Portrait of an Artist - Gerdine van Woudenberg

Today's Art Fayre artist is Gerdine van Woudenberg of Dunvegan, Ontario.

Flower Bud

Gerdine van Woudenberg spent 16 years as a professional student in post-secondary 

education, resulting in degrees/diplomas in: Equestrian Studies, a Paralegal degree, 

a Bachelor’s of Arts in Human Rights, a Master’s degree in International Affairs, and she completed 6 years of a PhD in Anthropology.

Santa

Welcome Bear

Her artistic expression through wood grew overtime. She started in 1997 working part time with her Master Carpenter partner finishing his cabinetry and furniture. She then moved to the lathe, hand carvings and eventually into building canoe furniture and historic reproductions. Having carved stump men and gnomes for years by hand, she  picked up the chainsaw a couple of years ago to enable her me to go larger, quicker and work with unique pieces of wood otherwise too large for the workshop. The passion and love she felt  for the chainsaw was unexpected, and has opened a whole new array of artistic expression.

Eagle

Jack in Pulpit

“When it comes to chainsaw carving, no piece of wood is the same, and I have to 

think carefully about every piece. The mushrooms and fungus originally  captured my interest as their simple lines and curves gave me endless opportunity to understand what I was able to do with the chainsaw. This has allowed me to really begin to transfer what I  envision in my mind  onto a log, and has led to numerous different creations: Santas, bears, eagles, flowers, lions, sea creatures, mushroom furniture and more. In the 

creative process the wood speaks to me as much as my creativity… there are many 

treasures hidden underneath its bark.”

Mouse

Oyster

Penguin

Join us at Art Fayre 2012 to meet Gerdine and add one of her amazing carvings to your collection! You can learn more about Gerdine on her website. 

Portrait of an Artist - Ronna Mogelon

Today's Art Fayre artist is Ronna Mogelon of Dunvegan, Ontario. Born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Ronna Mogelon has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Concordia University (Montreal). After graduation, she moved to Toronto, where she was owner of Cheshire Studio and created graphic design for various companies and organizations in and around the city.

She is author of two published books: a compilation of her humorous cat cartoons entitled “Famous People’s Cats” and “Wild in the Kitchen: Recipes for Wild Fruits, Weeds and Seeds” -- an illustrated cookbook of wild plants she discovered around her Dunvegan farmstead.

 She has exhibited her colour pencil drawings locally at several group shows in Vankleek Hill and Dunvegan. She’s had solo exhibits at the “Skelly Gallery,” St. Eugene in 2003, 2005 and 2008. Ronna has shown her work at Art Fayre since its inception in 2005.

Last year, Ronna took a trip to Maine, where she visited Olson House, where Andrew Wyeth spent 30 years painting. Olson House is featured in his famous work Christina's World.

Ronna was inspired too, and created a series of lovely coloured-pencil drawings...

If you'd like to read more about Ronna's visit to Olson House, check out her entry on her blog.

To meet Ronna and see her beautiful work in person, come to Art Fayre 2012, June 23 and 24 at the Glengarry Pioneer Museum!

Portrait of an Artist: Fran Bailey

Today's Art Fayre artist is Fran Bailey, of Vankleek Hill, Ontario. Fran has lived, painted and exhibited in Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia. Her usual medium is watercolour and she especially enjoys painting subtly stylized house portraits, often as commissioned works.

Here are just a few of Fran's exquisite watercolours:

If you would like to learn more about Fran and her artwork, check out her blog.

And don't forget to mark Art Fayre on your calendar: June 23 & 24, 2012 at the Glengarry Pioneer Museum in Dunvegan, Ontario. It's your chance to buy one of Fran's gorgeous paintings.

We look forward to seeing you there!