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International Art Treasures Web Magazine April 2006 |
Toronto Art ExpoWhat to buy? That's a common question when decorating one's home or visiting an art show and looking for the next Picasso. Buy what you like. Sometimes the hardest part is finding a place with good art that can meet different needs and desires. Annually Toronto is host to an Art Expo featuring some of the most creative artists in Canada. Karl Au-Yeung
Karl Au-Yeung graduated from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University of Australia with Distinction in Bachelor Arts in Fine Art, 1996. He was awarded as the "Best Overall Work of Victorian Campus Art Prize" of Melbourne in the same year. His works are extensively in collections both local and overseas. He has instilled an expressive element through the use of color, texture and lines in the work. As they are for symbolic purposes to reflect the energetic fortitude of human being; and as hope kindles hope. It is a commentary that is expressed in the use of abstract symbols rather than in pure figuration. Sharron Katz
Sharon says, "I am a mother, an artist and I teach science presentations to elementary school kids. Originally a fashion designer, I started painting full time eight years ago." Adding, "I paint from my soul, and I love to find creative and unique ways of playing with light and form, hence my foray into using broken glass with my latest works. The pieces are edgy-pun intended- as well as bright and reflective. I read in a book by Wayne dyer, that the positive intention of one person can affect 90,000 people. This amazing thought keeps me motivated to continue to paint bright art and to try to interact positively, whether it is through my painting or through personal interactions." Tim Packer
Tim Packer is a full time professional artist who's award winning paintings have been shown at juried exhibitions across North America. He is the past president of the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Color and a senior signature member of the Canadian Institute of Portrait Artists. A former Toronto Police Detective, he resigned from policing in 1999 after 18 years of service to pursue his art career full time. His work can be found in Corporate and Private collections around the world and is carried by Antony's Gallery in Whitby Ontario and Gallery on the Lake in Buckhorn Ontario. Although he received initial acclaim for his work in portraiture and watercolor he has recently moved to painting large oils of the Canadian Landscape. His vivid impressions of the northern lands have been extremely well received and Packer says, "...after many years of searching, I feel like I finally know what I want to say and how I want to say it." Cindy Blair
"I am a graduate of textile design and have continued to experiment with different mediums and techniques. During the last few years, I've applied my energy to painting on canvas, primarily large floral works and landscapes inspired by the beauty of Georgian Bay. By capturing the light and atmosphere of the subject, my aim is to share this tranquility with the viewer, inviting them to feel part of the image." Davoud Khosravi
"Years of experimenting with different mediums and seeking new ways of expressing my creativity have led me to the wonderful world of wood and woodworking. I am passionate about working with wood, not only for the beauty and mystery of the material, but also for the challenges it presents, the invention of new techniques, processes and tools to create objects." Davoud explains that, "in my work I incorporate several techniques: inlaying, laminating, turning, carving and sanding. The many small pieces in each form are cut and aligned in medleys of grain, color and pattern, hand sanded or shaped and polished on a large lathe then varnished to a high gleam. For my creations I use a variety of North American woods such as maple, cherry, walnut, oak and intensely colored exotics: ebony, purple heart, padauk and jatoba. I consider myself fortunate that I work with a material that is beautiful, alive and transforming. I try to capture these qualities in my new adventure – sculptures or free moving forms made out of wood. My work tells stories from my life, places I’ve been, people I’ve met, art, architecture, our environment and culture. These stories are interwoven into objects I create." Jong-Im Lim
Jong-Im Lim is a visual artist who received her B.F.A from Sejong University in Seoul, Korea. Her work has been shown in numerous group shows and five solo shows in Korea and Canada. She participated in the Toronto Art Expo in March, 2006, with her most recent painting series called Buncheung, which is a metaphorical expression for her paintings; one that conveys the aesthetic and technical implications of traditional Korean pottery. Buncheong is regarded as one of the highest forms of Korean art, capturing Korean sentiment through the simplicity of its form, the subtlety of color, and the application of the modest decoration. Lim's horizontal/vertical pencil lines bear a similar technique of the application of pigment on the surface of the pottery by using a coarse brush. The delicate pencil lines, which represent the simple dynamic of brush work, together with the earthy texture of her painting surface evoke a tranquil aspiration for a peaceful harmony of earth and beings. Linda MacKey
Linda says, "I have been painting the Canadian landscape for over 30 years and had the opportunity to travel to the High Arctic with renowned Arctic painter Doris McCarthy in 2002. The experience was life-changing, following an ice-breaker and supply ship past Devon Island. I was in awe and knew I had to share Canada's best kept secret with others. I co-led a group of artists back to Baffin Island in 2004, and am Director of Arctic Quest, a group of artists celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Northwest Passage with a voyage this year. I am artist-in-residence for the Toronto District Catholic School Board and teach the children about Inuit art and culture through art workshops and have been artist-in-residence and speaker for many art groups and galleries including the McMichael Canadian Art Collection and Varley Gallery." She adds, "for me, the Arctic landscape continues to be my biggest source of inspiration. The Arctic sunset often lasts for 5 hours in the middle of the night, and there is a beautiful Arctic glow. The light is incredible and peeks through clouds and dances on the mountains. Mist often rises from the base of the mountains, and clouds reach down. The shapes of mountains and icebergs are simplified, almost abstract, and lend themselves to my style of painting. I like to play with light, often positive and negative shapes will define mountains, and each painting shares a story--an Arctic experience. In Beached Bergie Bits, a storm blew small icebergs, called Bergie Bits in and beached them on the tidal flats "just for us", so that we could explore them. I was interested in the way the light hit the mountains, and always love when the clouds seem to come so low down that you can almost touch them." David Grieve
David Grieve studied art at the University of Guelph where he obtained his honor's degree with a major in fine art. He began exhibiting his work at the Zavitz Gallery during his student years after receiving the Michael Scotchmer scholarship award. David's work has grown and evolved over the past several years. He continues to enjoy still life paintings, particularly fruit and floral images, often cropping sections of the painting with lines drawn through thick oil paint. Most recently however, he has been inspired by the fields around his hometown of Brantford. He is enjoying painting a variety of landscapes and he is working with larger sized canvasses which feature rich autumn colors. David has received an overwhelmingly positive response from the public at his recent exhibitions in New York and Toronto, where he exhibited a variety of bold new landscape paintings. David works from his home studio in Brantford where he lives with his wife and three young sons. Imsoon Chung
The artist adds, "I had done quite a few exhibitions after I had mastered in metal sculpture. My latest interest in subject has changed into property of matter. Resin, wood, metal and especially clay work has made me go back to child's innocent mind which leads me into an ecstatic world. For this exhibition the materials and functions of the clay are sculptural, but they emphasize the metaphorical qualities while hiding the characteristics of the materials and functions, so the works evoke a poetic atmosphere. The characteristics of my work originated in borrowing images of introspection from all existing life on earth. Also, it means that I would find an ideal world in myself confronting the images." These are just a few of the artists that make the Toronto Art Expo a vibrant addition to the Toronto art scene. |
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