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SHOP STUDIO HUDDLE
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NEW WEBSITE!!!
Hey guys! Just a quick post I wanted to share, as I am really excited!!!
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After years of having an out-of-date website of my work, made-up of images spanning back to my school days in the textile studio at Sheridan,
I finally decided to take some initiative and put together an all new website ON MY OWN! and I am soo happy I did!!!
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Over the course of the next few months, I plan on making some big studio equipment purchases and beginning the process of prototyping an all new line of production-based work!
So please feel free to have a look, drop me a line or leave a comment, and let me know what you think! And be sure to keep your eyes open for an online shop coming sometime in the new year!
For more information, go to www.lizzaston.com
cheers! Lizz
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Lululemon Perimeter Mall by Lizz Aston
A while back I had the pleasure of working with the design team from Lululemon to conceptualize and create an installation, commissioned for one of their latest store openings - Perimeter Mall in Atlanta!
Working with up-cycled Lululemon fabrics from the lab in Vancouver, I was inspired by patterns, topographies and the local landscape of the Atlanta region.
While the Grand Opening for the store has recently passed (Nov. 9th)
If you are in the area please pop by, check it out, and have a look around. At 9 ft long and behind the cash desk, you can't miss it! Here are a couple of images of the project and a time lapse video we made of the install...! enjoy!
Taking reference from the local landscape in Atlanta, I wanted to design a large-scale, textile based pattern that would represent an abstracted topographical view of the land and a major artery that runs through it, the Chattahoochee River.
Inspired by dynamic symmetries and organic forms found in nature; patterns of lines stream outwards, branch off and break away, intersect and re-connect again to form a larger whole.
work in progress
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Richard Boulet: Stitched & Drawn
Stitched & Drawn @ the Textile Museum of Canada
55 Centre Ave. Toronto
December 3rd, 2012 - March 10th, 2013
Opening reception: Dec. 3rd, 6:30-8pm
Curated by Wayne Baerwaldt
The Textile Museum of Canada and Illingworth Kerr Gallery presents: Stitched & Drawn - an exhibition of recent work by Canadian artist, Richard Boulet.
This IKG-organized touring exhibition includes more than thirty works by the Edmonton based artist, addressing issues of an eventual spirituality through the cultivation of mental health. His practice is a multifaceted one that includes mixed media drawings and fibre sculptures incorporating quilting and cross-stitching techniques. Boulet's work has probed subjects including his personal history of schizophrenia and references homelessness, psychosis, crisis intervention, family issues, medication, and coping strategies.
Richard Boulet has worked and lived in Edmonton for the past twelve years. He has a BFA from the University of Manitoba School of Art, Winnipeg, and an MFA from the University of Alberta, Edmonton. Boulet has exhibited at Plug In ICA, Winnipeg, the 2007 Alberta Biennale, Creative Growth, Oakland (in association with Paul Butler's Collage Party and Matthew Higgs) and Keyano College Art Gallery, Fort McMurray, Alberta.
The artist's latest body of fibre work is decidedly reflexive in nature, confronting past behaviours and decisions that have impacted negatively on his mental state. Boulet's time-intensive working process provides the artist an opportunity to contemplate the past and, stitch by careful stitch, to put things right. As he explains, "To use quilting and cross-stitching in a body of work that alludes to the psychological dilemmas of redressing regrets seems appropriate, in that there is a strong sense of comfort and self care in these two fibre techniques. Things can't be so bad, so confused, so basically wrong, if the resulting product produced instills a sense of a home well tended, eventually."
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55 Centre Ave. Toronto
December 3rd, 2012 - March 10th, 2013
Opening reception: Dec. 3rd, 6:30-8pm
Curated by Wayne Baerwaldt
The Textile Museum of Canada and Illingworth Kerr Gallery presents: Stitched & Drawn - an exhibition of recent work by Canadian artist, Richard Boulet.
This IKG-organized touring exhibition includes more than thirty works by the Edmonton based artist, addressing issues of an eventual spirituality through the cultivation of mental health. His practice is a multifaceted one that includes mixed media drawings and fibre sculptures incorporating quilting and cross-stitching techniques. Boulet's work has probed subjects including his personal history of schizophrenia and references homelessness, psychosis, crisis intervention, family issues, medication, and coping strategies.
Richard Boulet has worked and lived in Edmonton for the past twelve years. He has a BFA from the University of Manitoba School of Art, Winnipeg, and an MFA from the University of Alberta, Edmonton. Boulet has exhibited at Plug In ICA, Winnipeg, the 2007 Alberta Biennale, Creative Growth, Oakland (in association with Paul Butler's Collage Party and Matthew Higgs) and Keyano College Art Gallery, Fort McMurray, Alberta.
The artist's latest body of fibre work is decidedly reflexive in nature, confronting past behaviours and decisions that have impacted negatively on his mental state. Boulet's time-intensive working process provides the artist an opportunity to contemplate the past and, stitch by careful stitch, to put things right. As he explains, "To use quilting and cross-stitching in a body of work that alludes to the psychological dilemmas of redressing regrets seems appropriate, in that there is a strong sense of comfort and self care in these two fibre techniques. Things can't be so bad, so confused, so basically wrong, if the resulting product produced instills a sense of a home well tended, eventually."
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New Laser Cutter for the Studio!
I am super excited! after months of research and waiting, I've finally invested in a Laser Cutter for the studio. I am currently in the process of figuring out the software, experimenting and testing out cutting and engraving using different materials. I will be sure to post more photos of samples and new work as it progresses!
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Laser Cutting in action!
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Interlace, Deconstruct - Extended till Jan.13th
Our exhibition - Interlace, Deconstruct, the Spaces In Between will be extended until January 13th, at the Telephone Booth Gallery in Toronto. Interlace, Deconstruct opened on November 14th as a part of the World of Threads Festival and was originally slated to close on Dec 23rd. The show will now be extended continuing past the hustle and bustle of holidays to give you the opportunity to still check it out. For more information on the exhibition please check out my previous post here.
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Interlace, Deconstruct, the Spaces in Between
Fibre works by Lizz Aston, Noelle Hamlyn, Pam Lobb
Telephone Booth Gallery
3148 Dundas St. W. Toronto
The three artists in this exhibition use and manipulate fibre in different ways, creating textile patterns deconstructed to reveal single lines that trace points of intersection between a thread and a surface.
Featuring a variety of media including paper burn-out, free-motion embroidery, salt encrusted textiles, printmaking, hand-cutting, hand-dyed fabric, found doilies, book pages and mixed media techniques.
Pam Lobb: Blue Rococo, 2011, Japanese tissue, printmaking, fabric, 8 x 8"![]()
Noelle Hamlyn:Traces, 2012, cotton embroidery on gampi, burn-out, 17 x 14"![]()
Pam Lobb: Recreated, 2012, Japanese tissue, printmaking, 26 x 20"![]()
Noelle Hamlyn:Traces, 2012, cotton embroidery on gampi, burn-out, 17 x 14"
Pam Lobb: Recreated, 2012, Japanese tissue, printmaking, 26 x 20"
Lizz Aston: Exploding Lace View #1, 2012, linen, fibre reactive dyes, starched, hand-cut, 32 x 37"
Lizz Aston: Exploding Lace View #3, 2012, Kozo paper, fibre reactive dyes, hand-cut, 18.5 x 16.5"
Gallery Hours:
Wed.-Sat. 11am - 6pm
Sun. Noon - 4pm
& by appt.
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Balloon Is Free by AppleZilla
"When you are a child, you always want to own a balloon. The balloon makes you happy but actually it's not expensive and you can let it go at any time. The desire to keep searching is the most valuable element for what I do" - AppleZilla.
I recently stumpled upon these hand strung bracelets from 'Balloon Is Free' by Hong Kong designer AppleZilla. While I am not much for jewelery myself, these individual bracelets remind me of delicate, beautiful, little small-scale sculptures. Each piece is carefully selected and strung on copper thread using glass, bone, shell, seed and ceramic beads, you can find them online at AppleZilla's shop here or on offer at Kapok.
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I recently stumpled upon these hand strung bracelets from 'Balloon Is Free' by Hong Kong designer AppleZilla. While I am not much for jewelery myself, these individual bracelets remind me of delicate, beautiful, little small-scale sculptures. Each piece is carefully selected and strung on copper thread using glass, bone, shell, seed and ceramic beads, you can find them online at AppleZilla's shop here or on offer at Kapok.
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Artist: Mary Button Durell
"When I was 9 years old I wrapped the entire backyard in string. I wove the string from one branch to the next, over to the fence, back to the tree, around the trunk, over and around until this great web appeared. There were lines everywhere, joining different objects and cutting up space in strange ways. I felt completely enchanted with the new environment and excited knowing I could rearrange reality.
On Easter, growing up, we were given large decorated eggs, colorful and lacey on the outside with an opening on one end to show scenes inside. I remember looking in, so fascinated with this miniature landscape, wanting to crawl inside this other world. Art has since become a way of building relationships between my interior and exterior worlds." - Mary Button Durell
Here is a look at the studio and work of paper-artist Mary Button Durell, one of the many people who I have been inspired by lately. In her work she uses tracing paper, wire, wheat paste and acrylic paint to build up her abstracted organic forms, ribboned groupings and delicate modular structures. enjoy!
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On Easter, growing up, we were given large decorated eggs, colorful and lacey on the outside with an opening on one end to show scenes inside. I remember looking in, so fascinated with this miniature landscape, wanting to crawl inside this other world. Art has since become a way of building relationships between my interior and exterior worlds." - Mary Button Durell
Here is a look at the studio and work of paper-artist Mary Button Durell, one of the many people who I have been inspired by lately. In her work she uses tracing paper, wire, wheat paste and acrylic paint to build up her abstracted organic forms, ribboned groupings and delicate modular structures. enjoy!
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100th Post! - Exhibition: Flight Distance
I've been sitting here for days and days now, wracking my brains in excitement, wondering what I should write about for my hundredth post -
all the while, one of my favorite collaborative exhibitions is on display on the other side of the wall from where I sit!
Consider this post a very important last call to check out Flight Distance,
by Jesse Bromm and Janet Macpherson. The exhibition, on at Harbourfront Centre, will be closing this sunday!
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235 Queens Quay W. Toronto
Sept. 29th - Dec. 23rd, 2012
“Flight distance” refers to the distance that animals like to keep between themselves and a threat of danger, and this distance varies with the degree of wildness of the animals. This collaboration between Craft Studio artists-in-residence Janet Macpherson and Jesse Bromm explores this idea through found objects, manufactured environments and slip-cast ceramic multiples. The twelve installations, divided into four sections called Tame, Feral, Sundry and Culled, examine the human propensity for violence and control through the manipulation of animals and the environment.
Macpherson’s porcelain animals have been altered, fragmented, and reassembled, creating aberrations of their original forms. Often they are blindfolded, bandaged and masked simultaneously, exposing the fine line between protection and restraint. Bromm’s mundane and readable found objects and miniatures situated out of context, explore what lies beneath the façade of human civility, bringing to the surface the conflict between internal and external. Each of these elements collide in contrived landscapes to create strange and unsettling worlds.
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all the while, one of my favorite collaborative exhibitions is on display on the other side of the wall from where I sit!
Consider this post a very important last call to check out Flight Distance,
by Jesse Bromm and Janet Macpherson. The exhibition, on at Harbourfront Centre, will be closing this sunday!
Flight Distance
Jesse Bromm & Janet Macpherson
Harboufront Centre - Craft corridor vitrines235 Queens Quay W. Toronto
Sept. 29th - Dec. 23rd, 2012
“Flight distance” refers to the distance that animals like to keep between themselves and a threat of danger, and this distance varies with the degree of wildness of the animals. This collaboration between Craft Studio artists-in-residence Janet Macpherson and Jesse Bromm explores this idea through found objects, manufactured environments and slip-cast ceramic multiples. The twelve installations, divided into four sections called Tame, Feral, Sundry and Culled, examine the human propensity for violence and control through the manipulation of animals and the environment.
Macpherson’s porcelain animals have been altered, fragmented, and reassembled, creating aberrations of their original forms. Often they are blindfolded, bandaged and masked simultaneously, exposing the fine line between protection and restraint. Bromm’s mundane and readable found objects and miniatures situated out of context, explore what lies beneath the façade of human civility, bringing to the surface the conflict between internal and external. Each of these elements collide in contrived landscapes to create strange and unsettling worlds.
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Hazleton Plinth Sculpture Contest
The results for the Hazleton Plinth Sculpture Contest were finally released yesterday! Looking at the call for submission back in November made me kind of wish that I made more free standing sculpture!
After seeing the results of the competiton, I am really excited about the juries final selections. So without any further ramblings, here are the results of the competition!
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I See Through Them
Jaime Angelopoulos, 2011.
55" x 35" x 27"
cotton and polyester fabric, plaster, foam.
Courtesy Parisian Laundry and the artist.
The Hazleton Plinth - Sculpture
Competition, 2013
We are pleased to announce that Toronto’s Jaime Angelopoulos is the winner of the Hazelton Plinth Sculpture Contest. The judges felt that her strong and original practice, dedication to sculpture and singular voice combined to created an evocative and exciting work, worthy of the distinction.
Angelopoulos will receive an honorarium of $4000, use of The Hazelton Hotel’s private screening room for an artist’s talk, plus one night’s accommodation. Her work “I See Through Them” (2011), will go on display on the plinth in the hotel’s lobby in January 2013.
The hotel also decided to award two honorable mentions. The first honorable mention was given to Janet Macpherson for her work "Virgin Mary," for the intricate ceramic work and fine detail. The second honorable mention was awarded to Lee Kline's "Pink Resin Wedge," for the degree of finesse involved in resin casting and the dynamic use of colour.
In September 2012, The Hazelton Hotel placed a call for artists from The Greater Toronto Area (GTA), to submit a sculptural work for a designated pedestal in the dynamic and popular lobby space. The hotel received an overwhelming response with over 150 sculptural entries from artists across the GTA. The pieces were submitted by emerging, mid-career and established artists working in a full range of materials and styles – from figurative bronzes and stone carvings, to more conceptual and abstract works.
The submissions were judged by guest jurors: Bruno Billio (Hazelton Hotel artist, sculptor and designer at brunobillio.com), Kelly McCray (Curator, artist and co-founder of ArtBarrage and BANK On ART) and Troy Seidman (Art and design consultant and founder of Caviar20).
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Jaime Angelopoulos received her MFA from York University (2010), and BFA from NSCAD University (2005). She completed Post Baccalaureate studies at Meadows School of the Arts in Dallas, TX (2006-07) and an artist residency at the Banff Centre for the Arts (2006). Jaime has exhibited her sculptures and drawings internationally and has presented solo exhibitions across Canada, notably at Parisian Laundry (Montreal, QC) and YYZ Artist Outlet (Toronto, ON). She was recently included in “trans/FORM: Matter As Subject> New Perspectives,” at the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art (MOCCA). She is currently preparing for a solo project at VOLTA Art Fair in New York City with her representative gallery Parisian Laundry. Jaime’s work has been acquired by numerous private collections and can be found in the collections of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ALDO Group, York University and the Bank of Montreal. The Canada Council for the Arts, The Toronto Arts Council and the Ontario Arts Council, have supported Jaime for numerous projects. She lives and works in Toronto and is represented by Parisian Laundry in Montreal.
Jaime Angelopoulos’ most recent body of sculpture explores figuration through abstract form. The abstract nature of her work speaks to the precarious and ambiguous nature of the human emotion and behavior. The sculpture "I See Through Them" is pink in color, shaggy in texture, and ambiguous in form. This sculpture is reminiscent of a child's fantasy creature with a humorous and playful quality. However, its form and stance is suggestive of a twisting body, revealing hollow sections where one can literally "see through" the sculpture. The title of the piece poses an accusatory tone; figuratively speaking, when we "see through" someone it insinuates deceit or trickery. Affixing cylinder foam tubes together and reinforcing them with several layers of burlap and plaster constructed “I See Through Them”. Over fifteen thousand fabric strips were hand cut and then hammered onto this plaster armature.
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Virgin Mary
Janet Macpherson, 2012.
Porcelain, gold lustre.
22” x 10.5” x 10."
Image: Courtesy of the artist.
Janet Macpherson earned her Bachelor degree in philosophy from York University in 1996 and attended Sheridan College from 1999 to 2002. She holds an MFA from Ohio State University, where she was awarded a Graduate Teaching Assistantship and taught in the ceramics area for three years. Janet employs mold-making and slip-casting techniques to make small porcelain figures of animals and hybrid beings influenced by medieval marginalia and Christian iconography. She has exhibited her work in Canada, and extensively in the U.S. She has been the recipient of the David E. Davis Award for Artistic Excellence at the Sculpture Centre in Cleveland, Ohio, The Best in Category for Ceramics at The 51st Annual Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, and was nominated for the RBC Emerging Artist People’s Choice Award, which was held at The George R. Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art in Toronto in September 2012. Janet is currently an artist-in-residence in the Craft Studio at Harbourfront Centre, and most recently completed a visiting artist/faculty residency in the ceramics department at Sheridan College.
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Pink Resin Wedge
Lee Kline, 2011.
Polyester Resin
10” x 20” x 48.”
Image: Courtesy of the artist.
Lee Kline has been exploring the consequences of materiality within the contexts of art and architecture for the past 25 years. As an artist and materials engineer, his artistic vocabulary has distilled into the realm of physics, and how we not only respond to, but also understand that we are living within that world - a world transcendent of words, where one experiences light, form and physicality in a way that places them directly within the work. Lee’s work evokes a sense of memory to what the world is made of, yet how man plays creator through innovation and science, calling our modern world out with both judgment and seduction. Lee’s mandate is to create the illusion of simplicity and delicacy by mastering the limits of a material, and then deliberately re-contextualizing it in a way that can betray itself. Kline has moved through the mastery of materials over the years, from wood, glass, Italian mosaic, and cast metals, through to plastics, resins and organics.
After seeing the results of the competiton, I am really excited about the juries final selections. So without any further ramblings, here are the results of the competition!
I See Through Them
Jaime Angelopoulos, 2011.
55" x 35" x 27"
cotton and polyester fabric, plaster, foam.
Courtesy Parisian Laundry and the artist.
The Hazleton Plinth - Sculpture
Competition, 2013
We are pleased to announce that Toronto’s Jaime Angelopoulos is the winner of the Hazelton Plinth Sculpture Contest. The judges felt that her strong and original practice, dedication to sculpture and singular voice combined to created an evocative and exciting work, worthy of the distinction.
Angelopoulos will receive an honorarium of $4000, use of The Hazelton Hotel’s private screening room for an artist’s talk, plus one night’s accommodation. Her work “I See Through Them” (2011), will go on display on the plinth in the hotel’s lobby in January 2013.
The hotel also decided to award two honorable mentions. The first honorable mention was given to Janet Macpherson for her work "Virgin Mary," for the intricate ceramic work and fine detail. The second honorable mention was awarded to Lee Kline's "Pink Resin Wedge," for the degree of finesse involved in resin casting and the dynamic use of colour.
In September 2012, The Hazelton Hotel placed a call for artists from The Greater Toronto Area (GTA), to submit a sculptural work for a designated pedestal in the dynamic and popular lobby space. The hotel received an overwhelming response with over 150 sculptural entries from artists across the GTA. The pieces were submitted by emerging, mid-career and established artists working in a full range of materials and styles – from figurative bronzes and stone carvings, to more conceptual and abstract works.
The submissions were judged by guest jurors: Bruno Billio (Hazelton Hotel artist, sculptor and designer at brunobillio.com), Kelly McCray (Curator, artist and co-founder of ArtBarrage and BANK On ART) and Troy Seidman (Art and design consultant and founder of Caviar20).
Jaime Angelopoulos received her MFA from York University (2010), and BFA from NSCAD University (2005). She completed Post Baccalaureate studies at Meadows School of the Arts in Dallas, TX (2006-07) and an artist residency at the Banff Centre for the Arts (2006). Jaime has exhibited her sculptures and drawings internationally and has presented solo exhibitions across Canada, notably at Parisian Laundry (Montreal, QC) and YYZ Artist Outlet (Toronto, ON). She was recently included in “trans/FORM: Matter As Subject> New Perspectives,” at the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art (MOCCA). She is currently preparing for a solo project at VOLTA Art Fair in New York City with her representative gallery Parisian Laundry. Jaime’s work has been acquired by numerous private collections and can be found in the collections of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ALDO Group, York University and the Bank of Montreal. The Canada Council for the Arts, The Toronto Arts Council and the Ontario Arts Council, have supported Jaime for numerous projects. She lives and works in Toronto and is represented by Parisian Laundry in Montreal.
Jaime Angelopoulos’ most recent body of sculpture explores figuration through abstract form. The abstract nature of her work speaks to the precarious and ambiguous nature of the human emotion and behavior. The sculpture "I See Through Them" is pink in color, shaggy in texture, and ambiguous in form. This sculpture is reminiscent of a child's fantasy creature with a humorous and playful quality. However, its form and stance is suggestive of a twisting body, revealing hollow sections where one can literally "see through" the sculpture. The title of the piece poses an accusatory tone; figuratively speaking, when we "see through" someone it insinuates deceit or trickery. Affixing cylinder foam tubes together and reinforcing them with several layers of burlap and plaster constructed “I See Through Them”. Over fifteen thousand fabric strips were hand cut and then hammered onto this plaster armature.
Janet Macpherson, 2012.
Porcelain, gold lustre.
22” x 10.5” x 10."
Image: Courtesy of the artist.
Janet Macpherson earned her Bachelor degree in philosophy from York University in 1996 and attended Sheridan College from 1999 to 2002. She holds an MFA from Ohio State University, where she was awarded a Graduate Teaching Assistantship and taught in the ceramics area for three years. Janet employs mold-making and slip-casting techniques to make small porcelain figures of animals and hybrid beings influenced by medieval marginalia and Christian iconography. She has exhibited her work in Canada, and extensively in the U.S. She has been the recipient of the David E. Davis Award for Artistic Excellence at the Sculpture Centre in Cleveland, Ohio, The Best in Category for Ceramics at The 51st Annual Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition, and was nominated for the RBC Emerging Artist People’s Choice Award, which was held at The George R. Gardiner Museum of Ceramic Art in Toronto in September 2012. Janet is currently an artist-in-residence in the Craft Studio at Harbourfront Centre, and most recently completed a visiting artist/faculty residency in the ceramics department at Sheridan College.
Pink Resin Wedge
Lee Kline, 2011.
Polyester Resin
10” x 20” x 48.”
Image: Courtesy of the artist.
Lee Kline has been exploring the consequences of materiality within the contexts of art and architecture for the past 25 years. As an artist and materials engineer, his artistic vocabulary has distilled into the realm of physics, and how we not only respond to, but also understand that we are living within that world - a world transcendent of words, where one experiences light, form and physicality in a way that places them directly within the work. Lee’s work evokes a sense of memory to what the world is made of, yet how man plays creator through innovation and science, calling our modern world out with both judgment and seduction. Lee’s mandate is to create the illusion of simplicity and delicacy by mastering the limits of a material, and then deliberately re-contextualizing it in a way that can betray itself. Kline has moved through the mastery of materials over the years, from wood, glass, Italian mosaic, and cast metals, through to plastics, resins and organics.
Please direct any inquiries regarding this competition to Samantha Mogelonsky at artconcierge@thehazeltonhotel.com. For media inquires, please email Lindsay Tessis at media@thehazeltonhotel.com.
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Artist: Richard Tuttle
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Happy New Year!
Although it's already five days passed, I would like to ring in the new year by sharing a selection of handmade calendars by local textile artists and print makers! I'm not quite sure if I've been unobservant in past years, or if this is a new thing, but I've noticed increasingly more artists making their own calendars for the new year! Here are some of my favorite picks:
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Another lovely tea towel calender, from bookhou
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2013 Risograph calendar by JP King of Paper Pusher
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And finally, a letterpress calendar featuring prints by Jessica Bartram, Erin Candela and Pam Lobb of Graven Feather
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Opening: Janna Watson @ Bau-Xi Gallery
Levitation
Paintings by Janna Watson @ Bau-Xi Gallery
January 12 - 26th, 2013
Opening reception: Saturday, Jan. 12th, 2-4pm
I've long since been in love with the paintings of local artist Janna Watson. One part painter, one part collaborator, she is also part of the multidisciplinary art/design collective Tinsel and Sawdust.
Last year she put together a really incredible installation alongside furniture maker and fellow Sheridan grad, Katrina Tompkins for the Gladstone Hotel's Annual design event Come Up To My Room. You can find out more about that collaboration here. Here is a statement about her exhibition opening at Bau-Xi Gallery, and a look at her works and thought process below.
Janna Watson is a young artist who has enjoyed early success in her painting career, shortly after graduating from the Ontario College of Art and Design. Watson's expressive abstract paintings possess a beautiful sense of freedom and emotional energy. In this highly anticipated exhibition of new paintings, Watson aims to explore the notions of artwork as an extension of self.
Line has an invisible and tangible ability to transmit energy and information. Line is what weaves forms and thought together and guides the eye through volume, space and time; it makes my thought process visible. Thoughts are triggered by outside influences, physically processed, and then sent outward once again. Thoughts cannot be possessed. They are simple, sometimes intruding, fleeting and completely intimate. They are the structures that manifest into real life with uncomprehendable potential. These are the qualities imbued in line. Line is used as a metaphor in my work, for the lifespan of a thought caught on canvas. It also symbolizes my opposing yet symbiotic lifestyles visible in the tension between organic and geometric forms. When I am painting, I strive to communicate the ideas I am digesting which give form to the image.
Using a hybridizing and synthetic set of tactics, my work is intended to
(con)fuse categories of painterly and graphic, landscape and body, 2D and 3D, to blend tension and coherence as one. - Janna Watson
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Paintings by Janna Watson @ Bau-Xi Gallery
January 12 - 26th, 2013
Opening reception: Saturday, Jan. 12th, 2-4pm
I've long since been in love with the paintings of local artist Janna Watson. One part painter, one part collaborator, she is also part of the multidisciplinary art/design collective Tinsel and Sawdust.
Last year she put together a really incredible installation alongside furniture maker and fellow Sheridan grad, Katrina Tompkins for the Gladstone Hotel's Annual design event Come Up To My Room. You can find out more about that collaboration here. Here is a statement about her exhibition opening at Bau-Xi Gallery, and a look at her works and thought process below.
Janna Watson is a young artist who has enjoyed early success in her painting career, shortly after graduating from the Ontario College of Art and Design. Watson's expressive abstract paintings possess a beautiful sense of freedom and emotional energy. In this highly anticipated exhibition of new paintings, Watson aims to explore the notions of artwork as an extension of self.
Line has an invisible and tangible ability to transmit energy and information. Line is what weaves forms and thought together and guides the eye through volume, space and time; it makes my thought process visible. Thoughts are triggered by outside influences, physically processed, and then sent outward once again. Thoughts cannot be possessed. They are simple, sometimes intruding, fleeting and completely intimate. They are the structures that manifest into real life with uncomprehendable potential. These are the qualities imbued in line. Line is used as a metaphor in my work, for the lifespan of a thought caught on canvas. It also symbolizes my opposing yet symbiotic lifestyles visible in the tension between organic and geometric forms. When I am painting, I strive to communicate the ideas I am digesting which give form to the image.
Using a hybridizing and synthetic set of tactics, my work is intended to
(con)fuse categories of painterly and graphic, landscape and body, 2D and 3D, to blend tension and coherence as one. - Janna Watson
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Getting Excited about Toronto Design Offsite!
Toronto Design Offsite Festival is almost here! Over the course of the next few weeks I will be posting about each of the shows, artists and designers involved, leading up to the festival.
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This year's festival poster is designed by JP King and Printed in Toronto by Paper Pusher. Look for it out and around the city!
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Opening: Stefan Sagmeister - The Happy Show
Yesterday I heard a really compelling interview on the CBC's Studio Q, with designer Stefan Sagmeister about his latest show which has just opened at the Design Exchange. I definitely plan on checking it out in the next couple of weeks, and thought I would share it with you as well. Here is a link to the CBC interview with Stefan Sagmeister on his Rules for Happiness, as well as a link to his TED Talk, tumblr and some more info on the project below.
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Stefan Sagmeister: The Happy Show
Opening at the Design Exchange
January 9th - March 3rd 2013
Internationally renowned Graphic Designer Stefan Sagmeister is as celebrated for his commercial work for brands like LEVI's or his album covers for The Rolling Stones and Talking Heads as he is for his provocative public art installations.
The Happy Show offers visitors the experience of walking into the designer's mind as he attempts to increase his happiness via meditation, cognitive therapy, and mood-altering pharmaceuticals. "I am usually rather bored with definitions," Sagmeister says. "Happiness, however, is just such a big subject that it might be worth a try to pin it down." Centered around the designers's ten-year exploration of happiness, this exhibition presents typographic investigations of a series of maxims, or rules to live by, originally culled from Sagmeister's diary, manifested in a variety of imaginative and interactive forms.
Stefan Sagmeister The Happy Show is organized by the Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania, and curated by ICA's former Daniel W. Deitrich, II Director Claudia Gould.
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Stefan Sagmeister: The Happy Show
Opening at the Design Exchange
January 9th - March 3rd 2013
Internationally renowned Graphic Designer Stefan Sagmeister is as celebrated for his commercial work for brands like LEVI's or his album covers for The Rolling Stones and Talking Heads as he is for his provocative public art installations.
The Happy Show offers visitors the experience of walking into the designer's mind as he attempts to increase his happiness via meditation, cognitive therapy, and mood-altering pharmaceuticals. "I am usually rather bored with definitions," Sagmeister says. "Happiness, however, is just such a big subject that it might be worth a try to pin it down." Centered around the designers's ten-year exploration of happiness, this exhibition presents typographic investigations of a series of maxims, or rules to live by, originally culled from Sagmeister's diary, manifested in a variety of imaginative and interactive forms.
Stefan Sagmeister The Happy Show is organized by the Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania, and curated by ICA's former Daniel W. Deitrich, II Director Claudia Gould.
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TO DO 2013: Junction Kick-off Weekend
Hello everybody! I am excited to announce the all new Junction Kick-off Weekend coming up this January 19th & 20th!
As a lead up to the Toronto Design Offsite Festival, the Junction will be hosting a series of exhibitions and design related events.
Over the course of the past few years, the Junction has been carving out a name for itself as an integral arts & design destination in our city, with the introduction of events like the Junction Design Crawl and the Junction Flea as well as the introduction of spaces that include the Telephone Booth Gallery, ARTiculations and Narwhal Art Projects.
Anchored by the intersections of Dundas west and Keele st, Junction Design Kick-off weekend opens with a series of exhibitions and events at ARTiculations, East of Keele, Forever Interiors, Latitude 44 Gallery, Mjolk, Opticianado, Post + Beam Reclamation,Smash, Telephone Booth Gallery and The Hair Lounge.
This year, Toronto Design Offsite Festival has doubled in size and will play host to over 40 different exhibits and events spanning locations across the city, showcasing both Canadian and International design.
Now in its third year, TO DO is an independent and not-for-profit festival that has had immense growth since its beginnings. The festival aims to provide exposure for designers, artists and craftspeople, while raising understanding and awareness for the practices of design, and design related fields.
Attendees can expect to view work from the creative studios of some of Canada's best up-and-coming designers.
Please make sure to join us in the Junction January 19th & 20th to help Kick-Off TO DO, 2013! For more information about Toronto Design Offsite and Junction Kick-off Weekend, please visit the TO DO website.
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Opening: Workplace Affairs
Hello everybody, I am excited to announce, I will be participating in two separate exhibitions coming up as a part of the Toronto Design Offsite Festival 2013. The first exhibition entitled Workplace Affairs will be opening this Saturday Jan. 19th at a new space called East of Keele.
Don't be confused by the name, because it IS East of Keele.
The exhibition has been put together by the lovely Christine Leu and Alan Webb of LeuWebb Projects. Here is a quick sneak peek of my work in the show, please join me for the opening an help celebrate Junction Kick-off Week before the madness of the Toronto International Design Festival descends upon us! Hope to See you There!!!
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LeuWebb Projects: Workplace Affairs
Opening @ East of Keele
2830 Dundas St. West
Exhibition runs Jan. 19th - 27th, 2013
Opening reception: Saturday, Jan. 19th 2-5pm
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Don't be confused by the name, because it IS East of Keele.
The exhibition has been put together by the lovely Christine Leu and Alan Webb of LeuWebb Projects. Here is a quick sneak peek of my work in the show, please join me for the opening an help celebrate Junction Kick-off Week before the madness of the Toronto International Design Festival descends upon us! Hope to See you There!!!
LeuWebb Projects: Workplace Affairs
Opening @ East of Keele
2830 Dundas St. West
Exhibition runs Jan. 19th - 27th, 2013
Opening reception: Saturday, Jan. 19th 2-5pm
Some make do with a laptop and a kitchen table, taking care not to spill tea on their keyboards. Others prop open garage doors to vent hazardous chemicals while applying a coat of shellac. And there are those fortunate enough to have a studio of their own in which to create, even if it is unheated. The creative process will not be denied due to a lack of proper space but it may be shaped by those physical constraints. Likewise an artist may remake their workspace in their own image. The artists participating in ‘Workplace Affairs’ demonstrate their own particular relationships to space and work, with a range of practices that cross disciplines and a variety of spaces where work gets done.
‘Workplace Affairs’ is an exploration of the relationship of space to the creative process, examining the artefacts of production and documenting the workspaces that enabled their creation. Curated by LeuWebb Projects, the exhibition documents the workplaces of artists and offers up artefacts from these spaces for interpretation.
Featuring the work and workplaces of Melissa Fisher, Patrick Svilans, Joy Charbonneau, Lizz Aston,Patrick Yeung, Clayton McMaster and Jyhling Lee.
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ArchiTEXT: Grapes & Chips
This sounds like a fun project/workshop/collaboration I just read about on the Toronto Design Offsite blog which will also be hosted at East of Keele one evening during our exhibition Workplace Affairs.
If you like interactive projects, this sounds like the event for you!
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archiTEXT: Grapes & Chips @ East of Keele
2830 Dundas St. W.
Monday Jan. 21st, 2013. from: 6-8pm.
Admission fee: "Grapes" and "chips"
Put down your pens, take your eyeballs off your screens, banish those Monday blues and join the archiTEXT team in the two things we do best: EAT and PLAY. Monday, January 21st between 6-8pm we launch the Design Week edition of Grapes & Chips at 'East of Keele'. Simply bring in your favorite definition of a 'grape' and a 'chip' from there, engage with us in a creative challenge that will be sure tot get your design week kicked off to a crazy start!
We will be asking the question: What Would You Do If You Lived In A Shoe? How will you answer it? Show off your creative skills and vote for your favorite creative answer. At the end of the evening, the top 3 Viewer's Choices will receive a prize (shh, it's a secret!)
Take a look at some of archiTEXT's previous collaborative projects below and be sure to look for more projects across the city!
To participate, please RSVP: sherry@architextinc.com
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If you like interactive projects, this sounds like the event for you!
archiTEXT: Grapes & Chips @ East of Keele
2830 Dundas St. W.
Monday Jan. 21st, 2013. from: 6-8pm.
Admission fee: "Grapes" and "chips"
Put down your pens, take your eyeballs off your screens, banish those Monday blues and join the archiTEXT team in the two things we do best: EAT and PLAY. Monday, January 21st between 6-8pm we launch the Design Week edition of Grapes & Chips at 'East of Keele'. Simply bring in your favorite definition of a 'grape' and a 'chip' from there, engage with us in a creative challenge that will be sure tot get your design week kicked off to a crazy start!
We will be asking the question: What Would You Do If You Lived In A Shoe? How will you answer it? Show off your creative skills and vote for your favorite creative answer. At the end of the evening, the top 3 Viewer's Choices will receive a prize (shh, it's a secret!)
Take a look at some of archiTEXT's previous collaborative projects below and be sure to look for more projects across the city!
To participate, please RSVP: sherry@architextinc.com
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Opening: Telephone Booth Gallery, By the Dozen
In a nod to local Junction artists, neighbours as well as the customers of Baker's Dozen Donuts across the street, Telephone Booth Gallery will be hosting part-two to last years exhibition 'Local Call'.
Aptly titled 'By the Dozen', the exhibition includes the works of eight local Junction artists. As one of the first shows to open Junction Kick-Off Week, please come by and help get the festivities started!
On a ironic side-note, it appears as though Baker's Dozen may have just closed its doors for good, slated to become a new Tim Hortons?
wanh wanh...
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By the Dozen - part II of Local Call
@ Telephone Booth Gallery
3148 Dundas St. West
Exhibition: Jan. 16th - Feb. 17th, 2013
Opening reception: Tonight! Friday, Jan 18th 6-9pm
By the Dozen is Part II of our 'Local Call' exhibition last year.
This diverse exhibition features established artists that live or work in The Junction or Junction Triangle neighbourhoods of Toronto. the idea for this neighbourly exhibition stemmed from a conversation with two local artists that happened to pop into the gallery one Saturday afternoon, David McClyment and Tim Whiten. The exhibition provides the opportunity to bring together the local arts community and exhibit some of the amazing talent in the area. By the Dozen also provides the opportunity to highlight the neighbourhood's 'small-town' community feel within the city, including a nod to the regulars at the Baker's Dozen coffee shop located directly across from the gallery.
Including works by:
Michael Antkowiak, Clint Griffin, Daniel Hutchinson, Linda Martinello, Anders Oinonen, Luke Painter, Orest Tataryn and Badanna Zack.
Be sure to check out telephoneboothgallery.ca for updates.
When you drop by, I take a suggestion of milk, no sugar. thx
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Aptly titled 'By the Dozen', the exhibition includes the works of eight local Junction artists. As one of the first shows to open Junction Kick-Off Week, please come by and help get the festivities started!
On a ironic side-note, it appears as though Baker's Dozen may have just closed its doors for good, slated to become a new Tim Hortons?
wanh wanh...
By the Dozen - part II of Local Call
@ Telephone Booth Gallery
3148 Dundas St. West
Exhibition: Jan. 16th - Feb. 17th, 2013
Opening reception: Tonight! Friday, Jan 18th 6-9pm
By the Dozen is Part II of our 'Local Call' exhibition last year.
This diverse exhibition features established artists that live or work in The Junction or Junction Triangle neighbourhoods of Toronto. the idea for this neighbourly exhibition stemmed from a conversation with two local artists that happened to pop into the gallery one Saturday afternoon, David McClyment and Tim Whiten. The exhibition provides the opportunity to bring together the local arts community and exhibit some of the amazing talent in the area. By the Dozen also provides the opportunity to highlight the neighbourhood's 'small-town' community feel within the city, including a nod to the regulars at the Baker's Dozen coffee shop located directly across from the gallery.
Including works by:
Michael Antkowiak, Clint Griffin, Daniel Hutchinson, Linda Martinello, Anders Oinonen, Luke Painter, Orest Tataryn and Badanna Zack.
Be sure to check out telephoneboothgallery.ca for updates.
When you drop by, I take a suggestion of milk, no sugar. thx
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