Olha Tkachenko is Ukrainian born artist. She grew up in a family of artists and got her art education in Ukraine, a country of rich culture and esthetic traditions.
Olga works with different mediums including watercolor, oil-paint, colored pencils, soft and oil pastel etc. She create beautiful illustrations for kid’s books and teach kids Art. But one of her favourite techniques is batik. The technique of hot batik is originally from Africa and Indonesia. But working with this spatial painting on cotton, using wax and dyes, Olga found the batik making process is very similar to painting of traditional Ukrainian Easter eggs, Pysanka. She reflects some of national ideas and sounds in her works.
Now Olga and her family lives in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
My work gives recognition to negative space, line, texture and colour. The negative spaces hold individual stories or significant ideas, paintings unto themselves. The challenge is to ensure that these individual spaces exist as a whole. It is a process of giving recognition to these spaces, searching for balance in chaos, seeking relationships between the lines, textures and overlapping colour planes.
Although the work is abstract in nature, the familiar themes engage the viewer and invite them to linger, enticing them to move closer in search of stories within the layers of paint. The work creates a relationship between representation and abstraction, which plays with the viewer’s expectations and allows them to experience both genres.
100% of the proceeds from the sale of “Sunrise” will go to the Elizabeth Fry Society in support of women and girls facing the justice system and Adelle House, which provides second stage housing for women and children from abusive relationships.
Title: “Sunrise” 2015, 122 x 122 cm (48 x 48 inches), oil on canvas
Value: $2,200.00 – Reserve bid: $300.00
Artist Bio
Hagblom was born and raised in Saskatoon. She studied fine arts at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) and the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University. She graduated with a BFA in 2007, and began a career as a professional painter. In 2014 she returned to the U of S and completed an MA in Geography and Planning. This “holistic discipline” dovetails with her design and fine arts background and has helped her to understand more about what she has been taught to see.
Her paintings interpret nature while considering other worldly and human responses. Because of her background as a graphic designer, she notices line, shape, and colour; the meaning of symbols, and the elements they communicate. The vast lateral landscape with the intermittent infusion of colour is a large part of her inspiration. She interprets, abstracts and sublimates to unveil and explore the familiar. Hagblom employs a variety of painterly techniques that are underpinned with translucent or opaque layers of paint that reveal hints of what lies beneath.
Making art has always been my way to connect. Time evaporates when I am absorbed in the stroke of a brush. I am exposed, challenged, fluctuating from self-examining depth to random acts of play, often resulting in enlightenment!
My recent work touches close to my heart, memories of the freedom I had as a child at my grandparent’s farm and the deep respect I have for them and their history. Pioneers bravely accepted the harshness of prairie life. They became sky watchers. The character of those that rely on nature for their livelihood amazes me.
I too became a sky watcher after moving from the city fifteen years ago. Initially it was out of fear, having experienced a “plow” wind in the first week. Now I am passionate about what will unfold before me each day.
The rise and set of the sun spilling color that makes my mouth water. From the raging, swirling fearful churning that encourages predictions “it might hit us” just to watch it skirt around and miss … or not. The infinite, clear blue, wide open space of a cloudless sky instilling a peaceful humbleness, while white puffy clouds, playfully splitting, expanding, forming shapes to ponder.
A message for me to take notice and stand solid through the fleeting violence, the tender wisps of hope and often surprising splashes of joy. I openly receive this gift of the vast prairie sky.
Joleen grew up with an interest in art starting at a very young age and followed that interest to the Alberta College of Art and Design in Calgary. She received her BFA Degree with a major in Visual Communications and went into the advertising and design industry working as an Art Director for a leading advertising agency in Saskatoon.
Fine art however has always been a first love. After leaving the advertising industry to start a family she has been able to pursue her passion for painting and drawing…working with acrylics is her preferred medium for its flexibility and unique characteristics that are unlike any other medium. Joleen explores abstract and derivative landscapes as the possibilities are endless, especially with the Saskatchewan prairies as an inspiration.
JOSHUA BRAND – LE MONDE FRANCOPHONE
étudiant en philosophie et de la langue française / student in philosophy and french
Le monde francophone est ma première exposition photographique achevée. L’exposition est appropriée car la langue française et la culture francophone sont parmi mes fascinations. Bien que le français soit parlé de par le monde, contrairement à l’anglais, il est improbable de pouvoir aller partout au monde et de pouvoir y entendre les phrases les plus simples en français. Par contre, le français peut être découvert au sein de petites «poches» dans toutes les régions du monde. Cette collection de mes voyages se présente dans trois «poches» francophones: le Québec, le Maroc, et bien sûr, la France. J’essaie d’illustrer les différences entre ces pays tout en les liant par leur langue commune. La plupart des photos incluent des gens qui sont à mi-mouvement. Cela donne le sentiment d’être présent dans les photos, elles n’ont ainsi pas l’air d’être fixes ou situées dans le passé. Chaque photo est développée exclusivement en série de cinq tirages.
J’espère que vous les apprécierez.
Le monde francophone is my first complete photographic collection. It seems appropriate as the french language and culture has become one of my greatest fascinations. While french is one of the most spoken languages around the world, one cannot expect to hear it in the majority of countries. However, it can be found in little “pockets” across every region. This collection of my travels occurs in three of those “pockets”: Québec, Morocco, and of course, France. I attempt to demonstrate the differences of these countries while linking them with their common spoken language. It as well, for the most part of the collection, includes persons mid-action of their motions which gives the sense of viewing and being in that exact moment rather than solely viewing a static image. Each photo is exclusively developed in a series of five.
After completing a Fine Arts degree in her homeland of Turkey, Muveddet has taken inspiration from the art, history and surroundings of her native country to create her unique artistic vision. Using mixed mediums, calligraphy symbols and rich colour and texture, she has attempted to capture the feelings of the rich and varied artistic tradition of Anatolia in an updated and contemporary interpretation.
This is an absolute must see before the show moves on to Vancouver and Toronto.
My art work has been a visual representation of what I consider to be a key factor in the human experience, emotion. The images are brought to life through the use of a vibrant color palate and appear to move beyond the boundaries of the canvas. My paintings capture the attention of the viewer and provide each one with a unique visual experience.
My work has evolved over the years; however, my signature has remained the same, vibrant colors. The use of an aggressive color palate has allowed me to generate an energy that is highly infectious and evocative. While the marriage of color and movement is most amicable, there is a push and pull of emotion that is ruminating below the surface and the contradiction of energy and calmness is ever present. It is this push and pull that drives the creative process as I strive to increase the depth of the visual experience for those who want to take part in it.
I enjoy experimenting with a variety of mediums (molding paste, Venetian plaster, beads, crystals, fabric) and often use them in a somewhat unconventional manner. I am continuously seeking ways in which to be innovative with my craft and peek the curiosity of the viewers.
My art has been positively influenced by both my career as a psychologist and as an artist. I have had the opportunity to study the human psyche and form and my attention has increasingly been drawn to figures and now to the human face. Actions truly can speak louder than words and our ability to read these actions in part defines our existence.
My work can be viewed at www.janetwilliamsart.ca, and I can be contacted at info@janetwilliamart.ca.
It is such a pleasure for me to be able to display my work in the warm and lively atmosphere of Calories. Many of the paintings are brand new and reflect my continuing interest in local landscapes featuring cattle and farmland. Woodlands that could be Saskatchewan inspired are also reminiscent of places I have been in my birth province of Ontario. In recent months I find myself just as likely to paint from an instinctive memory as from an existing setting. This is interesting to me and allows whimsy and elements of curiosity to infuse the work.
