your sense of taste and music to listen to as you look around.  I often use music as an inspiration for my paintings or to help me set the mood as I paint. Maybe you can identify which music I listened to for some of the pieces on display.

Ona

www.onak.ca

Featured Artist: Masha Toosi

  
Mahsa Toosi always had a passion about drawing and painting. She achieved a Master’s Degree in Graphic Design. Being interested in drawing and painting from early on, she draws from her imagination to express her feelings. Karim Nasr, a famous Iranian artist, is her most important influence.

 
Mahsa is taking part in Studio Tour for the first time and is looking forward to connect with new people in order to promote her artworks.

Featured Artist: Daniela Anzil

 

 

Tell us about your most memorable or funniest moment that has happened in a previous studio Tour.

The tour is such an enjoyable experience because of the interesting people I meet.  My most memorable moments are working on specific pieces of jewellery for people I have met on the tour.  For example, one lady loved my work and asked me to design a necklace and bracelet set for a vintage dress she had just purchased.  She brought me the dress, together we chose a colour scheme and I sketched a design.  She was thrilled with the end result and I loved the experience from beginning to end.  Another time, a lady brought me a watch that belonged to her father and asked me to "reinvent" it.  The watch was a gift her mother gave to her father before they were married.  On the back of the watch face was an inscription and date, 1918.  I was so honoured to work on such a sentimental piece.  I included a picture of it.

Also give us 3 interesting or unusual facts about your chosen art form or the materials you use or the way in which you work.

People are usually surprised that my work is done by crocheting wire.  The process itself is interesting.  I simply use a crochet hook and jewellery wire, then I crochet.  It is similar to knitting.

I approach each piece as though I am creating artwork.  I have a background in fine arts so its instinctual to consider complimentary colours, contrasting textures and tones, the symmetry of the piece and other factors that make the jewellery I create so visually pleasing.

 

My work is international!  A lady who had purchased a unique silver crochet sphere necklace was wearing her piece at a market in Croatia.  A couple of people stopped her and asked where she got it.  She gave them my contact information and they contacted me to purchase some of my pieces!   I was very excited.  It validated the uniqueness of my work.

Featured Artist: Irina Zaretchnev

Tell us what you are most looking forward to about this year Studio Tour

I’m always looking for the feedback about my creations. It’s exciting to see how my pieces of jewellery look when tried on – after all, it’s wearable art, as my fans say. Of course, I like compliments, but when it comes to the critiques – it’s even more inspiring because of the challenge and opportunity to make my jewellery even better.

Tell us how you got started in the world of art and who inspired you.

I am the younger partner in the mother-daughter team behind Alira Treasures. My mom was creating jewellery for over a decade, and about 4 years ago I joined her. I tried it, liked it, and stuck with it up to this day. With every piece I make I get the thrill of working with natural stones and of bringing something beautiful to this world. I am a self-taught artisan who loves to experiment with different styles and techniques, though wire wrapping and wire crochet have always been my favorite. 

Irina Zaretchnev

Featured Artist: Don Downer

What is your most memorable/ or funniest moment that has happened in a previous studio Tour:

Parking to unload in front of the Heritage House in Richmond Hill last year was a bit precarious. The trees in front of the house were loaded with huge butternuts that kept raining down all around us in the wind as we moved pictures inside. We moved our cars out of "danger zone" as soon as we could. The next morning, the sidewalk was laden with fallen nuts which we had to sweep up to clear a safe way for our guests!

Can you give us 3 interesting facts about your chosen medium or the materials you use or the way in which you work:

I enjoy taking pictures of flowers almost more than anything else because they don't fly away before you can take their picture and they don't turn and walk away showing only their backside.

I enjoy taking pictures in nature because it gets me outside all the time and you never know what you're going to see next.

I always take at least two, and sometimes three, cameras with me wherever I go - you just can't have too many cameras.

Featured Artist: Wendy Cho

 
Tell us about your most memorable/ or funniest moment that has happened in a previous studio Tour

Last year a young art lover came by specifically looking for me. He picked a couple of pieces and asked if I would take a picture with him:)

His mom took the photo of his purchases with me, it was such a special moment !! To see such a young person interested in art, reminds me why I started down this journey.

Also give us 3 interesting/ unusual facts about your chosen medium/ art form or the materials you use or the way in which you work

At first glance, most people think I paint with acrylic or oil paints to achieve the grainy effect in my work. At closer view, one can see that stippling effect is actually the texture of the paper I use. It's one of the unique properties of using this medium. It gives a tactile visual to each piece. It invites you to look closer.

My subject matter is mostly my animal babies at home. AKA all my pets! From frogs, cats, dogs, an albino hedgehog and even an "alligator" in my basement...or maybe that was just a dream? :)

Featured Artist: Karen Pasieka

Tell us about your most memorable/ or funniest moment that has happened in a previous studio Tour

I can't think of any particular moment, but two or three years ago we had about 100 people come through our doors, it was amazing!

Tell us 3 interesting/ unusual facts about your chosen medium/ art form or the materials you use or the way in which you work

I sculpt my clay with my hands, only using rudimentary tools like toothpicks or pins for fine detailing. I've even used my finger nails for breaking off pieces of clay that were of no use to my design!

The brands of clay are very different, and perform differently. My favorite pretty much only allows me to sculpt in an additive process, because it doesn't blend well. It does, however, hold it's shape really well, which allows me to shape my forms without worry of it sagging or misshaping while continuing work and baking. Contrary to this, my second favorite brand of polymer clay holds it shape very poorly, but I can work with the medium very freely with tools and even my finger to blend and carve! So I decide before I sit down what type of design I want to create and then take my lead from the techniques I'll want to use.

When all is going well and I have good blocks of time to sit down and work, I accumulate large groupings of my colours, colours that I have taken the time to create from blending the original packaged colours together. My inspiration usually comes from those. I look at my stores of clay and will pick out the colours that I see pairing together. When there is an abundance of colours ready to choose from, the ideas come to me. It's really exciting when one design, sometimes one colour, inspires another, and another, and another.

Featured Artist: Michelle Tourikian

Michelle Tourikian earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from OCAD University in 2011 majoring in Drawing and Painting. Post-graduation she gained valuable experience and insight as a participant in OCAD University’s 2012 Florence program. Her current body of work is heavily influenced by the experience of living in Florence, Italy and focuses on representing the emotional distress involved in change, displacement and mortality. Figure, landscape, and abstract elements meld into a whole through oil and acrylic paint on canvas and board. Paint brushes and palette knives are used as tools to reflect what it means to be confronted by an exponentially evolving world.

 Tell us what you are most looking forward to about this years Studio Tour

 While I am very active in the Toronto art world, I am less familiar with local artists and would love to connect with the talent that resides in Richmond Hill. I always love receiving input on my work as well, and it will be great to see what some locals think of my experiments!

Tell us how you got started in the world of art and who inspired you.

I have always been artistically inclined, and pursuing art as a career just seemed with the natural path I should take. While I enjoy partaking in many facets of the arts, nothing satisfies me more than painting and going to OCAD University for Drawing and Painting was right down my alley. My family has always been extremely supportive of nurturing my growth as an artist and wants me to do what I love, and that has helped me enormously. My mother and father deserve much recognition for guiding me toward fulfilling employment as a professional artist. In terms of artistic influences, they have changed a lot throughout the years and still are, but the work of Salvador Dali still influences me greatly to this day. He is a fantastic technical painter with a very rich imagination.

 website: http://www.michelletourikian.com/

Featured artist: Khatcho Yazedjian

Tell us how you got started in the world of art and who inspired you.

I  started drawing from a very early age and earned my first award at age 12. I haven't stopped drawing and painting since then. In  1978   I joined the Richmond Hill Group of Artist and been an active member since then. 

My prefered medium is watercolours and Zoltan Szabo watercolour artist inspired me very much. My architectural education at Leonardo Da Vinci Italian schools help me teach drawing perspective besides watercolour and acrylic at Mill Pond Gallery,  Town of Richmond Hill and Aurora Cultural centre. Drawing and painting is my passion and I will persue it as long as I am healthy and alive.

I am looking forward to show my latest paintings in this years studio tour.

Featured Artist: Yvette Daou-Yacoub

Yvette Daou-Yacoub was born into a family with five uncles who were fine high end jewellers and Goldsmiths. She inherited her passion for jewellery from her uncles. Yvette is now designing jewellery using gem stones, pearls, and crystals just like she used to dream as a little girl. Her commitment to her one-of-kind designs and meeting her customer’s needs are foremost in her approach to every piece. You can see her passion for her work in every piece.

Tell us about your most memorable moment that has happened in a previous studio Tour

4 years ago when I first participated in Studio Tour, I did not know what to expect and how the town and the community will receive the Beaded Art/Jewellery designs in the  world of Art  in general. I remember when the doors opened on the first day of the Studio Tour, and the people started coming in, the look on their faces when they saw me standing behind my table full of beaded jewellery and accessories, they were surprised and bit confused. I remember one lady in particular, approaching my table and saying out loud: “I did not know beading is part of Art isn’t that a crafty thing?!” I did not know whether to laugh or to cry. I decided to keep quiet, smiled  and let her admire my collection as she kept looking at my creations with admirations…I knew then that I have added a new flavour to the Art world and I have created more awareness about the beading and the beaded art in general…I will never forget it.

Featured Artist: Valerie Kent

VALERIE KENT B.Ed., B.F.A., M.F.A.,O.C.T. presents workshops to art societies and colleges. Member of IAOCA International Association of Contemporary Artists (Japan), winning an Award at the Kyoto Art Museum Annex, juried into the Seoul International Open Art Fair in Korea and will exhibit in Korea in 2014. Certified Golden Educator.

 

Tell us about your most memorable/ or funniest moment that has happened in a previous studio Tour

I have been party to many a remarkable and memorable moments in the Studio Tour.  I have had the

privilege of being in it since its inception.  When someone loves my work and then wants to adopt it

there is a wonderful bond that is set up.  I find it heartwarming when those who have purchased pieces return year after year, and even if a particular year they do not purchase a piece, they stop by to say hello and see what is being offered this year.  I cannot mention persons by name, but they do become my patrons and art family.  I think they know who they are.  I just want to take this opportunity to thank those who care enough to visit and to purchase my work.

Also give us 3 interesting/ unusual facts about your chosen medium/ art form or the materials you use or the way in which you work

I do paint in several mediums and sometimes in a combination as in mixed media.  I always use the best quality materials.  There are no ifs, ands, or buts in that.  I will never compromise the quality of an artwork. Some of my mixed media pieces had everything from egg shells from my sister Kate's farm, to dried foliage and flower petals, to sand, (before the companies came out with pumice) and glass beads, wool, string and so very much more.  I create the archival quality by covering it all with Golden gels and pastes.  I enjoy doing mono printing painting in soap on plexiglas plates and then printing the image.  The newest way to do that is slightly different in that we now can buy a Gelli plate and print using Golden open acrylics.  This is such fun to do and creates  a very interesting image.  My newest work is both outdoor plein air painting and I take the time to get out into the countryside to paint and also my new Marketplace Series which will be shown in Amsterdam in a solo show on Oct. 10th.  I am so  excited.  

 

 

www.valeriekent.com artistvalerie@yahoo.ca 647 223 5531