2014 Studio Tour Brochure

Hot off the press, here is this years brochure

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? :)

Art in the Park: Gapper Park

 It was the second of our Art in the Park events yesterday evening. Its a great way to connect with the local residents of Richmond Hill and let them know about the Studio Tour

 Hopefully you should be getting to know our Studio tour artists by now. But how well do you know them? It was the Gapper Park event this evening and we took photos but not of the whole booths, just the working hands. Can you  guess who each hand or arm belongs to.  We will post the answers later this week. Have fun:)

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: Joanna Dabrowski

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

I find it interesting when people first come by studio and are quite startled by what they see. Its nice to see my work evoking a reaction; I can really see their mental gears grinding. It becomes most striking and pleasing once my visitors find themselves comfortable with my work and begin noticing likenesses in my sculptures to their friends or family. I always hope for my sculptures to be relatable. 

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

It is difficult to describe only three interesting things as I work with many mediums in many unconventional ways. I experiment with different ideas and effects- so I'm constantly trying out new combinations to see what they can give me. I generally have something malleable on hand ( epoxies, polymers etc.) because it allows me the freedom to really work the medium in the exact way I want. Much of the work I make sees the light of varying techniques and materials, but it always comes from the heart.

 Website: www.yoya.ca

Art in the Park

It's always fun to be able to get out of our studio's, and meet people. Some have become firm followers of the studio tour artists and come to many of the events, others are new admirers. The artists talk to them about their artwork and the Studio tour in general. Make sure you visit us at one of the art in the park events this summer.

This summer we have 4 art in the park events. Our first event at Mary Dawson Park  yesterday evening was a great success.

Chris Kingdon at Mary Dawson Park. Chris is a new studio tour artist this year so jumped at the chance to be part of the event and help spread the word about wildlife photography and about the studio tour.

Khatcho Yazedjian at Mary Dawson Park. Khatcho had several of his paintings on display and was busy creating another. Visitors to the park really enjoyed watching him paint.

Yvette Daou Yacoub at Mary Dawson Park. Yvette loves to connect with the people of Richmond Hill and show them how she creates her beautiful beaded jewellery.

  

Ona Kingdon at Mary Dawson Park. This is Ona's third year in the studio tour. She also loves to get out into the community and demonstrate how she creates her watercolours and pen and ink drawings. This evening she was beginning a new pen and ink drawing.  

 
There will be another art in the park event next week at  Gapper Park  on July 23

There will also be 2 more events later this summerLake Wilcox Park August 16
Vanderburgh Parkette September 16

Hope to see you at one of these events.

Featured Artist: Maryam Sadrolhefazi

 

 

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

 

Apart from making mosaics and stained glass pieces, I also have lunch time mosaic program in elementary schools. The kids are always interested in seeing my art and learning more about mosaics, so I always invite them to come to studio tour to not only learn more about my art, but also other mediums. During last year’s studio tour a little girl that took my class showed up at the heritage center (the site I was situated at) with her mom. After browsing my work, the little girl looked up to her mom and asked her if she could be an artist when she grew up and be a part of studio tour. It was really touching to see that we as artists could actually have an impact in a little girls’ future. 

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

 

Most mosaic artists use 4 generalized mosaic art techniques to arrange the tesserae (the mosaic pieces) in different ways. I usually use 2 of these techniques; Opus tesselatum- tesserae pieces are arranged in a geometric patterns, and opus vermiculatum – the tesserae form pictures and objects with curved line designs. 

 

To make a stained glass  piece come to life, one of the most important aspects that you need to consider is how the colors and light play together. To make sure that my final product has that lively feel, I bought a light box and put it on my work table. This way, while I'm working I know exactly how the glass will look like in the light and I can easily mix and match things before the piece is complete.

Featured Artist: Momim Wasim Khan

Momim Wasim Khan is taking part in the Richmond Hill Studio Tour for the first time this year. He is a member of the Richmond Hill Group of Artists

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.