The Artists of Kawartha
Leanne Baird
Algonquin Road II, 2017.
48"x 72", Acrylic on Canvas.
Leanne Baird is a visual artist residing in Peterborough, Ontario. A former landscape designer, Baird’s love of the natural world has evolved into painting on canvas. She followed her passion to be a visual artist and graduated with a BA from the Fine Art program at the University of Toronto. Participation and immersion in a year of intense study of yoga and ancient Indian scriptures enabled Baird to develop a subtle eye and sublime feeling for her surroundings.
Nature inspires Leanne’s art-making process in which she pays homage to trees in the landscape. She captures the feeling of the natural world by immersing herself in the elements of nature, such as earth, air, water, light and space, and expressing her experience as a landscape abstraction. Leanne’s paintings are studies of both the physical and metaphysical. With expanded awareness, she perceives a powerful silence underlying the creative energy of nature and within that silence, an intrinsic vibration of light. Witnessing the deconstruction of form into the formless and back into form again, Leanne deconstructs trees, hills, water and sky into colour, shape, lines, form and space.
Leanne Baird’s work has been shown in many solo and group shows including Frederick Horsman Varley Art Gallery, The Agnes Jamieson Gallery, The Art Gallery of Peterborough,
Rails End Gallery and Arts Centre and The Kawartha Autumn Studio Tour. She is currently being represented by The Ethel Curry Gallery in Haliburton.
Neil Blackwell
Status Symbol.
30”x 24”, Acrylic.
Neil Blackwell was born in London England, and came to Canada in 1958. As a young boy he won a scholarship to the Slade School of Art at London University. Thus began his career as an artist.
A versatile artist, Neil is comfortable with a wide range of subject matter. In his earlier days, he painted in the style of the great Renaissance masters, and was an accomplished portraitist. However, his singular ability to capture wildlife in its natural habitat soon made him one of the most sought-after wildlife artists in North America.
Over the years Neil has won numerous awards, among them first place in the choice award Canadian Wildlife Conservation Show. He also was named Duck’s Unlimited Canada’s prestigious Waterfowl Stamp and Print Artist of the year in 2000, 2004 and for the third time out of 987 top Canadian artists, for 2010. Neil is also well known for his work on the heritage murals that are found in Pembroke Township. Neil was the first artist to paint one of these now numerous murals, and is honoured for his excellent workmanship.
Neil Broadfoot
Redrock Creek.
47”x 36”, Acrylic.
Neil began his career as a graphic illustrator working in TV animation and design. He soon became a teacher and taught art at Crestwood Secondary School in Peterborough for 35 years. He also taught at the Buckhorn School of Art and the Haliburton School of Art and was artist-in-residence at the Canadian Canoe Museum from 1998-2005.
A life-long canoeist with special interest in Canadian explorers and indigenous peoples, Neil has paddled Canada for some sixty years. His favourite places include Algonquin, Quetico and Wabakimi Provincial Parks, Temagami, the north shore of Lake Superior, and the Fraser River.
Neil was influenced by several great teachers, including Fred Findlay, RCA, OSA, and Allan Collier, RCA, OSA. These teachers made him aware of the discipline and vision required for good design and drawing. He is proud of the suggestion of Lawren Harris and Charles Comfort in his painting.
Though a water-colourist with a love for the ever-changing nature of on-location painting, he has begun to work with acrylics and larger canvasses. His favourite subject matter, however, remains the canoe and its paddlers in the Shield country with its fickle weather conditions and moods.
Chuck Burns
Above Lillooet.
36”x 48", Acrylic.
“My paintings derive from personal experiences with the people in my life, places I’ve been, nature, animals or the everyday objects around me.
My interest in art began at an early age. Even before I could read I would pour through encyclopedias and art books, awed by the great masters and their realistic imagery of heroic figures. How could they create something that lifelike? How did they manage to tell a whole story with a single image? I would study these pictures for hours. I knew then that I wanted to become an artist. Drawing and anatomy became my passion, a passion I’ve pursued my entire life.”
For more than forty years Chuck Burns has been conducting painting and drawing workshops and seminars across Canada and the United States. In that time he has continuously juried, co-ordinated and participated in countless art exhibitions and symposiums at both local and national levels.
Chuck Burns is a former director/curator of the Lindsay Gallery and is an elected member and past president of the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour. His acrylic and watercolour paintings can be found in private, corporate and public collections throughout the world. These collections include H.R.H. the Prince of Wales, Trent University, Sault College, Fleming College and the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour’s National Collection at the Peel Gallery in Brampton, Ontario.
Paul Chester
Early Evening Sparkle.
60"x 72”, Oil on Canvas.
Paul Chester studied painting and sculpture in art academies in Toronto and Paris and graduated from Ontario College Of Art in 1992, now known as OCAD University. With oil as his primary medium, Chester builds the surfaces of his canvases with many layers of paint and glazes. The physicality in the treatment of these canvases is closely connected to Chester’s sculptural experience and sustained relationship with his natural surroundings. Lines are often scratched and carved into the paint, exposing the ground beneath.
The luminosity that highlights the individual landscapes is the essential element that threads Chester’s works together. His paintings are not individually derived from specific locations but are rather suggested fragments of recollection, glimpses of memory. Chester notes, “the subjects of my oil paintings are restful places and retreats found in the natural landscape – country fields, flowers, forests, horizons, clouds and waterscapes. These impressions are painted from memory – they are my visual diaries; peaceful mementos celebrating beauty.”
He has had 35 solo exhibitions and more than 40 group shows across Canada, the United States and London, England and is currently represented by 10 galleries.
Sandy Cline
Bison.
4"x 8"x 12", Soapstone Sculpture.
Sandy Cline's love of art began in the 1950s, when he was working as draughtsman for the Department of National Defence in Ottawa. He was a frequent visitor at the National Gallery of Canada, where the work of Lawren Harris inspired him.
"When I first saw his Arctic paintings, I could feel the cold" he recalls.
Sandy started painting, quit his job and moved to the Yorkville area in Toronto, where he began selling his carvings and paintings.
He discovered that his artistic talent found its best expression in sculpture, and he chose stone as his preferred medium. In 1972 he became a full-time sculptor.
Sandy’s work is in collections around the world, including that of Prince Phillip. In honour of the Princess Anne Equestrian Meet, Sandy was commissioned by Murray Koffler to carve the crest of “Jokers Hill” farms, where the meet was to be held. Prince Philip opened the meet and was presented with the carving.
Sandy has created pieces for the 1988 Winter Olympics, the 1988 and 1989 Winter National Indoor Games in Ottawa, the I.I.H.F. Women's World Ice Hockey Championship, Sir Sanford Fleming College, the Canadian Nurses Association, the Canadian Synchronized Swimming Team and many other organizations. Sandy's sculptures are presently being sold through Whetung Gallery at Curve Lake, Ontario.
RoseMarie Condon
Mariette and Matthew.
14"x 23", Watercolour.
An avid wilderness traveller and signature member of Artists for Conservation, RoseMarie has hiked, rafted and canoed throughout Canada, the high Arctic and Greenland, photographing, sketching and painting en plein air. Her location sketches and photographs help her capture her impressions of moments in nature and incorporate them in larger studio paintings. RoseMarie’s paintings are held in private, corporate and public collections, among them, those of the Canadian Coast Guard and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. She has been honoured with awards for fine art, illustration and design, including the City of Kawartha Lakes Artist of the Year award.
A passionate advocate for visual arts, RoseMarie exhibits, teaches, curates and volunteers at regional galleries. Because of her strong belief in the importance of making art, RoseMarie finds great pleasure in working with children, helping them express themselves through drawing, painting and sculpture.
Illustrating children’s books, such as the award winning Canadian Shield Alphabet, and creating animated Christmas windows, fuel RoseMarie’s sense of whimsy. Her love of rhyme has led her to create books and illustrations that have become well loved by children and adults. RoseMarie’s books A Brush with Words’ and A Brush with Wilderness focus on her photographs, poetry, prose and paintings of Canada and Greenland.
Kelly Dodge
Chicken Love.
6”x 4”, Oil on Panel.
Canadian artist Kelly Dodge’s first exhibition marked the beginning of a fast-rising career that garnered both national and international recognition. She is a signature member of the Artists for Conservation, the Pastel Society of America and the Society of Animal Artists. She was deemed an ‘Artist of Note’ by Wildlife Art magazine and has been awarded the AFC Medal of Excellence twice. This award is given annually in recognition of extraordinary artwork. A career highlight was being awarded the prestigious AFC Flag Expedition Fellowship, enabling her to travel to the Galapagos Islands to conduct artistic field research.
In recent years, using methods that date back centuries, Kelly has been exploring traditional techniques in oil painting to create contemporary paintings in the classical realist style, emphasizing drawing as the foundation of all creative work.
“My paintings are a celebration of the privileged place I hold in partnership with my fellow creatures and my Creator. My goal is to re-create the narrative that I read all around me - those interactions or moments that catch my breath and reflect the works of God and His providence throughout all creation. To God be the Glory!”.
Michael Dumas
Forgotten Chores.
5.25”x 7.25", Oil.
Michael Dumas has been active as a full time artist since the early 1970’s. During this time he has gained national and international recognition for his highly personal and sensitive renditions of wildlife, rural themes, and people. His art has been displayed in such notable Canadian institutions as the McMichael Canadian Collection, the Royal Ontario Museum, and the National Museum of Canada. International exhibitions include the Suntory Museum of Art – Japan, The International Museum of Art Inspired by Nature – England, the Museum of Modern Art – Spain, Woodson Art Museum and The National Museum of Wildlife Art – USA to name but a few.
Michael is listed in many biographical reference volumes, including Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in Canada, Who’s Who in the World, and the International Register of Profiles. His art also has been featured on Canadian postage stamps and commemorative coins produced by the Royal Canadian Mint. Numerous awards include two ARC International Salon Dual Category Awards, six AFC Medals of Excellence, NOAP Award of Excellence, SAA President’s Artistic Achievement Award, and Marquis Who’s Who Lifetime Achievement Award.
Lori Dunn
Last Light.
24” x 18”, Scratchboard.
Wildlife artist Lori Dunn is one of Canada’s premiere scratchboard artists. Enrolled in painting classes as a child, and encouraged throughout school, it was presumed that she would continue to pursue an artistic career. With a passion and keen interest in animals, however, Lori steered naturally to the sciences. Graduating with a BSc. in Zoology she began a 15 year career as a professional zookeeper.
After several years as a zookeeper and naturalist, Lori resumed her artistic endeavours, finding a way to combine her artistic ability and her desire to conserve nature.
Scratchboard allows the control over detail that she strives for. These black and white clayboard engravings produce works of art with incredible realism and quality of light in what many artists consider to be one of the most difficult mediums to master.
Lori Dunn’s work has been showcased in numerous museums and galleries in North America. She has won several awards in exhibitions worldwide. She is a signature member of the Society of Animal Artists and has achieved Master status through the International Society of Scratchboard Artists.
Lori creates her artworks from Herpworks Wildlife Art studio at her home near Norwood where she enjoys spending her free time hiking, kayaking and photographing wildlife.
Eugenie Fernandes
Skipping Rope Song - From: Earth Magic.
21"x 14", Acrylic.
"My world is yellow and blue and green. I grew up on the beach. I painted with my father, comic-book illustrator Creig Flessel. We made up stories sitting on the front porch. Birds flew down from the sky and sat on my shoulder. Cats purred. Frogs hopped. I have always lived on islands - a house on Long Island, an apartment on Manhattan Island, a thatched hut on an island in the middle of the South Pacific, and now, I live and work in a little house, on a little island, in a little lake in southern Ontario.
"Summer and winter, starting at the crack of dawn, I paint every day. Sometimes I write stories. Sometimes I sell the stories. Then I paint again... I paint my stories, I paint other people’s stories. Sometimes I paint paintings for myself, abstract paintings... big...free... Sunshine fills my studio. I am surrounded by water and birds and trees. My world is yellow and blue and green."
Eugenie graduated from the School of Visual Arts in New York City in 1965. She has illustrated more than 100 children’s books and published numerous stories. She is an award winning illustrator and her paintings from Earth Magic and One Hen: How One Small Loan Made a Big Difference are at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African Art.
She works on her art daily in a glass studio facing Buckhorn Lake surrounded by her favourite things and family. Eugenie and her husband, Henry, also an illustrator, have two children, Kim and Matthew who have proudly followed their parent’s footsteps, both having successful artistic careers.
Henry Fernandes
Temptation.
16"x 20", Acrylic.
Henry Fernandes is an accomplished animation designer and illustrator. He has worked in advertising and publishing, as well as being co owner of an animation company in New York City. For ten years he wrote, designed and produced animated spots for ‘Sesame Street’ and ‘The Electric Co.’. His work in animation won him ‘The Golden Lion’ award at the Cannes Film Festival, and one of his animated film spots is part of the film library at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
In recent years, working out of his lakeside studio, Henry has turned his talents towards painting. Perhaps the most compelling aspect of his work is that so much of it deals with his particular view of the world and his personal experiences, both as an adult and as a child growing up in Spanish Harlem.
Henry and his wife, Eugenie, also an illustrator, live on the shores of Buckhorn Lake. Their two children, Kim and Matthew have proudly followed their parent’s footsteps, building successful artistic careers.
David Foyn
Far From the Maddening Crowd.
30"x 40", Acrylic on Canvas.
David Foyn was born in Shanghai and spent his early childhood in Thailand. Later, at school in England, he discovered an innate love of art and was encouraged to develop his talent. After coming to Canada, he graduated from L’Ecole des Beaux Arts, Montreal. It was here that his unique vision emerged.
His works are predominately landscape paintings, inspired by his travels. But be prepared to be surprised by the occasional floral or wildlife theme in his repertoire.
He prefers to paint landscapes that are easily accessible. “I’m not about to hike ten miles, then canoe and portage for another ten miles to find my inspiration. It comes to me on a highway, behind the motel where I’m staying, or visiting a friend’s cottage." He captures his experiences aided by his photographic images and his mind’s eye. The key elements of light, atmosphere and perspective help to bring his landscapes alive. “Nature has a way of composing itself. It is my goal as a landscape artist, to find the best way to capture and express it on canvas.”
David is an elected member of the Society of Canadian Artists and currently resides in Bobcaygeon with his wife, Sharon.
James Andrew Goodliff
Minden Lookout (Panorama Park).
34" x 34", Oil on Canvas.
Throughout his youth, James demonstrated a passion for visual media and spent much of his time in the studio of his grandmother.
After graduation from Niagara College where he studied commercial illustration and graphic design, James turned his attention to traditional fine art, receiving his Bachelor’s Degree from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design.
James feels a passionate connection with nature and through art, aims to share this experience. Working in layers of rich, full-bodied semi-transparent oil colours and abstract impressionistic forms, his paintings are enchanting and have been described by viewers as a ‘dream-like experience’.
James has fine art hanging internationally in corporate and private collections.
Clive Kay
Zebra Resting.
20.5”x 20”, Acrylic.
Clive Kay was born and raised in Africa.
He is a self–taught artist with no formal tuition. While living in Canada for 43 years, he has been influenced by the Canadian landscape, the wildlife and the four seasons. His African subjects come from his heart and his Canadian subjects from his head.
In 1996 he was commissioned by the Walt Disney Company in Florida to paint the inaugural painting for the opening of the Animal Kingdom. The success of this piece of art resulted in two further commissions. This experience was not only the highlight of his art career but the one moment of his life he would love to relive again.
All art work displayed here is available for sale.
Mark Kellett
Soft Geometrics I.
16.5 " x 16.5", 1/1 Serigraph.
The Kawarthas are an exceptionally inspiring place to be in Ontario. Mark Kellett lives in an area called the Long Lake Barrens. His art work can be found in many corporate, private and public collections.
"My abstracts are about the poetry of colour and the expression of design. Sometimes called polycromatic printing, this unique method of producing direct from the screen 1/1 serigraphs has been especially intriguing."
These direct-from-the-screen mono-types are simple, yet have surprisingly great latitude. The screen becomes Mark's canvas; water soluble pigments are painted directly onto the flat screen surface and left to dry. He refers to these end results as “the capturing of fluid moments.”
Three or more screened layers will result in a mature image which receives an acrylic top-coat. They are then titled and signed. His titles are used in a numbered series. The titles are poetic phrases reflecting his perception of each series.
This technique has added a new painterly dimension to Mark's work and opened the doors to endless possibilities. With each monoprint or varied edition Mark's endeavour is to merge the physical laws of colour theory with the mathematics of design to create a strong visual impact."
Anne Marie Kornachuk
Out of the Blue, 2017.
40”x 40”, Oil on Canvas.
Anne-Marie Kornachuk is a realist painter, best known for her paintings of women surrounded by reams of fabric. In her paintings the drama of the fabric takes the centre stage. Working with oil and using traditional painting techniques, she is influenced by the theatricality of Baroque art.
Anne-Marie is also known for her portraits of horses made to exact scale. The horse, with its massive size, beauty and expressiveness can speak in poetic terms about emotion and experience.
She meets every horse she paints, taking reference photographs and measurements.
Anne-Marie grew up in Winnipeg, Manitoba and completed her BFA at Concordia University in 1993. She has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Canada,
the US and abroad.
She lives in Lakefield, Ontario with her husband. She is an avid equestrian and a dedicated student of dressage, spending much of her free time training and having fun with her horse.
Eddie Le Page
Give Me a Hug.
24”x 36”, Acrylic.
“In my paintings, I aim to portray the bond between people and the natural world.”
The paintings of Eddie Le Page have universal appeal. Portraying the natural world in a distinct, unique style, his work can be found in private and corporate
collections internationally.
Eddie was born and raised in Dundas, Ontario. This renowned and self-taught artist whose works have been called “a gift of the soul” now resides in Peterborough.
Eddie’s skill and detail are unmistakable. His career as a full-time artist has spanned more than four decades, and continues to flourish, as his acrylic paintings capture the beauty he observes in the untamed land of North America. He has a deep passion for nature and spends much time outdoors. It is in the quiet woods or countryside that the magic of his art is conceived.
Markus Ledolt
Waiting for Spring.
11"x 14", Acrylic on Canvas.
The journey of this gifted artist began at the early age of three. While playing with tempera paints, Markus displayed to his parents a raw, natural ability for expressing himself through art—a talent deeply-rooted on both sides of his family. These creative inspirations would lead him to showcase his work at nine years of age in the “Young at Art” section of the Kawartha Arts Festival. From that very first exhibition, Markus has garnered acclaim, earning awards, prizes and accolades, a diploma in hand-drawn animation, invitations to other shows, and commissions in Canada and abroad.
Throughout most of his youth, Markus has resided in the Kawarthas, surrounded by nature and wildlife. This has instilled in him an affinity for, and spiritual connection with, the natural world around him and concern for its welfare - a theme commonly reflected in his work. Though acrylics and wildlife remain his preferred medium and subject, Markus actively explores new styles, mediums and themes to find his voice as an artist on the world stage. He continues to showcase his artwork in shows, tours, and online, driven by an unrelenting desire to create art that is a force for positive change in the world.
Brenda Little
La Pommè.
16"x 12", Acrylic.
Born in Burlington, Ontario, Brenda Little’s passion for art developed at a very young age under the instruction of her artistic father.
In 1985, she studied Illustration at Sheridan College in Brampton, Ontario and then moved to Peterborough to work from her studio.
She is best known for her realistic acrylic and watercolour paintings depicting scenes that evoke a sense of peace and wonder to the viewer.
Alfa Laval Agri commissioned Brenda for seven years to illustrate their collector plates, greeting cards, t-shirt and sweatshirt designs.
In 1999, Brenda was honoured to illustrate Alfa Laval’s “100 years in Canada” collector plate, as well as their commemorative t-shirt design, distributed throughout Canada, U.S, Europe and South America.
Brenda has also been featured in many publications including, The Peterborough Examiner, Arabella (Canadian Art Magazine 2012), The Kawartha Promoter, TV interviews with CHEX News and WPBS Television (New York). Her original paintings and limited edition prints can be found in many private and corporate art collections throughout Canada and the U.S.
Lucy Manley
Turkish Delight - Koshlong Lake at Camp Wanakita.
30"x 40", Oil on Canvas.
Since 1995 Lucy has been teaching art classes for Continuing Education for Loyalist College - Warkworth and the College’s Summer Arts class; Gallery on the Lake in Buckhorn; The Painted Tree in Cobourg; Cavan Arts and by invitation to demonstrate and critique at many art associations in Ontario. Le Monastere, Limoux, France also has been a painting-teaching destination for her since 2005. She has been a member of the East Central Ontario Art Association (ECOAA) since 1979, holding positions of Newsletter Editor, Area Representative, Paint-out Co-ordinator, Vice-President and now President.
Painting full time since 1990, Lucy Manley’s work is represented at several Ontario galleries and other venues. She has exhibited in many group shows as well as solo shows at Lindsay Gallery, Bancroft Gallery, Art Gallery of Peterborough, Gallery on the Lake in Buckhorn, Westmount Gallery in Toronto, and Ontario Shores in Whitby.
Her goal is to capture the landscape and express her feelings and emotions through oil painting. Employing a bold use of colour to heighten the visual impact of each painting, her loose, rapidly executed brushstrokes capture her impressions on canvas. Recently, a new approach of working on black canvas has allowed Lucy to explore the alla prima method of painting landscapes for an even more dramatic effect.
Mary Mcloughlin
Symons’ Magnolia, 2012.
32”x 40”, Oil on Canvas.
"I knew as early as high school that I wanted to become a professional artist. It was important to lead a creative life. I studied art at the University of Toronto, where the historical techniques classes especially became the backbone of my approach to oil painting.
"My paintings are about a close and intimate observation of nature. They capture a moment in time when partial sunlight illuminates something fragile and beautiful. In that moment I am sensitive to the creative energy it takes for the plant to grow from practically nothing to its peak, opening itself to the sunlight, becoming pollinated and beginning to fade. I use that internal feeling to paint something larger and lasting. The sunlight itself is important to my creative process, as is the active interplay of shadow and highlight that allows me to expand the dramatic contrast in and around the image. I seek to enhance the glow that the sunlight generates when penetrating the flower.
"I work in a large studio in downtown Peterborough. There is room to teach, along with big windows that bring in the light. The studio provides display space to show my work. Visitors are welcome."
Esperança Melo
If a Butterfly Flaps its Wings...
16”x16”, Acrylic and Collage on Canvas.
Esperança Melo was born in the Azores, and has made her home in the village of Millbrook, Ontario since 1990. She is a graduate of Sheridan College’s Animation Program and a Graphic Design honours graduate from George Brown College. She has studied oil painting, life drawing and sculpture at Ontario College of Art and loves working in various art forms and media. She was a founding member of the Millbrook Gallery collective, and while it was active she produced a wide variety of work for its many exhibitions.
Esperança has designed and illustrated several children’s books over the years. She co-illustrated the picture book Drumheller Dinosaur Dance, with Bill Slavin, which was the recipient of the 2005 Blue Spruce Award in Ontario and the 2006 Chocolate Lily Award in B.C.
As a visual artist, Esperança has worked in various art forms and media, including painting, collage and sculpting in papier-mâché. Currently she is working in acrylic and collage, using textures and vibrant colour to explore the poetic visual language of our subconscious, lying beyond the borders of time and our waking reality.
Calvin Nicholls
White Wolf.
24”x 18”, Paper Sculpture.
"Inspired by the role art plays in communication, I began my art adventure in 1976 by enrolling in graphic design at Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario. Assignments in a class called Materials and Structures explored the idea of paper as a medium.
"Several years later, in 1983 as a freelance graphic designer, I included paper sculpture imagery in one of my design projects and I was instantly hooked. Enthused with my early experiments, I expanded my search for specialized knives, embossing tools, archival quality papers and adhesives.
"My lifelong interests in wildlife, drawing, sculpture, and photography came together in 1986 when I realized that the layering of feathers was a perfect application of the technique. Images from my youth of wild fowl on the wing, hawks soaring over head and songbirds punctuating the rural landscape rushed through my mind and I recognized the opportunity that lay in front of me.
"Collaborating with corporate clients, private collectors and renowned biologists continues to inspire me in this wonderful art adventure from my home based studio in Lindsay, Ontario."
Calvin is a Signature Member of the Society of Animal Artists since 1996 and member of Artists for Conservation.
Karen Richardson
Time to Head South.
16 x 20", Watercolour on board.
Whether she and her husband are exploring by RV, motorcycle, snowmobile, kayak, or on foot, professional artist Karen Richardson records memories with her camera and uses these images as reference for watercolour paintings. Having grown up in a rural village near Algonquin Park in northern Ontario, it is no wonder that Karen loves to paint dramatic, rock-filled scenery and intimate studies of nature. Her art captures realistic moments, to encourage viewers to pause and reflect on the astonishing but fragile beauty of our world.
Since she began selling her artwork in 1986, more than 600 paintings have been acquired by private and corporate art collectors in 19 countries, and currently her work is represented by six galleries across Ontario. Karen is author of Watercolour Toolbox: Essentials for Painting Success, an award-winning art instruction book, and has been teaching watercolour workshops since 2006. Her home and studio overlook peaceful farmland in Lindsay, Ontario. Karen’s motto is: “Making the world a happier place… one painting at a time.”
Lois Robinson
Spring Eternal.
13"x 15", Pastel.
Lois Robinson is an artist who works exclusively in pastels, charcoal, and graphite. Her detailed paintings reveal a deep connection to the world around her. Born one of eight children in the small town of Hartley, Ontario, Lois showed an early artistic ability. Pursuing this passion, she attended Georgian College in Barrie studying Graphic Design and Fine Art. Although self-taught in pastels, Lois draws on the knowledge she obtained to create her delicate realistic paintings using colour, composition and design.
A 110 year old home on the shores of beautiful Balsam Lake provides endless inspiration for the artist. It is here, along with her husband of 40 years, Brian, that she pursued her love of painting while raising a family.
Lois displayed her work at The Buckhorn Art Festival for almost 30 years and now opens her home studio to the public during the Victoria County Studio Tour each fall.
“As an artist I capture a fleeting moment in time and I am truly blessed to share these moments with others.”
Peter Rotter
Spring Warmth.
36"x 30" , Oil on Canvas.
"After graduating from The Ontario College of Art and Design, I built a successful career as a landscape artist. Landscapes just make me feel happy and challenged. I paint because I want to get better and become a great painter. Like so many I admire. I paint for my wellbeing. I paint because I’ve always painted. I paint landscapes because I’ve always painted landscapes. I paint to support my family. I paint for everyone who has supported my work and gave me a career in art. My humble thanks to you. I will never stop painting."
David Smith
Rising Sun.
36"x 36", Acrylic.
David Smith has always had an interest and natural ability in art. He has been painting nearly his whole life working in watercolour and acrylics.
"I find my inspiration daily, moving over the land and water, painting, sketching and photographing my surroundings. I use these resources to create larger works back at my studio.
I observe the movement of light through a scene, the rhythm of the landscape and the colours throughout. Between the light and the shadows is where we find beauty”.
After working 36 years in commercial art, designing, illustrating and retouching, David says he feels truly blessed to be able to follow his passion to paint full time. His work has been exhibited in numerous shows receiving many awards and commissions, and it continues to evolve " as my connection to the land evolves. If you look closely you can see into the life of things, the spirit, the play of light, the interaction of colour, the movement of the land. This is what I am after when I paint."
Jaan Teng
Old Tallinn Red Roofs.
24”x 36", Acrylic.
Jaan Teng has a deeply philosophical view of the role that art can play in human experience.
"Our Neo-cortex has amplified both the good and the bad impulses of our old reptilian mid-brain. So we humans sort ourselves as constructors of exquisite creative ability or as destructors of infinite cruelty; (dropping nerve gas bombs on children’s hospitals). We are allowed a choice which role we play in life’s painful drama. The gallery is our stage, exhibiting our artistry for all to see. Each of our patrons exists within their own model of reality so their perceptions of art will differ. Thus I use lots of contrasts, (value, chroma, size, mood, etc.) to increase the impact. Overall I attempt to stimulate positive, meaningful, and pleasant feelings to the best of my ability. I also am fascinated with metaphysical searches for life’s purpose, and the latest quests for ontological explanations. I feel answers are beyond science and religion but lend instead to speculative artistic expression."
Jaan Teng B.A., MEd., C.E.T. has studied and taught at George Brown College, Fleming College, Eesti Art Akadeemia and Tallinn University and keeps a studio/workshop both in Tallinn, Estonia, and at his residence in rural Peterborough. He is a member of the Kawartha Artists Group in Peterborough as well as the Estonian Artists Group EKKT.
Joan Tovey
Apple Blossom Time- Chickadees.
12"x 17", Watercolour
Inspiration abounds in the forest wildflowers and songbirds that surround the home studio of Kawartha area watercolourist, Joan Tovey.
She was about nine years old when her parents gave her a box of Reeves’ watercolours. Painting became an “instant and all-consuming” passion for her.
Through her paintings she captures the beauty of wilderness, a wilderness which she hopes will be preserved for future generations.
Joan’s delicate, sunlit renditions of birds and flowers often contrast strongly against the fluid backgrounds that mark her work. Her style reflects the changeability of nature and evokes within the viewer a sense of fragile beauty which remains forever untouched.
She has travelled extensively in Canada and this has enabled her to research our native wildflowers and birds in preparation for new work. In 1977, Joan, her husband and children moved to their 12.5 acre woodland property in Kawartha where she is still inspired by the many birds, wildflowers and trees.
Joan has exhibited her original paintings at many Ontario shows and galleries for more than 45 years, including the Whetung Ojibwa Centre and Gallery, in Curve Lake, Ontario, which exhibits her artwork all year, and the Buckhorn Wildlife Fine Art Festival, Lindsay Art Gallery and the Nature Art Festival at the Roger Tory Peterson Institute in Jamestown, New York. Joan’s artwork can be found in private collections across Canada, the United States and overseas.
Alena Vyborna
Freckles.
24''x 24'', Silk Painting.
"As a child I lived in the beautiful countryside of the Czech Republic. I loved to read fairy tales and to roam through the woods and meadows, letting my imagination wander. Although I felt a natural inclination toward all things artistic, I suspended my love of painting in favour of pursuing a more technical career as a textile engineer.
After years of working with textiles, I developed a special interest in dyeing fabrics which eventually led me to paint on them. The excitement of watching the flow of paint on silk, along with the freedom to experiment with endless colour combinations, gave me the ability to play with the colours and textures in my dream world.
A natural fascination for nature’s intricate designs and respect for all living things make me gravitate towards the natural world for subject matter. When a painting is finished I feel like it takes on a life of it’s own; it’s as if there is magical light shining out of it.
When people view my work I want them to feel as lighthearted and joyous as a singing child dancing through a sunny meadow."
Shawn Whalen
Burnhams Dam.
36”x 58”, Oil.
Shawn Whalen - Shawn’s artwork is deeply rooted in the rural Ontario landscape that surrounds the village of Keene, where he spent his childhood and now pursues his artistic endeavors. He has operated Whalen’s Fine Art & Framing Gallery for more than 30 years, in the location where his father ran a barbershop for more than 60 years, and where his grandfather started the family business in 1928. Stopping by Shawn’s gallery is like traveling back in time.
His paintings are influenced by his many interests and by memories of growing up in the area. He primarily paints in oils, but also works in watercolour and acrylic, to create artwork that celebrates the mills, hills, and lakes of the region.
In his gallery, Shawn creates art, completes the framing, captures digital images, and produces Giclée prints of his works and other artists too. Often, visitors will find budding artists trying their hand at painting, in one of Shawn’s many workshops or painting classes.
And the barber chair is still there.