Art at Christ Church Deer Park - There's Life Here!

Lenten Art Show: Contemplation/Meditation
February 28 & March 7, 2010 • 10am-1:15pm

The Season of Lent in the Christian calendar is one of contemplation, meditation and prayer as we think of our relationship to God and one another, and as we reflect on our individual actions and behaviours. It can also be a time of rest and regeneration which result in new perspectives and a sense of renewal. At Christ Church Deer Park, we believe that art can be a vehicle to spiritually connect and engage the community around us in the dynamic and on-going flow of life. Hence the theme: "Contemplation/Meditation". See/download show flier here »

Sponsored by Northern Artists Pro Lab - 44 St. Clair Ave east website »

The following artists will be displaying their work:

Brenda Bisiker - Encaustic paintings

30 years ago I started creating wall hangings and wearable art. I worked with fabrics and machine embroidery loving the texture and colours. This soon led me to drawing and painting. Since then I have been drawn to experiment with many mediums, always fascinated with how different mediums portray different feelings in my work. At present I am using encaustic (melted wax) and oil paints. Throughout, my interest has been colour and shape. People, animals, still life, flowers and landscape have been my subject matter – the image less important than trying to simplify my message. Painting remains my passion and I feel blessed to be able to enjoy this gift of creativity in my life. Continuing to explore, experiment and learn is a motivating force. - Brenda Bisiker www.brendabisiker.com

Walter Blackwell - Fine Art Photography

Walter has been taking photos for about 60 years, but his interest in photography has increased since retiring from a career as a structural engineer in Toronto. Now he concentrates on taking landscape images while travelling in both Canada and around the world. He has taken courses in digital imaging at Ryerson University to increase his technical knowledge. His goal is to document the beauty that is often overlooked in everyday life. www.blackwell.ca

Carol Knowlton-Dority - Oil on Canvas

Carol has enjoyed a variety of opportunities to bring children and visual arts together; as a classroom teacher in both public and private school settings, and as an art educator for the Toronto District School Board, The Bishop Strachan School, Branksome Hall and organizations such as City of Toronto Public Health, City of Toronto Special Events, DiscoverAbility and the RedEye Studio Gallery in the Distillery District. She believes that teaching is enhanced by her practice as a visual artist and her involvement in the arts community. Regarding her own art making, she calls herself an imaginative realist. Carol aspires to be open to new and sometimes surprising thoughts which develop as she considers her part in the human experience. Painting is a way of reviewing and reflecting upon these ideas. www.carolknowlton-dority.com

Vivien Jenkinson - Watercolors

Although I took art as a subject for London (UK) matriculation in 1936, I didn't do any painting until after I retired in 1984, when I took classes at the Civic Garden Centre (as it was then), at ROM, and with Dorothy Bovey( botanical artist for Medici). Trees, flowers and shrubs are my favourite subjects. - Vivien Jenkinson

Ramesh Kamath - Fine Art Photography

Am a self-taught photographer/artist, who continues to learn through the process of self-discovery and feedback. My passion for photography was re-ignited in 2007 - after a few years of hiking on the Bruce Trail in Ontario and a Summer at my friend's cottage. I am happy to share my experience of the beauty of nature through these photographs - for the enjoyment of the world. I started out in the seventies with a Asahi Pentax Spotmatic SLR, then started back with it again in mid-2007. I eased into digital photography in late 2007 with a Fuji point and shoot camera with manual controls. I was impressed with the capabilities of digital photography and this past Summer moved to a Panasonic Lumix DMC FZ28. Am very satisfied with its capabilities (specially since I can shoot in RAW format - along with its 18x zoom capacity and macro ability, among other things). Have been fortunate to have a solo as well as numerous group art exhibitions of my work here in Toronto. I enjoy this part of photography/art wherein I can see the responses/reactions of the audiences to my work! www.flickr.com/photos/ramesh47/

Dorothy Stewart - Charcoals/Oil paintings

Dorothy Stewart was born and raised in Montreal. She graduated with honours from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston where she won a scholarship for Best Woman Painter and First Prize, Painting. For the first half of her career she lived and worked in Montreal. In the late 1970's, Dorothy moved to New York, where she spent 20 years painting and exhibiting. She also participated in numerous group shows as far afield as Japan, United Arab Emirates and Spain. Recently, she returned to Canada and now lives in Toronto. Dorothy's website is www.dorothystewart.ca

Mark Tearle - Photography

Mark Tearle sees photographs as a result of contemplation. “The photographer is struck by a scene or place or expression which leads to contemplation be it lengthy or brief. It is this contemplation of the image that provides the impulse to make a particular photograph.” Using available light and minimal intervention his photographs document the unique convergence of the subject, the photographer and the moment. These photographs encourage contemplation by offering a moment of stillness. www.tearlephoto.ca

Vanessa Wells - Photography

Vanessa Wells is a high school teacher at a Christian school in downtown Toronto. She always strives to include the arts in her teaching so that students begin to see their universal application to the world around them. Her Master of Theological Studies degree focused on visual and liturgical art; she presently writes a blog on the arts from a Christian perspective which you can visit at www.beautifulfeettoronto.blogspot.com. She participates regularly in juried art exhibits online, has made donations to Design Hope Toronto's art auctions, and has exhibited at the Taste of the Danforth festival and other shows. She is a member of the AGO, Imago, ECVA, CIVA and the Museum of Biblical Art in New York. Vanessa is pleased to join her fellow parishioners in this Lenten show.

A culture of hospitality, community engagement and welcoming presence to people of all backgrounds and ages is evident at CCDP. To further heighten awareness of this welcoming presence, a Visual Arts Programme is proposed as an additional benefit to the wider Toronto community.

The Visual Arts Programme will tie the enriching, inspiring and nourishing aspects of art with the spiritual environment at CCDP.

The proposed display space, the Arthur Smith Room, is a unique venue which will facilitate an intimate experience for the art viewer. The plan is to emphasise the welcoming aspect of CCDP to both the artist and viewers.

The nature of any art programme is such that it provides a much needed community benefit. Jazz Vespers and the Thursday classical music concerts have been much appreciated and financially supported by their listeners. A visual arts programme, open to the wider community, will also need some financial support from the community at large to be viable.

This would, in part, come from commissions on the sale of the art as well as sponsorships, patronages and donations.

The intent is to make the programme self sustaining and an enriching experience for all.

View/download mockup of proposal here » [264k pdf]