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TOAE 2006

The Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition 2006
Nathan Phillips Square, Toronto
July 7, 8, 9 2006

Summer in Toronto! The weather isn't all that is hot. The Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition (TOAE) will be at Nathan Phillips Square for its annual juried out show illuminating some of the best contemporary artists on the scene. Below are some of the featured artists for TOAE 2006.

Glass

Title: Green Grass Pearl
Artist: Melody Jewitt
Medium: Glass
Artist's Web Site www.redomglass.com
TOAE Section: Turquoise 535
Image Courtesy: Melody Jewitt

Melody discusses her craft, "Within every object created I strive to find a balance between simplicity and detail. I enjoy clean lines with specks of intricacy. I am often seen incorporating lampworking techniques in the hot shop, with a torch at my bench to help emphasize where I desire the viewers eye to carry."

"My work has been featured at Material Matters and the Sandra Ainsley gallery."

Painting

Title: Painting #010606
Artist: Karl Au-Yeung
Medium: Acrylic and Flint Sand on Canvas
Dimensions: 30" x 30"
Artist's Web Site www.karlauyeung.com
TOAE Section: Yellow 675
Image Courtesy: Karl Au-Yeung

Karl says, "Different color represents the multi-cultures. We needs multi-colors to brighten our country. No matter what is happening we are still putting great efforts into our country. I hope you appreciate the harmony and peace in Canada through enjoying my colors."

Ceramics

Adding, "Early Ontario pottery, Central Asian tribal rugs and the delicate use of color and pattern of the Song Dynasty potters have influenced my work. I also look to the work of contemporary makers of functional wares who continue to challenge and update the traditions while maintaining a utilitarian based mandate."

Sculpture

Francis' approach to glass as a malleable and expressive yet not overly "precious" medium, runs counter to that of many glass artists. While taking advantage of the medium and its possibilities, his work is not "about" the medium. Glass simply gives him a vehicle to carry out or extend his ideas. Most recently Francis has been bringing glass outside. The ever changing light of day makes the glass come to life. His work is collected nationally and internationally.

Jewelry

Untitled
Artist: Dusanka Vujovic
Medium: Sterling Silver, Matt Finish
TOAE Section: Yellow 636
Image Courtesy: Dusanka Vujovic

“I produce a line of sterling silver and 14k gold jewelry that is handcrafted using traditional metal-smithing techniques such as sawing, filing, soldering and lost-wax carving. The designs incorporate fabricated and cast elements, pearls and semi precious stones into understated wearable pieces," explains Dusanka.

"My approach to designing form, engineering movement and developing techniques often draws as much from architecture and industrial design as from the traditional craft of jewelry making. Designing each piece with playfulness that still allows for comfort and elegance. I approach jewelry by integrating aesthetics and function. I enjoy playing with texture and colors in order to soften the strict geometry of designs. I often combine several different materials to produce interplay of surface finish and color, giving the final pieces a clean, sophisticated, refined elegance. While some designs are carefully planned and evolve through time, others erupt spontaneously from my mind to take on their unique and intricate shape."

Fibre

Title: Moon Gate Garden
Artist: Qing Zhang
Medium: Fibre
Artist's Email KingsCulture@yahoo.ca
TOAE Section: Turquoise 573
Image Courtesy: Qing Zhang

Qing says, "Silk embroidery, an art form dating back 2,500 years to ancient China, lives in the needle of my family. I was born in Suzhou, China and earned my bachelor degree in my home country. In 2002, I immigrated to Canada with my family and live in Kitchener. It’s a family affair for us who can stitch anything from portraits, landscapes, animals or architecture. There are six in my family that do stitch work: my mother, my three sisters, my wife and I. We each learned to stitch in our childhood. For example I learned when I was 12 years old and my mother has 50 years of stitching experience. In the year 2004, when we first introduced our works to Canada through different art and craft shows in Ontario, we were surprised that so many people were attracted by the delicacy of the artworks. In the year 2004, Port Dover Daily News, Chatham-Kent Daily News and The Windsor Star featured our works. Last year I was awarded one of the three best crafters in the Burlington Arts and Crafts Show. This year Toronto Fairchild TV invited me to demonstrate silk embroidery on TV."

"The stitch process starts by stretching a piece of silk tightly over a wooden frame. A design is then sketched on the silk and, using only an outline, the artist brings the image to life in color. Using pure silk, the thinness of the thread, the size of the picture and its complexity adds to the difficulty and the cost. One strand of silk can be divided into 16 smaller threads. The thinner the silk is; the finer the art. Silk embroidery is divided into five styles: random-stitch, plain-stitch, golden-round stitch, portrait stitch and double-sided stitch. Random-stitch is characterized with its several layers of colors and crossing lines. Plain-stitch is famous for its neat, close and regular stitch to show the delicacy of the pattern. It can take as little as one day to complete a small work but the largest can take as long as three months. Layer upon layer of thread built up to create dimension, shadows and highlights, adding to the complexity. From a distance, the ornate, hand-stitched work looks exactly like a painting. King’s Silk Embroidery Art is based in Kitchener.

Photography

Title: Toronto in Lights
Artist: Edward Skira
Medium: Photography
Artist's Web Site www.edwardskira.com
TOAE Section: White 014
Image Courtesy: Edward Skira

Edward Skira does his best work when the sun goes down. A confessed night owl, Skira stalks the darkened streets of downtown Toronto with camera at the ready, his purpose to reveal an eerie otherworld that's right in front of us. A fascination with cityscapes, maps and architecture melds seamlessly with the wild spirit of rock 'n' roll that Skira knows so well as the publisher of a national music magazine.

In his hands Toronto's skyline becomes a magical, mystical place. City monuments like the TD Centre, The CN Tower, Scotia Tower and Flatiron get contorted and laid bare, their hidden colors exposed in vibrant swirls and jagged flashes. It's at once familiar — you know those places and those landmarks because you've been there — but in Skira's hands the city becomes a new, exciting and just a little bit of a dangerous place.

Wood

Title: Seven Bar
Artist: Russell G. Brown
Medium: Wood
Artist's Web Site www.swcp.com/~rgbrown
TOAE Section: Yellow 678
Image Courtesy: Russell G. Brown

"I make my wooden vessels using a process known as "segmented woodturning," so-called because the vessels are built up out of a series of segmented rings, then turned on a wood lathe. A simple segmented ring consists of trapezoidal pieces of hardwood, cut so that 8, 10, 12, or more pieces form a closed, regular polygonal ring. These rings are glued together, then trued up and glued together atop a solid hardwood base to form a rough blank containing between a few dozen and several hundred individual pieces of wood, depending on the size and complexity of the piece. The blank is then turned to final shape, sanded, and finished with a tung oil sealer and a food-safe varnish. The pattern pieces on the larger vessels are made by combining woods of different species in interesting ways, through as many as three re-cut and glue operations. All colors seen in my vessels are the natural colors of the woods used to make them. My vessels are usually made in sets of several pieces with similar patterns, but each piece has its own unique shape, as well as the individual character lent it by the fingerprint-unique grain patterns of the specific pieces of wood used," says Russell G. Brown

He continues, "My primary fascination is with the process of designing and constructing interesting geometric designs in clever ways, using clever techniques to achieve difficult or perhaps even impossible-looking designs with relative ease. At the same time, I insist that each piece be well-made, pleasing to the eye, and make good use of the natural appearance of the individual woods used in the piece. I do not generally turn my pieces to a delicate thinness; I prefer that they feel durable and functional."

Mixed Media

Title: Armadillos at Niagara Street School
Artist: Heidi Jahnke
Medium: Mixed Media on Canvas
Dimensions: 16" x 20"
TOAE Section: Purple 228
Image Courtesy: Heidi Janke

Heidi explains, "during my last term as an undergraduate student at NSCAD University I enrolled in a collage class. Surrealism was a major focus for us and thus, combining two unusual elements to create a new meaning became a very important concept to me. That class and the concept of surrealism is what led me to one on my latest series, to which I refer to as my “collage paintings”. For the past two years I have been working to develop a more contemporary style of painting that involves paint and acrylic gel transferred images. For this particular series I begin with an urban setting obtained from the Internet or from digital photographs I have taken of locations in Toronto. I then combine these urban landscapes with quirky animals such as goats, llamas or armadillos. The final result is a combination of urban life, nature, depth of field and flat plains of brilliant color."

"As an artist, it is my goal to produce multiple interpretations in the scenes that I invent. I am very fascinated by the silent language of emotion that occurs in visual art and am interested in drawing more attention to how one feels after viewing a piece of art for the first time. I do not consider myself to be a politically driven artist; however, it is difficult for me to ignore the influences of everyday urban society. While my collage painting series is quite humorous and light-hearted each piece can identify with stronger issues like urban sprawl and eco-tones. Having obtained a degree in Environmental Science I am aware of environmental issues and political issues that are becoming more prevalent as progress moves faster than we expect."

Metal

Maclean says "I have been exploring the tension and balance between organic and technological elements. The resulting pieces challenge the viewer to appreciate the fragile relationship we have with living things.”

Print Making

She "always had a love of color, pattern and all things aesthetically appealing. From a young age I was always kept busy with various forms of arts and crafts and was keen to experiment and learn as much as I could. As I progressed through school I began working with, and for, the Robert McLaughlin Gallery in Oshawa. That is where my passion was nurtured.

"From there, after completing secondary school, I went on to pursue my love of art at the Ontario College of Art and Design. A little lost after my first year, it was then that I discovered printmaking. It perfectly balanced my love of art and all things visual with my need to be deeply involved in the process of creating the work through many different means. Over the next three years I spent countless hours in the studio honing my skills and creating some of my most satisfying art yet. I hope to continue my process-oriented work, which is deeply influenced by women’s arts and craft movements as well as the female figure and identity. Through the use of my own handmade papers, textiles and various print media I strive to bring attention and sensitivity to women throughout history that have not been recognized for their artistry. Artistry such as weaving, quilting, beadwork and so on that was beautiful but considered merely another domestic duty akin to women. In the re-appropriation of these forms of craft within my own contemporary art I focus on female and tribal identity. This has left me just at the start of the work I hope to complete over the next few years. In my journey this is only the beginning.

Computer

Winner Multi-Media/Computer-Generated Purchase Award

Title: The cruise left us with an effervescent feelingEdition of 5, 2005
Artist: David Trautrimas
Medium: Digital Print on Archival Matte Paper
Dimensions: 18 x 30"
Artist's Web Site www.springtimeingreenland.com/dave
TOAE Section: Green 362
Image Courtesy: David Trautrimas

With images borrowed and photographed from his surroundings, Trautrimas crafts images with a familiar yet unsettling existence. Shifting scales and positions, Trautrimas's images range from subtle manipulations to more obvious distortions, all incorporating the signifiers of our local and regional lives. Satisfying a desire to pull apart and reassemble objects and environments around him, Trautrimas delicately fabricates multiple landscapes inviting the careful consideration of their viewers.

Whatever the medium there is always something for every art aficionado at TOAE!

2006 Winners List