Two Views: Art Exhibition of Andrea Lau and Lisa Tornack

Artwork by Andrea Lau

The art exhibition Two Views, features the artwork of Andrea Lau & Lisa Tornack. The exhibition was installed the week of March 25, 2013 at The Main Dish in Bridgeland. Two Views will run through to the June 2013.

The Main Dish is located at
903 General Ave NE
Calgary, Alberta
T2E 9E1
(403) 265-3474

Visit www.tmdish.com/ for hours

Lifecycle Community Bike Project: Grassroots Inspired Grants

Lifecycle Community Bike Project took place at G.W. Skene an elementary school located in Calgary's north east. For two consecutive afternoon's in March 2013, artists Hannah Poon and Lisa Tornack had the opportunity to work with 75 grade 5 to design and paint an interactive mural. This mural project utilizes salvaged bike parts to create a vibrant outdoor mural for the Lifecycle Community Bike Shop and G.W Skene. The three grade five classes brainstormed around themes of walk-able, bike-able cities and Calgary to create the final three paneled triptic. Each of the three panels will find a home in separate parts of the city. The first will find it's home at the Lifecycle Community Bike Shop, the second will be keep as a legacy piece for the school, and the third will be gifted to a public space in north east Calgary.

We would like to thank Lifecycle Community Bike, staff and students of G.W Skene for and a big thank you to Calgary 2012 for their generous support of this project!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all my family, friends, and to all the supporters of me and my artwork!

As I hang a new calendar on the wall it is hard to believe a new year is already upon us. Looking back on the year, I wanted to take a moment to thank everyone for their support. I had a very busy 2012 and was privileged to serve on the board of UAS working with the fundraising team, as well as undertaking a new role for Calgary Arts Development. Looking ahead to 2013, I am very excited about the upcoming year both personally and professionally!  Early this year, I will be exhibiting with fellow artist Andrea Lau, in the exhibition Two Views.  This show will take a non-traditional look at western landscape. Stay tuned more more details. Also thanks to Calgary 2012 GIG Grant, I will be presenting a solo exhibition Frozen Bow at the Untitled Art Society in March.  This exhibition will explore the small components of landscape, highlighting the natural beauty of the mighty Bow River. Meanwhile back in the studio, I am looking forward to devoting more time to studio practice and to continue my work painting on photograph as well as further the experimentation with photo base collage.

I hope you had a wonderful holiday, I wish you a happy and prosperous 2013!
Peace
Lisa Tornack

For more information about and to preview works by artist Andrea Lau visit her website at
http://www.andrealau.com/

You are invited to 10

This year is a special one, marking the tenth year since I began painting professionally. I would like to extend an invitation you to join me at the AREA for the opening reception for the exhibition on Thursday, December 6, 2012 7-10pm. This exhibition, will feature a single painting from each respective year. Please help me to celebrate the last ten years and welcome the next! Appetizers and refreshments will be served.

http://www.facebook.com/TheAREA 

I am taking a little break from my blog for the next few weeks; I am excited to announce that I am heading to the east coast of Canada at the end of this month! I am looking forward to taking in the sun and the sea, as well as checking out the local art scene in Nova Scotia and PEI. Enjoy these last lazy days of summer and look for new posts of Atelier Natura in September!

Best,
Lisa Tornack

Canadina Icon: Emily Carr

My favorite all time painting title comes from Emily Carr's piece shown above

"Scorn as Timbre Beloved of the Sky"

This summer I was fortunate to instruct a painting class based on the work of Emily Carr. When preparing for the course, I did a little research on the artist's life and work. Emily Carr is the most revered female artist in Canada. Carr led an unconventional lifestyle and created numerous iconic works, which hang in the galleries of Canada today.

Emily Carr was born in Victoria, British Columbia in 1871. She started painting at an early age, but really began taking her paintings seriously after her parent’s death as a teen. Orphaned at sixteen, she petitioned her guardian to allow her to study art at the San Francisco Art Institute. Carr pursued her education in the United States then returned to Victoria painting and teaching art classes to children. Years later she furthered her studies working overseas in both England and France. Although she experienced emotional problems while abroad, it was in France where her signature style blossomed. Influenced by Post-Impressionism and the Fauves, Carr's work took a more painterly, abstracted quality. Once again she returned to Victoria and received little interest in her new style of painting, in the conservative "British “city by the sea. In fact, Carr didn’t experience success as an artist until much later in life, in her late fifties. To make ends meet she taught art classes and she purchased a boarding house and took on the role as landlady. She chronicled her adventures in the book" The House of all Sorts". Carr is most noted for her exploration of the Canadian landscape and her documentation of aboriginal settlements and totems on Canada's west coast. Carr traveled extensively on the coast of Vancouver Island living and painting in her caravan. Lauren Harris once said she was "one of them" referring to Carr's place with the Group of Seven. Carr's life and work can serve as inspiration to all aspiring artist's; through her continued development and dedication to her craft to adventurous lifestyle and financial hardship, Emily Carr's work has become icons for Canada. Emily Carr died in 1945.

Carr pictured above, Carr was an animal lover and had many pets in her lifetime, including a pet monkey named "Woo"

Wildflower Art Centre: Over 30 years in Calgary

Wildflower gets a face lift, check out the new red building!

Wildflower Art Centre ia located at 3363 Spruce Dr.SW, in Calgary, AB

For the past ten years I have been privileged to work as a fine arts instructor at the city run facility the Wildflower Arts Centre. In 2012, the City of Calgary's department of Recreation celebrates 100 years serving Calgarians. As we mark this milestone, I wanted to take a minute to highlight one of our city's hidden gems.

My first summer working at the art centre was teaching "Arts Ventures", art day camps for children. We listened to the golden oldies on the radio and dived into numerous projects, using everything from clay and recyclables to conte and acrylics. Looking back to when I first started I really didn't know how to teach art classes, but through a lot of trail and error I began to find my rhythm. The summer was filled with all sorts of projects, we made kites, musical instruments, painted t-shirts, artist trading cards, filled our sketchbooks, and every week tackled the dreaded paper mache project! In the years to come, I taught a variety of ceramic classes including hand building and wheel throwing to children, teens, and adults. As my own practice evolved into one of painting, I taught ceramics less and less. To this day I continue to teach my favorite programs; oil painting, Teen Art Studio, and Adults Arts Combo.

As Recreation celebrates 100 years in Calgary, I pause to reflect on all the great art, wonderful students, and exceptional colleagues I have been lucky to teach and meet over my ten years at the centre.I raise a glass to the next 100 years of recreation in Calgary and the continued access to fine and performing art programs to Calgarians from all walks of life!


For more information about Wildflower and it's programs please visit
http://www.calgary.ca/CSPS/Recreation/Pages/Arts-centres/Wildflower.aspx