May 31/22
It’s been months since we have updated you, but all of the SOVA artists, despite Covid, have remained busy. Our group just completed an exhibition at the Helson Gallery in Georgetown and have other exhibitions scheduled for this year.
I’ll try and bring you up to date :)
STEVE WILSON OSA,SCA,CFS,SOVA
Artist Steve Wilson has been challenging himself and submitting to multiple MAJOR COMPETITIONS …and been successful !!!
This award winning artist has been selected for multiple juried competitions , with the Federation of Canadian Artists, both for Vancouver exhibitions, and Toronto. As well, Steve’s artwork was juried into the prestigious Colour and Form Society , recent exhibition titled “Reflection”, held at the Beaux Art Gallery, in Brampton, and the Ontario Society of Artists 150th Anniversary Show, held at the Glenhyrst Art Gallery of Brant, with a theme of Breath, Heart and Spirit. In keeping with the OSA’s special events this year for their 150th anniversary, Steve also created a small piece little 8x8” that had to be cool colours top approx 40% and warm colours on the bottom, and he decided to have a little fun with word play for a large mosaic that the Society is creating from members artworks.
“Someday” ,shown below, has been selected to be included in a very prestigious “Art Comp”, at the Kellogg Centre, 100 Kellogg lane in London Ontario. Only 100 pieces out of 882 entries, were juried in, and the exhibition runs from May28th-September 8th. People’s Choice Award is $100,000. so please stop by and vote for your favourite.
SOVA Artist Steve Wilson , has also been spending time as an invited juror for different competitions, as his skill, fairness and expertise is being recognized by different groups. Recently he was selected to be on the jury at a competition at the well known Alton Mill Arts Centre, and was also on the panel at the Munson & Friends STUDIO GALLERY with their premiere exhibition, FORMS, FACES & SPACES, figuratively speaking.
This exhibition is part of the Scotiabank's 26th annual CONTACT Festival. Open Thursdays - Sundays and holiday Monday, from noon to 4:30 pm, and is located in the Parish Hall next to the St. Paul's Anglican Church, 16 Adamson Street South in Norval [Highway 7 and Winston Churchill Blvd].
Studio By Design is hosting the exhibit on their website, www.studiobydesign.ca/contact-festival SPACES,figuratively speaking!
Steve Wilson is a progressive artist, and his skill continues to grow. Below is one of his new pieces titled Tunnel Vision , acrylic on masonite, in a style that he is perfecting and is a blend between .pointillism and impressionistic.
This is another new piece in Steve’s fabulous new style, and this one is 24 x 20 acrylic on Masonite, and was just juried in to the Federation of Canadian Artists ECC exhibition. Congratulations.
In March The BIA had staff at Steve’s gallery to shoot a promo video and stills for the Red Cross Ukraine Humanitarian Fund event that he generously organized at the gallery, to do his part of helping in a world crisis, contacting multiple artists that he knows and a portion of all original sales will go the the Red Cross. The artists have set their own individual percentage and they do have a wall where 100% will go to the Ukraine Humanitarian relief fund.
Artist Steve Wilson has recently added Curating to his list of many skills, and was pleased to curate the important Pelham show this year.
DAUREEN MURPHY SOVA
SOVA Artist Daureen Murphy is usually found through the weekdays in her shared studio at the Alton Mill Arts Centre .She is participating in the different SOVA exhibitions , and several of her pieces include the Newfoundland ponies in them as one of her main interests.
Daureen is also planning the two day SOVA event in October during Thanksgiving weekend at her equestrian centre. This will be the second annual, and more news later. :)
Motherhood ,(48×24 acrylic on canvas)
ROBERT CHISHOLM SOVA
SOVA Artist Robert Chisholm has been very busy lately. He has been participating in the SOVA exhibitions, but also very occupied with multiple commissions.
Below, are two of the recent commissions from different clients.
SOVA Artist Robert Chisholm just recently completed a stunning new piece, acrylic, 48 by 36 inches. The references were from a scene he found while walking along the Rideau Canal in 2019. He was told the barrels had been used to store gunpowder back in the day.
You will find Robert in his studio throughout the week and sometimes on weekends. Tuesdays he teaches art in his studio.
Below you see Robert’s latest artwork, titled " a moment in time " acrylic 16 x 40.
LYNDEN COWAN OSA,SCA,CFS,SAFC,SOVA
Did you know the last Saturday in April each year is the National Save the Frogs Day???? SOVA artist Lynden Cowan was really pleased that the prestigious Artists for Conservation Group , selected her little painting Ribbit, to help spread the word. :)#SavetheFrogsDay! Save the Frogs Day was established in 2009 and organized on the last Saturday of every April by the non-profit, Save the Frogs. It has since become the world’s largest day of amphibian education and conservation action. Frogs are found all over the world, on every continent except Antarctica. Of the estimated 6000 species of frogs identified to date, the IUCN classifies over 1200 as either endangered or critically endangered. Many more species are likely at risk due to lack of population studies and monitoring.
Visit AFC's #SavetheFrogs Day Gallery at https://bit.ly/3s380UG
Lynden Cowan”s little painting titled Naptime , 12 by 16 inch, oil on canvas, was in the Colour and Form " Reflection" exhibition, on display at the Beaux Arts Gallery on Queen Street, east, Brampton until April 30th.
SOVA artist Lynden Cowan just recently completed this small oil painting titled Camouflage 12 inch by 12 inch.
Two of the artists paintings were in the Xanadu Gallery ( Scottsdale , Arizona , )art catalogue for their collectors .
Fishing, is a 24 by 30 inch oil on canvas painting and was also selected for selected by the jury for inclusion in the prestigious Artists for Conservation 2022 VIRTUAL EXHIBIT and companion book.
This year, the AFC Exhibit saw another record number of submissions (472) and was one of the overall highest scoring show in the show's 15-years history. Only 40% of the submissions were accepted this year, and less than one in five were selected for the live show, in an already vetted field of competitors (AFC Members).
SOVA artist Lynden Cowan’s painting Under Cover was shown in the American Art Magazine to announce an exhibit with the prestigious NOAPS group, at the Beverly McNeil Gallery in Birmingham, Alabama. and an upcoming exhibit at the Wilcox Gallery, in Jackson, Wyoming.
QR codes for Lynden’s Instagram and Website are here.
Lynden was honoured to be selected as one of three jurors for the International Scratchboard Society exhibition in Niagara Falls in the spring.
HELEN DUPLASSIE SOVA
SOVA artist Helen Duplassie has been very busy lately involved in different exhibitions, some at Beaux Arts Brampton, and some at Headwaters Gallery in the Alton Mill Arts Centre.
Shown above is Helen’s beautiful Sunflower painting( 18 by 24 inches , oil on canvas) that was in the Beaux Arts Art Gallery in Brampton.
As well Artist Helen Duplassie was a participating artist in the Headwaters Arts (HA) celebrating the arrival of spring with its third members exhibition of the year, Symphony of Seasons. The show opened on March 23 and ran until April 24, 2022 in the Headwaters Art Gallery at the Alton Mill Arts Centre in Alton. The 45 works by 20 selected artists visually express and capture each artist’s unique interpretation of their personal symphony of changes and life’s sonatas of joys, discoveries, experiences and life’s memories.
Works by Bhavna Bhatnagar, Christine Schubert, Deborah Powell, Edward Clark, Gail Backus, Helen Duplassie, Iris Ranieri, Julie Park, Marnie Cooke, Mary Perkins, MaryLou Hurley, Nancy MacNabb, Pat Hertzberg, Patty Maher, Robert Allen, Susan Kelly, Susan Powell, Suzanne Walsh, Trish Miller and Vivien Fleisher grace the gallery walls/space with pleasing and plentifully diverse choices of subject matter, vibrant colours, multitudes of textures and mediums including: oil, acrylic, and watercolour painting, mixed media, clay, mixed media mosaic, photography, weaving/recycled fibre, coloured pencil and professional markers.
This active artist was also selected for the Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival that also included Fine Art this year. Quite an Honour.
Professional artists always try to fit in time to show people what they do and perhaps ignite the publics interest in trying their hand at creating . Below you see SOVA Artist Helen Duplassie demonstrating her skills at the CONTACT Festival.
Recently one of Helen’s beautiful paintings from her Italian Series SOLD and found its way to a new art home . :)
This busy artist was also exhibiting her artwork in the Helson Gallery with other SOVA artists and has organized the Assembly Hall SOVA exhibit for June as well as preparing artwork for the September SOVA exhibits.
SHERRY PARK AOCA,OSA,SCA,CFS,SOVA
SOVA Artist Sherry Park was recently notified that she won the Award of Excellence in the NOAPS 2022 Spring International On Line exhibition. This is quite an achievement. They had over 1100 submissions from artists and juried 200 into the exhibition…. and one Award of Excellence. Congratulations. Below you see the winning painting Franey Sunrise.
This active artist was pleased to receive a notice that her artwork "Portrait of an Artist" had made the top 50 at the Marketer Magazine competition. @themarketermagazine
Artist Sherry Park had three works of art selected for the Art Gallery of Hamilton spring sale.
As well, the artist had a booth at the Artist Project special exhibition in Toronto that is well attended by hundreds of art appreciators each year.
Sherry was also selected for the recent Colour and Form exhibition held at Beaux Arts Brampton, and you see the artist’s self portrait on the announcement below.
When SOVA artist Sherry Park gets time to spare, she enjoys painting plein aire. This keeps her skills fresh and provides new subject constantly.
Sherry Park also participated in the CONTACT Festival
As the rest of the SOVA artists , Sherry Park also feels it is important to demonstrate her skills to encourage other would be artists. Here you see her at the CONTACT Festival in Norval, allowing the public to appreciate her expertise, and below the photos you can see what she was working on.
Most weekends you will find Sherry Park in her studio at the Alton Mill Arts Centre. Below the artist is working on a portrait commission.
MARGARET PARDY SSA,SCA,OSA,CFS,SOVA
SOVA Artist Margaret Pardy was pleased to be informed that she had been accepted into the Toronto Outdoor Art Fair online show. There was over 970 applications for the show and felt very privileged to have been accepted. The online show runs from July 8-17th with in-person at Nathan Philip Square culminating July 15-17th.
As well this popular artist was selected to be in the important well known Buckhorn Festival held in August each year.
In the photos above and below , the artist Margaret Pardy is in her studio at the Alton Mill Arts Centre checking and working on tiny details of her scratchboard pieces.
CHARLENE NICKELS SOVA
It will be a year on July 7th that SOVA Artist Charlene Nickels left Ontario to move to PEI. The move left her with a void in regards to her art for an extended period of time but this wonderful water colour artist is now painting with a water color group in affiliation with the University of PEI and getting back into the groove for painting. They just had a 3-week group art show at The Guild in Charlottetown with an upcoming show in August in Georgetown, PEI. The island has breath taking scenery and Charlene is travelling the roads taking pictures for possible art work.
The current picture she is working on is of a picture she took of "Chinese Lanterns", from her mom and dads garden in PEI.
JOANNE LOMAS BFA,SOVA
SOVA Artist Joanne Lomas has been busy experimenting with photography and digital works of art and a great example is shown below , a digital piece titled “Wheat Trees “.
This progressive artist is also one of several international printmakers who are part of a small sized print show organized by PRNT in Barrie Ontario, at the Orillia Museum of Art and History from April 30 – July 9 .
This Sova stays busy in several exhibitions and above is a picture of "RTS" from the Orillia show, while below is one of Artist Joanne Lomas’s sketches from last years travels. This busy artist is working most days in her studio on paintings for upcoming August exhibitions.
Okay, it’s time to get back to the easel. Hope we get to meet you at an exhibition or in our studios. The next exhibit is at the Assembly Hall, one Colonel Samual Smith drive, in Toronto for the month of June and in September we will be at the Queen Elizabeth Community Centre , as well as a special two day exhibit in October in Mono Mills… more on that later.
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