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!

We're going to have a great show this year, with 17 local artists. There will be art demonstrations, refreshments and great art indoors at the Orange Lodge and outdoors at the beautiful new outdoor Williams pavilion at the Glengarry Pioneer Museum. Join us June 23 & 24 from 12 pm to 4 pm and support our local art community as well as the museum!

Portrait of an Artist - Susan Jephcott

Today's Art Fayre artist is Susan Jephcott of Vankleek Hill, Ontario.

A pivotal hub in her regional artistic community, Sue Jephcott has been active as a full-time artist since 1956. Born in Hudson, Quebec, Jephcott's career has spanned nearly five decades, passing through notable evolutions of style and content. Ranging from highly textured figure and portrait studies to bold, hard-edged symbolism, Jephcott has absorbed and personalized classical techniques, redirecting them into the stark storytelling of her content-laden work.

From a series of ravens and crows, and what they may signify.

What connects the work is an ongoing battle between primitive human impulses, and an unmovable density of myth and spirituality that forces the untamed (and sometimes unwilling) to do its bidding. in Jephcott's world, the spirit always wins, and those who choose the folly of greed, conflict or arrogance are spared no mercy from her cutting painterly will, of the destiny that's owed to them.

Referred to by the sculptor Donald Liardi as Sue's "two by four diplomacy," her direct and often undiplomatic bluntness has lead some viewers to be uncomfortable with her work. Sometimes political, sometimes grotesque, and often sexual, Jephcott pulls no punches when she paints. She summons her own fears, dreams and anger to formulate a commentary on contemporary issues and relationships, often treating the act of painting as an incantation to cause something to happen.

Sue Jephcott is presently living and working in Vankleek Hill, Ontario, a Victorian-era village located between Ottawa and Montreal.

Join us at Art Fayre 2012 to meet Susan and see her works of art.

Visit us on Facebook!

Please visit and "like" our new Facebook page for 2012!

Mark your calendars!

This year's Art Fayre will be held June 23 & 24 at the Glengarry Pioneer Museum in Dunvegan, Ontario. We look forward to seeing you there!

Art Fayre 2011 a rousing success!

Here's a look back at Art Fayre 2011, which was a rousing success! The weather was beautiful, as was the artwork.

 

The show featured 15 talented local artists.

  

The oils of Aino Lutter.

John Sims' lovely horses.

Many visitors came to enjoy the show and purchase art, supporting the Glengarry Pioneer Museum in the process.

  Gerdine van Woudenberg's wonderful chainsaw carvings were extremely popular:

The vernissage on Saturday was a great opportunity for people to meet and mingle with the participating artists.

Barbara Glen's mixed media work.

Rug-hooked wallhangings by Natalie Rowe.

Liz Skelly hand her sculpture being photographed by local paparazzi!

David Kelleher provided exquisite classical guitar music.

Guitarist David Kelleher and artist John Sims.

More works by John Sims.

There were lots of delicious goodies to eat, provided by that artists. These cupcakes by Ronna Mogelon were works of art in themselves!

Here is Ronna with some of her robin and egg drawings.

A good time was had by all!

The Art Fayre committee is looking forward to another successful show this year. Stay tuned for further updates! Thanks to all who made the show so successful this year.

Art Fayre is hours away!

Last Wednesday, the Art Fayre committee gathered at the Glengarry Pioneer Museum to set up the show. It was a steaming-hot day, but we managed to arrange and hang all of the beautiful artwork without succumbing to heat stroke.

Lunch break for members of the committee!

Every year, Ronna's birthday falls on or near Art Fayre. Barb baked Ronna a wonderful carrot cake with cream cheese icing, and we had an impromptu birthday celebration! If you'd like a sneak peak at Ronna's drawings, check out her blog.

If you're in the area, tune in to "In Town and Out" on CBC radio Saturday morning (91.5 in Ottawa, 95.5 in Cornwall) to hear the announcement Natalie recorded for Art Fayre. We are looking forward to seeing you this weekend, rain or shine, and hope to get more people out from Ottawa and Montreal. Wouldn't it be wonderful to sell every piece of art this year?

Come see us in Dunvegan this weekend! Beautiful art, a vernissage, artist demonstrations, yummy refreshments, and the talented David Keller playing classical guitar. What more could you ask for?

Art Fayre this Saturday and Sunday!

If you want to find out what this is, come to Art Fayre this Saturday and Sunday at the Glengarry Pioneer Museum in Dunvegan, Ontario. A sunny weekend is forecast and we hope to see our largest crowd ever! The show is an opportunity for you to meet talented local artists and take home some one-of-kind art, all while helping to raise funds for our jewel of a museum.

Dunvegan is an hour east of Ottawa, and hour west of Montreal, and close to Cornwall and the Massena, NY border crossing. Why not take a leisurely drive in the beautiful Glengarry countryside this weekend? Come see us at Art Fayre! You can take in the show, meet the artists at the Saturday Vernissage, watch artist demonstrations on Sunday, and enjoy free refreshments. 

We're looking forward to seeing you!

Read about Art Fayre in the Tribune Express!