Expressionist Aesthetics: Art by Trevor Pye
Still Life With Small Mountain, acrylic and graphite on Arches paper
Trevor Pye is an artist who works in mixed media, building images that draw on cubist and expressionist aesthetics while maintaining a contemporary atmosphere. The artist is currently based in New Zealand, where he works with acrylic, graphite, and other traditional art materials.
Still Life With Modernist Leanings 1, acrylic and graphite on paper
I really enjoy…
Structures, Systems, and Processes: Art by Patricia E. Rangel
Little Red Flags, cement, dirt, fence posts
Patricia E. Rangel is a California based artist who works primarily in sculpture and installation. In her practice, Patricia seeks to understand the structures, systems, and processes that underpin agriculture.
When it's all gone, all we'll have left are prayers, ash, cement mixed with dirt from Alta District Hospital site ruins, and leather milagros
There’s a common theme of man-made…
Painting, Textiles, Jewelry, and More from Blackberry Gift Shop
argentium sterling-foldform-leaf earrings (by Linda Chow)
Blackberry Gift Shop is a shop and artist’s co-op based in Port Moody, British Columbia. The co-op includes artists working in a variety of disciplines, including painting, textiles, jewelry, and ceramics.
Shawl, handwoven with Tencel and marino wool (by Beryl Hickinbottom)
While the work of the individual artists is quite different, there’s an overarching atmosphere and…
A Geometric Edge: The Art of Robert Porazinski
Artist Robert Porazinski produces abstract paintings and artworks, often with a geometric edge, but sometimes veering into more experimental, materially-concerned structures. The artist has a background in commercial art and design, disciplines which inform many of his personal artworks.
Terrain #5, acrylic and spray paint on wood
It’s interesting to see just how much variation Robert is able to coax out…
Urban Spaces: The Art of Lori Sokoluk
Many Arrive Destination Unknown, mixed media and collage on wood panel
Lori Sokoluk is a Vancouver-based artist who uses a range of mixed media to build artworks examining the atmosphere and physical elements of urban spaces. Lori’s works are dense with detail and often quite abstracted, though the artist’s strategic use of recognizable figures draws the viewer in for a closer look.
A Portfolio of Expressive Illustration by Ashley Nitkin
Cat, coloured pencil and watercolour pencil
Ashley Nitkin is a Toronto-based illustrator, artist, and designer. In his artistic portfolio, Ashley shows off his skill with expressive illustration, and his eye for stylized detail.
I’m enjoying browsing through Ashley’s catalogue of illustrations. The works, produced in combinations of watercolour, airbrush, ink, gouache, and other traditional media,…
Plein Air Paradise: The Art of Susette Billedeaux Gertsch
Master's Garden -- White and Yellow Daisies, oil
Susette Billedeaux Gertsch creates masterful plein air paintings under her studio name, Plein Air Paradise. The artist uses a skilled, gestural approach to paint a range of subject matter, with landscapes and architectural features from many different climates and settings.
Eglise de Caux -- Church of de Caux, oil
I really enjoy the overall atmosphere that Susette builds up in her…
The Art Portfolio of Svetlana Barker
Svetlana Barker lives in Colorado, where she produces works of painting. The artist’s background in fashion shines through in her well-composed and colour-coordinated pieces that often evoke a specific mood or atmosphere through carefully-chosen hues.
I really enjoy Svetlana’s floral paintings -- the way that she differentiates between different blooms, and utilizes a deeply…
The Art Portfolio of Deborah Gorman
Nature Nurture Series 7, acrylic on stretched canvas
Deborah Gorman is a painter who produces heavily textured, deeply coloured artworks. The artist’s subjects are often abstract, though she occasionally works with figures as well, approaching familiar subjects with a style all her own.
I really like the weight of Deborah’s paintings -- though many of the works are acrylic, there’s a thickness and presence to…
Abstract Sensibilities: The Art Portfolio of Alan Disparte
Roan, acrylic and spray paint on canvas
Alan Disparte combines abstract sensibilities in his artwork, merging flowing, dynamic paint splashes with calculated geometric forms. The resulting paintings are enticingly dynamic, imbued with a sense of life and movement.
Sapphire Brew, acrylic and spray paint on wood panel
I’m really drawn to the works in Alan’s Nature Culture series – we looked at some of these paintings in our previous…
An Observant Eye: The Art of Jasmine J. Calix
Jasmine J. Calix is a painter and photographer who produces works on a wide variety of subjects. Jasmine has been painting since childhood, developing a style that shows off an observant eye and a sense of exploration in her chosen media.
Forest in the Sky, acrylic on canvas
The artist’s paintings tend toward loose and gestural mark-making, with an impressive colour palette. I enjoy the way that Jasmine…
Artefacts of Los Angeles: The Art Portfolio of Michel Bourquard
the top of the world after sunset
Michel Bourquard is a Los Angeles-based artist and photographer. In his practice, Michel produces works that distort reality in wild and interesting ways. The artist’s range of photographic subjects includes portraits, landscapes, and specific artefacts of Los Angeles.
I like the way that Michel brings digital manipulation techniques into his practice -- he has a knack for…
Spirituality and Awe: The Art of David G. Taylor
David G. Taylor was an artist and art writer who spent most of his career working in Montreal and Toronto. In his painting practice, David produced dense, textural images evoking an esoteric sense of spirituality and awe.
I really enjoy the colour palettes that David used throughout his decades-long artistic career. These deep, decisive collections of hue, combined with the artist’s unique…
Environmental Change: The Art of Jude Hotchkiss
Wrong Way, acrylic and spray on canvas
Jude Hotchkiss works primarily in paint, building abstract works that focus on the texture and materiality of the medium, and on evoking emotional reactions in the viewer. Jude’s recent works address the current climate of rapid socio-political and environmental change.
The Edge, acrylic and spray on canvas
I love the way Jude’s fluid brush marks look like waves crashing against some alien…
Painting with Thread: The Art Portfolio of Anya Doll
Anya Doll is a textile artist whose studio practice involves “painting with thread”. The artist’s works often have a quilt-like aesthetic about them, with individual compositions frequently taking the form of small, square fabric panels.
I really enjoy the approach that Anya takes to her artwork -- she seems to expertly toe the line between textile art and traditional painting, merging an equal amount of…