Sonia Arenas

Venezuelan-born Canadian artist Sonia Arenas graduated from the Ottawa School of Art and over the last fifteen years, has worked as an art advisor, designed and taught courses for children, and exhibited her work in Canada, Europe and Latin America.

As an art instructor, Sonia feels a great love in teaching. She also has experience in homeschooling and teaching children with diverse intellectual abilities.  

Sonia has developed her body of work in painting and sculpture, also showing special interest in photography and mixed media. Her artwork has been focused in the essence of the human being, particularly the indigenous people and women.

Nadine Argo

Nadine works primarily to produce bronze sculpture, but also works in ceramics, wood and cloth. While she uses a variety of materials in her work, bronzes and the process of mould making and casting remain her passion. After finishing her BFA at York University in Toronto (1997), Nadine has lived, worked, exhibited and taught in Whitehorse YT, Edmonton AB, Mont-Tremblant QC and Ottawa. Nadine has always enjoyed teaching art and has done so for over 10 years with artist in the school program and galleries, as well as teaching for home schooling children and private classes. She has been with the OSA as a teacher, technician and student for over 24 years.

   Dhanashri Bapat

Originally from Pune, India and an Ottawa resident from past 16 years, Dhanashri Bapat is an active artist on Ottawa’s art scene. Her artistic senses, particularly in painting, have always been significantly coursing through her childhood. She pursued and earned thus, her Applied Arts degree from Abhinav Kala Academy and worked as a freelance designer in India before focusing on Fine Arts.

Be it in India or in Canada, nature and its multiple facets have always been a big influence on Dhanashri’s work. Eternally mesmerized by the beauty and elegance that is nature, Dhanashri revels in the translation of its immense scope onto her canvas. The changing seasons offer a great palette of moods and colours. And she likes to capture these nuances in a representational manner.

Dhanashri primarily uses watercolours to best depict her work. She finds watercolours to be very lively, fun as well as a challenging medium to paint her own interpretation of the subject. Over the years, her painting style has evolved, as she studies, explores & experiments different mediums such as acrylic, ink, mixed media.

David Barbour

David Barbour teaches Introduction to Photography in the Diploma program as well as other photography classes in the adult general interest. Highlights to his career include a Mid-Career Canada Council to continue his project in Havana (1999) as well as a World’s Press Award (1985) for a photograph he took in Egypt. His current work primarily balances beauty and environmental issues that are found in both rural and urban environments. One can see his work at www.davidbarbour.ca or on Facebook or Instagram.

Gérard Bélec

Gérard Bélec has been drawing since he was very young. He started painting and drawing seriously in 1981. He has a BFA (1988) and a teacher’s certificate (1994) from the Université du Québec à Hull (Université du Québec en Outaouais). Between 1986 and 2003, he worked for the City of Gatineau’s Cultural Programs as their oil painting specialist for adult and teen classes. During this time, he also taught courses for seniors at a community centre and was the technical assistant for the municipal art gallery (until 1993).

Gérard began teaching sculpture at the Ottawa School of Art in 1994 in the Children and Teens Program. He was the art teacher for the Académie de la Capitale (an IBO school) from 2003 to 2006. He now teaches Comics, Cartooning and Animation classes to children ages 10-12, teens, and occasional workshops for adults. He has coordinated the OSA Children and Teens Program and the OSA Animation Certificate. Gérard is now the Coordinator of the OSA Outreach Program (since 2005) and continues to draw comics, paint, teach, and draw caricatures for commercial clients.

Marg Boyle

Marg Boyle has been a professional artist, art educator, curator and consultant for over thirty years. She is a graduate of the NSCAD University (BFA Fine Arts, Minor Art History (87) and BFA Art Education (88)) and has also done graduate and inservice courses in Art Education, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous Education, Special Education, Writing Therapy. Illustration and Graphic Design  and Teaching of English Language Learners at several universities/colleges. During her thirty years of teaching in the K-12 school system, she taught diverse Visual Arts and Indigenous Studies courses as well as ESL, Special Education and Student Success. 

Marg is the founder of FNMIEAO.com, The Eagle and Condor Collective and a member of the Native Immigrant Arts collective in Montreal. Marg is now a full time artist, and craftsperson (beading, quillwork, hidework, drum making, rattle making, basketry and sewing). She is also a community arts activist, a drummer, a dancer and a writer. She encourages all students to learn about the ancestral knowledge and art forms of the land on which they live and has taught at OSA for a total of over ten years. She has taught Art Education and Indigenous Education courses at Queens U, U of Ottawa and OISE/ U of Toronto and currently teaches at QueensU in the Continuing Teacher Education program. She is also now  an Artist in Residence at Concordia University’s Art Education Dept. and is a recipient of several grants including a Canada Council Aboriginal project grant.

André Breau

André Breau is a self-taught sculptor with over 40 years of experience in woodcarving. In the last few years he has explored underglazing and opted to pursue clay sculpting. As an expert in relief sculpting, he strives to create three dimensional illusions in wood and in clay and with his painting. André has been teaching woodcarving for many years in the Ottawa area at the Visual Art Center Orleans as well as at the Ottawa School of Art.

Fabio Cattelan

Fabio Cattelan has taught art in Toronto, Montreal, and Ottawa. He recently retired from the OCDSD where he taught Art, and Design and Technology for 26 years. Fabio was art director for seven amateur stage productions and has taught painting, animation, sculpture, web design, as well as stage and lighting design. Fabio spent several years working as a commercial artist, both as designer and illustrator, in Toronto. Currently, Fabio is working as a sculptor, primarily in stone and wood. Fabio received an Honors B.F.A. From York University, a Diploma in Teaching from McGill University, and is certified to teach Special Education. Fabio has been with the Ottawa School of Art since 1997. 

Pamela Cockcroft-Lasserre

Qualified Teacher (Cape Town Training College), London Certificate in Art and Design (with Merit Distinction) (Byam Shaw School of Drawing and Painting (now part of University of the Arts, London, England)).   Widely traveled in Europe.

Art Critic (Cape Times), Lecturer, European Art History (Ruth Prowse School of Art, Cape Town), Assistant Custodian (South African Association of Arts Gallery, Cape Town.   (Widely traveled in Southern Africa)

Current:  Instructor, Ottawa School of Art, Studio Practice in the Gatineau Hills – drawing, watercolour and oil painting, mainly works including the figure, Founding member of the Group Studio focusing on Drawing and Painting the Figure, La Fab sur Mill, Chelsea, Quebec.

Represented by Orange Gallery

Work found in private collections in Canada, USA, France and South Africa

Jayne Couch

Jayne Couch SCA, has been teaching at the OSA since 2013.

A classically trained oil painter, Jayne studied drawing and painting in Paris France, New York city and across Canada. 

An elected member of the Society of Canadian Artist Jayne also sat on that board and was the Chair of her municipality’s first Arts & Culture Board   

Jayne’s exhibition, ‘Drawing Deconstructed’ at The Studio Gallery, Queens University dept of Ed., opens September 2023.

Her latest series of ‘Works on Paper’ returns to Preston Square in Ottawa, January 2024    

Learn more about what’s happening at j.CouchMolony.ca

Kim Cristopher

Kim Cristopher is a Canadian portrait artist, whose works in oil represent the artist’s tender gaze at the human condition.  Her portraits provide the viewer  with an evocative and ambiguous narrative to ponder.

Dawn Dale

Dawn Dale has been an instructor at the Ottawa School of Art since 1990, in both the General and Diploma Program (1996) and currently in the Children’s Department (2012). She taught primarily sculpture, mixed media, conceptual art practices while her current focus is advanced drawing with teens.

Her studio practice is grounded in landart, large scale ephemeral works and site specific installations. Her work is informed by our dysfunctional relationship with Nature in a world of consumerism, global climate crisis and unstable political theatre. Over the last thirteen years she has created an extended series of bas-relief sculptures based on the Icelandic alfar and the need to listen to Nature.

A BFA graduate from the University of Ottawa, she has exhibited across Canada, The United States, Bolivia, Mexico and in Japan. Her work is in the City of Ottawa Collection as well as the Archives of Canada, and the Alberta Museum and private collections.

She has been an active member of the arts community through OWCU Art Committee, Gallery 101, IWD at U of O (1986-91), SAW, Pyxidium, Art Terre,, and currently RIA (Research in Art). She previously worked in the classrooms with MASC, ArtSmarts and Les Artistes à l’école in Quebec.

Her work can be found at @dawndaleart on Instagram

Archives at www.dawndale.com and www.aregeebee.net/dawndale

Lucia De Marinis

Lucia De Marinis graduated from a five-year Bachelor of Fine Arts program at the Cleveland Institute of Art in 1984, where she majored in painting.  She was given advanced standing (to third year) upon admission to the program and was selected for the National Dean’s List in 1984.   She was a finalist for the prestigious Gund Award competition at graduation.   Lucia also has a Bachelor of Arts in Italian Literature from Carleton University and studied briefly at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Rome with the assistance of a scholarship from the Italian government.  She completed several years of private study with Ugo Chyurlia, a graduate of the Accademia di Belle Arti of Venice (1932).  At the Cleveland Institute of Art her painting teacher, thesis advisor, and mentor was Julian Stanczak, a renowned colourist and a student of Josef Albers.   

Lucia has been teaching at the Ottawa School of Art since 1988.  She taught in the School of Media and Design at Algonquin College from 1994 to 2013 and was a faculty member in the Department of Visual and Creative Arts at St. Lawrence College in Cornwall from 1988 to 1991.  In 2006 she was the recipient of the first Instructor of the Year Award at the Ottawa School of Art.

Lucia has exhibited her work in numerous solo, group, and juried shows in Canada and the USA and is represented in corporate, public, and private collections.

Vanessa Dewson

Vanessa Dewson is an award-winning professional photographer as well as a graphic and web designer based in Ottawa. She began teaching photography at the Ottawa School of Art in 2013. In 2015, she founded Focus on Photography Tours to combine her passions of photography, teaching and travel.

Vanessa received a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Image Arts: Film Studies from Ryerson University in 1998 and pursued photography as a hobby until she decided to become a full-time professional in 2007. She received both her Craftsman of Photographic Arts (CPA) and Master of Photographic Arts (MPA) from the Professional Photographers of Canada (PPOC) and is also the current Past-Chair of the PPOC’s Eastern Ontario Branch. Her work has been exhibited as part of the annual instructors show at the Shenkman Arts Centre and she also had a solo exhibit at the Galerie Eugène-Racette in Orleans.

She is fully bilingual and loves sharing her passion and knowledge with fellow photography enthusiasts whether in a classroom or as a host on photo tours.

For more information, please visit her website: www.vanessadewson.com or

www.focusonphototours.com.

Kathryn Drysdale

Kathryn Drysdale’s artistic practice is based in drawing and is inspired by observing the natural and industrial Canadian landscape. Her large scale drawings are a means to notice, interpret and express the visual complexity of her immediate surroundings. She also has a keen interest in the fibre arts which led her to explore the world of colour through hand dyeing yarn. She founded a small craft business, Riverside Studio. in 2012 where she produces beautiful hand-dyed yarns and sells them around the world. More recently she is experimenting with rug tufting and finding connections between her drawing and fibre art practices.

She has participated in numerous exhibitions in Canada and abroad. Her work can be found in private and public art collections including the City of Ottawa and Loto-Quebec. 

She has maintained a studio in Wakefield, Quebec since 1991 and is a founding member of Place des Artistes de Farrellton, a cooperative artist studio north of Wakefield, QC. She holds a degree in Visual Arts from Concordia University and also studied at the Ontario College of Art.

Assel El-Rayes

  https://asselelrayesartist.com/

Mahshid Farhoudi

Mahshid Farhoudi is an Iranian born Canadian figurative painter who explores issues of identity, displacement and belonging through her work. Her art practice draws from her cultural heritage and the contemporary. Both figurative and architectural elements are central to her painting. Being aware of new trends in figuration, she has been appropriating symbols, icons and imagery to issues that she explores. The relationship between painted figures and their architectural contexts create a dialogue within the work.

Every work Mahshid creates, is influenced by the sitter’s personal story. She is drawn to people’s life journeys and all its shades of grey as in her charcoal drawings. Every work provides a brand new opportunity to continue her search for that undercurrent, beautiful and graceful gesture that can be found in humanity.

Andrew Fay

Andrew Fay was raised and educated in Ottawa and received his training at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. Knowledgable in both acrylic and oil paints, his paintings centre on the human form. The figures are often nude, examining a gamut of physical and emotional drives. The narrative of his paintings in intentionally ambiguous. He creates a surreal atmosphere which invites the viewer to interact with the work of their own terms. Andrew has participated in numerous exhibitions, including shows at the Karsh-Masson Gallery, the Ottawa Art Gallery, and the Ottawa School of Art Gallery. His paintings can be found in civic and private collections. Andrew has held the position of Diploma Program Advisor since 2014.

Alex Fichera

Alex Fichera graduated form Ottawa University with a BFA. Her interests include psychology, feminism and identity, which she explores in her work using a variety of mediums to create images and sculptures. Alex has been working at the Ottawa School of Art for 8 years now and is currently teaching in the children’s department

Maryse Fillion 

Originally from Québec, Maryse moved to Edmonton, Alberta in 1980. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in molecular biology at the University of Alberta and worked in the field of medical research in Edmonton and Calgary.  Answering a life-long desire to create art she attended watercolour painting classes and many workshops in the Calgary area, in Edmonton and in Jasper.  Since 2001, Maryse has concentrated her efforts on her role as a mother, volunteer and nature advocate all the while pursuing her passion for watercolours. She helped develop a series of workshops in Edmonton through the Société des Artistes Visuels de l’Alberta, inviting artists from around Canada to teach at their studio. 

Maryse moved to Ottawa in 2007.  After deciding to work exclusively as an artist, she established a home studio as well as pursuing her certificate at the Ottawa School of Art, where she now teaches.  Her style keeps evolving with the discovery of new techniques & media, being anywhere between realistic to expressive. Light, and the contrasts it creates, nature, people and big colour are her main inspiration.  Her works are in private collections throughout Canada and the United States. 

Tami Galili

Adrian Gor

Adrian Gor’s work combines writing, egg-tempera painting, relief printing, and hand crafted organic materials. His medieval-inspired multi-processed techniques of line making and gilding, drives him to question todays symbols of human desire and containers of truth in our visual culture. For details of his artistic vision see his latest essay, “Reimagining the iconic in New Media Art,” published in Theory, Culture, and Society, SAGE Journals (2019). Adrian has completed his PhD in the Humanities (Interdisciplinary) Program at Concordia University, Montreal, Canada (2015) combining studies in Theology/Philosophy, Art History, and Studio Arts. He also has an MFA in Drawing/Painting from the School of Visual Arts, University of Windsor (2010).

Personal website: www.adriangor.com

Irma Gutierrez

(1975) Mexican-born Canadian Drawer, Printmaker, Painter, Illustrator, Children’s Illustrator and Cartoonist. With more than 190 exhibitions and 26 years of trajectory, her artwork has been shown in diverse Art Museums and Cultural Centres across Canada, Mexico, Egypt, Germany, France, England, Poland, Russia, Spain, Bulgaria, Italy, USA, Austria, Portugal, Republic of Macedonia, China among others. Selected for more than 20 International Printmaking Biennials, her work has been held in both private and public collections, including Bibliotheca Alexandrina (Egypt), Novosibirk’s State Museum (Russia), and  the Museum of Arts of Queretaro (Mexico). In 2021 the Iconic Center of Contemporary Art Emilia Ortiz CAC in Tepic, Mexico paid her homage naming an Exhibition Hall Number one after her. Irma studied Graphic Design at Universidad Iberoamericana Leon, Mexico (1998) and is a Self-taught Artist. As an Art Instructor in the Ottawa School of Art Campus Orleans (OSAO) she has been offering “The Art and Magic of Mexico” Summer Camp among other workshops.

Diana Westwood Guy

I am a painter and printmaker working mostly from sketches that I complete outside and in all seasons. Frequently trees and light are my subjects but on a less serious note I sometimes venture into an imaginary world to produce a piece for my grandson. I studied both in England and in Canada at various art schools and universities and have taught many aspects of art, to adults, for some 40 years. I love to pass on to others the satisfaction and joy I receive myself from working at my art. I am lucky to have a press in my home and therefore either a little or a great deal of each day is happily spent in my studio. 

Gustavo Hannecke

I was born in Argentina where I lived half of my life. In 1992 I moved to Canada.  I also lived for 5 years in the USA. I travelled extensively for a 10-year period acquiring a significant multicultural background. 

I have university degrees in Mathematics and Physics and worked mostly in the IT/Computing fields until 2001 when, for health reasons, I decided to retire from the high-stress world and follow my passion: arts and social advocacy.  

Arts run in my blood from both: my father’s and mother’s sides. I was born in a house with a dark room! I’m also a 4th generation photographer (as far back as I can trace it) and grew up in environments of painters, photographers and theatre actors.  

Past exhibits include galleries and exhibits in Ottawa (Ont), Toronto (Ont), Montreal (Qbc) and Vancouver (BC).

As a photographer and artist, I focus mostly on portraiture, nature, artistic nudes and Advocacy art: Anti-imperialism/colonialism, antipoverty, antiracism, gender rights, Gay & HIV anti-stigmatization, and visualization of marginal social sectors. I always look for an expression of beauty in the art I am working on. 

As a teacher, I focus mostly on the communication of the student’s personal exploration in regard to the photography or art being taught. 

My web site is https://www.gustavo1960.ca/

Deidre Hierlihy

Deidre received her B.A. and Bachelor of Education from Queen’s University. After graduation, she received a bursary from Graff Centre de Conception Graphique in Montreal where she worked as an artist in residence for one year. She continued her printmaking studies in Japan, learning Japanese wood art from Akiru Kurosake. Recently she spent one month printmaking at Sparkbox. She has exhibited her prints in Japan, Montreal, Toronto and Ottawa. Deidre has been teaching at the Ottawa School of Art since 1988, in the Diploma, General, and Children’s Program. She is currently the Coordinator of the Children’s/teen Department.

Robert Hinchley

Robert Hinchley is a graduate of the Ontario College of Art. His paintings and prints have been shown in many exhibitions both nationally and internationally. Painting trips in Canada and especially the Ottawa Valley offer Rob an endless source of inspiration.His unique approach to printmaking combines painterly and experimental methods to this timeless graphic form. A selection of his prints was presented as gifts from Canada to the world leaders that attended the APEC summit in Vancouver.

Maya Hum

Maya Hum, originally from the Maritimes, moved to Ottawa to pursue her BA Honours degree in Music and Sonic Design at Carleton University. She furthered her studies at the Ottawa School of Art, and was awarded the Robert Hyndman Painting & Drawing Scholarship. Soon after, Maya exhibited her work and secured her first Artist Residency in Toronto.

In 2010, Maya completed her graduate studies in Professional Illustration and was selected for the City of Ottawa’s Artist Studio Program the following year. Her passion for illustration and design has led to her work being featured in publications, campaigns, and exhibitions across Canada, including public murals in Ottawa and the Gatineau Hills, Quebec.

Maya’s art is deeply inspired by stories that prioritize the well-being for individuals, communities, and the environment. She delights in creating nature-based settings that strike a delicate balance between reality and imagination, inviting viewers into a whimsical and thought-provoking world.

With over 10 years of teaching experience at the Ottawa School of Art, Maya remains dedicated to providing comfortable and encouraging environments for her students. For more information, visit www.mayahum.com.

Naz Ikramullah

Born in London, England, Naz holds a Fine Arts degree from Byam Shaw School, with post-graduation studies in Lithography from Slade in London. She studied etching with Michael Ponce de Leon, visiting Artist from Pratt Institute NY in Karachi. Her work is part of many collections both nationally and internationnally, and has also been exhibited worldwide. Naz designed and wrote a filmstrip for the NFB film “Making Faces” which won 1st prize for Art Education in Oakland California in 1989. She has recently completed a film regarding Cultural Life of Muslim Women of the Indian Sub-Continent. Naz teaches painting and printmaking at the Ottawa School of Art.

Marika Jemma

Marika Jemma has been a visual artist in professional practice for more than 20 years, beginning with her first solo show: Journey To The Temple (Victoria, B.C.) in 1991. Marika works primarily in the mediums of sculptural installation and video, combining natural and manufactured objects to create culturally astute statements that cut to the heart of what matters.

Born 1963 in West Toronto, enduring a non-descript Catholic childhood and surviving the banality of a whitewashed suburban existence in the pursuit of modest personal debt, Marika left home at 17 to experience the joys of minimum wage, public transportation and a series of rooming houses in various dissociated communities in southern Ontario.

An independent learner, Marika has explored the public libraries of most of the major cities in Canada.

On a rainy day in 1982, Marika moved to Vancouver Island where she spent the next 11 years pursuing a series of odd-jobs (including theatrical production, sound and lighting), training as a carpenter and finally graduating from art school in 1991.

In 1993, Marika drove back across the country in a 1973 Toyota Corolla, dropped the muffler on a raised railway bed in southern Saskatchewan and ran out of gas in Ottawa and has been here ever since.

Marika teaches teen sculpture and mixed media, as well various summer camps at the Ottawa School of Art.

Farouk Kaspaules

Since 1999 Farouk Kaspaules taught Integrated Processes and Silk Screen & Beyond courses to students enrolled in the Diploma program and General program. Farouk teaches Van Dyke Brown and Cyano processes, as well as Silk Screen and Photo Silk Screen techniques. 

David Kearn

From an early age, David was captivated by both art and science. He chose a career in Aerospace Engineering and was awarded the Royal Aeronautical Society Prize for his undergraduate studies. Prior to embracing the world of art, David had a successful career in Aerospace and Information Technology. He continues his association with the engineering profession as a Chartered Engineer.

David’s innate love of art drew him to creating and teaching. For the past 14 years, David has taught at the Ottawa School of Art. He has also developed a successful visual arts workshop practice in partnership his spouse France. Together, they have completed over 150 Break-a-Brush® workshops and courses. Their studio, plein-air and on-line programs are a hit with novices and experienced artists alike and David is in demand with clubs and private groups throughout the region.

David published his first book “Eighteen Pieces” in 2021 and a second “One Summer along the Trans Canada Trail – Plein-air Painting in Ottawa-Gatineau” earlier this year. David and France are currently working on a third publication, scheduled for release in 2024.

Shannon Kennedy (Cynosure Jewelry)

Shannon graduated in 1996 from the Ontario College of Art and Design and furthered her jewelry making skills by attending George Brown’s Jewelry Arts Program from 1996 to 1998. She and her partner launched Cynosure Jewelry at Globe Studios in 2000. Recognition for her artwork has come in the form of several awards and nominations. Shannon finds the most enjoyment from designing her uniquely expressive pieces and exhibiting at galleries. www.cynosure-jewelry.com

Anna Krak Kepka

Anna Krak-Kepka is a full-time visual artist and art educator. Anna is primarily known for her unique and rare talent with color. Her paintings are full of enchantment of the world of dream and magic. Her work touches us with the most intimate personal experience. She speaks with an artistic language which opens the way to her individuality.

Anna studied at the Faculty of Interior Design and the Faculty of Painting in Academy of Fine Arts in Cracow-Poland, where she received her Master’s Degree in Fine Arts. After university graduation she continued her artistic education in Rome, Italy. She also completed studies in Pedagogic Profile and Computer Graphic Design at University of Toronto.

Anna Krak-Kepka is the recipient of numerous awards and honors. Her works can be found in arts galleries, private art collections and public places in Canada, USA, Mexico, Germany, Italy, Poland, Hungary, and Holland.

Yves Larocque

Yves M. Larocque holds B.A.s in Visual Arts and Theory of Arts from the University of Ottawa, a M.A. in Art History from the Université de Montréal, a D.E.A. and a Doctorate in Art History from the Sorbonne (Université de Paris I). He is also a painter, a renowned art instructor and a guest professor. In the course of the last 28 years at the School, Yves learned how to get the best from his students, knowing that only passion, dedication and goodness are the sole instruments of success; may it be in painting or art history. Content, concept and context are the key elements of his teaching, closely knit together with technique and know how. His works have been shown in Spain, Italy, and Canada. To know more about Yves click: www.walkthearts.com or you can subscribe to his blog at walkthearts.wordpress.com

Jim Lawrence

Jim Lawrence grew up in Nova Scotia  Although science (environmental chemistry) became his profession, he was never far from the arts. While studying at Dalhousie University, he took evening courses in painting at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design. After moving to Ottawa he continued to take evening courses in painting. In recent years, Jim has returned to his love of wood sculpture. Nature inspires most of Jim’s art, whether realistic or abstract. He prefers to challenge the viewer with unusual designs and subject matter.

Jim is a member of the National Capital Network of Sculptors and has participated in group shows with them ( the Canadian Museum of Nature, the Dimensions Sculpture Exhibit, Archives Canada, Kanata Civic Art Gallery) as well as the Shenkman Centre and  Figureworks. He is also a member of the Outaouais Wood Carvers Club and has won a number of prizes at the National Capital Carving Competition including Best of Show in 2013 and 2017. Jim has given presentations on his work to the Outaouais Wood Carvers Club and the West Carleton Arts Soc. He teaches wood sculpture at the Ottawa School of Art and has participated in Instructors Art  Shows at the School.

Alena Liapko

I finished an Art School in Minsk, Belarus, then graduated from Easel Graphic Arts Department of Belarusian Academy of Arts. Throughout my academic studies my artistic abilities were recognised by my teachers and peers, and after graduation I was awarded a grant from Creative Academic Studios. At the same time, I was teaching drawing at Belarusian Academy of Arts.

Later I discovered my current interest in the field of watercolour. I developed a unique combination of using a transparent watercolour and an oil pastel together, which gives to my paintings so intense and colourful look.

Now I have been living in Ottawa Area with my husband and kids. We are enjoying to be outside as much as possible, and not surprising it has got an impact on my art. In a big part of my works I depict vibrant views from different places of Ottawa and Outaouais Region.

Yulia Lisitsyna

In her more than 25 years-spinning practice of a watercolour artist, graphic and ornamental designer, she put her skills and experience into teaching at Ottawa School of Art (since 2016), where she shares with students her ability to create lustful watercolours, to explore the picturesque manner, applying with bold and colourful acrylic brushstrokes and precise, meticulous drawings.

Her first steps in the professional art career happened to become visible during her “previous life” in Moscow, Russia, as she mentions her studies in the Fine Art college, years that she practiced as a ceramic artist, co-owner of a ceramic art studio and an artist, working on the permanent contract with a Paleontological Museum in Moscow. “International exhibitions, big projects in Germany, Sweden, UK, Canada, US, guided and supported by the local municipalities, all that steps and accomplishments made me feel more familiar with modern, contemporary trends and tendencies, dominating around the globe – and I will be so glad to bring all these nuances to my artworks, to share all that with my students and with my audience,” – she said.

Since the 2017, right after she got her international credentials re-evaluated and enhanced in Ottawa School of Art, she has been also teaching in the Glebe Community Centre and in the Abbotsford House. “The moments when our attendees feel that their accomplishments look really professional, striking or worth exposing around Ottawa, are such the best outcome that every art instructor ever dreamed of; that is why we do our creative researches, explore variety of techniques, just to have a chance to share it with all of our students” – she says.

Heather MacDonald

Ink painting is a sensual experience…it engages all the senses and completely captures my attention. Ink has its own way of moving and creating a bond between the brush, the paper and the mind and heart of the painter. Ink has life.

My fascination with the medium of ink as it is used in Chinese and Japanese art is a passion that began many years ago. In 1999, I began formal study of Japanese calligraphy and sumi-e with Sensei Tomoko Kodama, who was also my honoured mentor for teaching, and continued my studies later on with other master artists Sensei Kaz Tanahashi, Sensei Hekuin Oda of the Oda Calligraphy School in Illinois, and Master Rujin Qin in Ottawa. Since 2010, I’ve been teaching at the Ottawa School of Art and I hold seasonal workshops or short courses at the upstairs studio at East Wind, as well elsewhere in my community.

My focus remains firmly rooted in the traditional practices of shodo (Zen calligraphy) but I am always working to create new pieces and explore new avenues of expression in both shodo and sumi-e (ink painting). There are strong elements of impressionism in this genre, and of the gestural, and the avant-garde. It is the power of line. Both shodo and sumi-e have moved beyond the traditional use of rice papers to include other surfaces such as print-making papers and canvas; in addition to water-based mediums, acrylics are also being used in this genre.

But the new has not displaced the old, however; traditional methods inform and support the contemporary approaches. Old and new methods co-exist peacefully and continue to excite.

An ‘underground’ interest in North America is becoming more mainstream as once distant cultures move closer together.

Teaching sumi-e and calligraphy has led me to so many joyful moments with my students, and I thank them for sharing their achievements with me as we journey together in The Way of the Brush.   www.TheWayofTheBrush.com

Faezeh Maleki

 I am Faezeh Maleki, I studied print, textile and fashion design .My love for painting and textiles has driven me to excel in the art of batik painting and textile design. I’ve proudly presented my work in exhibitions worldwide, including Europe. Additionally, my passion has inspired me to share my knowledge, and I possess over 5 years of teaching experience in this creative domain.In my opinion, art means to depict, and this depiction is reflected by creativity in the composition of details. For me, details are very important and give birth to the soul in artwork. I like to think of art different and I love to open a new window of the world of fashion for you. Also, learn you to become unique in your style ,customize your dress and make a fabulous home decor for your self and the other.”

Sharon Mintz

Her first career was as a registered nurse with a postgraduate diploma in psychiatry. She was always interested in art, and started her BFA at the University of Manitoba. She then completed her education at Concordia University with a BFA in Art Education, and an MA in Art Therapy. In Ottawa, she maintains a private practice, gives motivational talks and workshops, and teaches at the OSA.

Wendy Moir 

Wendy earned her MA in art history from Carleton university and a BAH in art history and English literature at Queen’s University. She is passionate about art education and has taught visual literacy at galleries in Kingston, Halifax and Ottawa since 2003.

Maria Moldovan

Maria Moldovan was born in Romania. She started her visual education in the High School of Arts, Sf. Gheorghe, her hometown, in a class specialized in painting. After 4 years of painting she has chosen to study ceramic art at the University of Arts and Design in Cluj Napoca. She made this decision because she was attracted by three-dimensional art but she couldn’t give up the colors. So it seemed to be the perfect solution to have sculpture and painting at the same time.

Painting and ceramic art fluctuates through her life since then. There are longer periods of time dedicated for painting and than for ceramic art.

Starting from 2008 she is involved in projects related to children’s illustration as well. There are five books so far published with her illustrations.

Maria moved with her family in Canada in 2013.

Andrea Mossop

A rich balance of experience as an artist and as a teacher, with her background in art history and her passion for painting, has shaped Andrea Mossop’s reputation for depth of knowledge and breadth of imagination in teaching and lecturing. Originally from Toronto, Andrea has a B.A. from the University of Western Ontario, followed by advanced studies in drawing and painting from the Ontario College of Art. Andrea teaches intensive two-day long workshops at the OSA Orleans Campus.

Lindy Nadarajah

Lindy has been an Art instructor at the Ottawa School of Art for over 15 years.

Lindy was a self-employed consultant for the Federal Government, a Federal Government employee and an Account Manager for various Information Technology Consulting groups. After a significant life event, she returned to her first calling: that of an artist.

Public spirit and advocacy for art are her passions. She volunteered her time on the Board of Directors at the Visual Arts Centre, Orléans (VACO), as an art curator for VACO Art Gallery, the CS Alterna Bank Branches in the Ottawa, Promenade Arteast in the Shenkman Center, Trinity Gallery, and City of Ottawa. Lindy Nadarajah was President of Arteast Ottawa for 2 years as well as a member of the Executive Committee of Arteast for many years.    

She also participated in such events as Festivarts, Cumberland Farmer Market, Petrie Island and the Ottawa Tulip Festival. She also organized many Outreach projects with Ottawa Public and Catholic Schools through Arteast Ottawa.

Patti Normand

Patti Normand has been a professional artist for over twenty years. She has worked professionally for many years as a sculptor and model maker for area museums, notably the Children’s Museum and the Canadian Museum of Civilization where her creations can be seen throughout the museum. She has also maintained her own artistic practice of painting and sculpting, exhibiting in local galleries, and has a love of teaching and teaches on a regular basis for the Ottawa School of Art’s Outreach Program.

There is no Instructor for this section. 

Shannon Pot

Shannon graduated with a Visual Arts Drawing Major and a SPACE (Social Practice and Community Engagement) Minor from Emily Carr University. She is inspired by the learning curves of new mediums and finding community and connection through art practices. She
experiments with drawing, painting, collage, videography, sound design, animation, poetry and prose. Reoccurring themes in her work include queerness in nature and body, landscapes of the mind, narration, critical theory and art therapy.

John-David Powell

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Gilles Rainville

An artist and illustrator, Gilles has a passion for producing imaginative ideas. For the last nine years, he has been inspiring children in his classroom with art history, drawing, painting and sculpting techniques, as well as animation, cartooning and illustration lessons. He is a self-published author and a published illustrator. He aspires to pass on his passion for art to everyone he teaches. www.grainfed.wordpress.com

Gamal Rahman

Gamal began to explore nature using his inner eye to reveal the hidden beauty of flowers, trees and the rhythm of water. He shares that with humanity using his camera and his knowledge of acrylic paint on canvas.

“When I walk I see the life in flowers, trees and in water. The light and shadows are dancing. The colours and movement create music in life. This symphony never ends. All you need is to open your eyes and your heart to see it. It is there. Can you see it?” 

Erin Maura Robertson

Erin Robertson is a sculptor and painter who explores figurative and environmental themes through the inventive use of a variety of materials, primarily oils, acrylics, resins, ceramics, papier-mâché and bronze. Her art is marked by its whimsical and subversive play on everyday idioms, domesticity, landscape and mythology.

Robertson is a graduate of Ontario College of Art and Guelph University.She exhibits in private and public galleries. Her work can be found in various collections in Canada and abroad, including the City of Ottawa, the Crown Collection, Stornoway residence and has been awarded several public art commissions.She is a founding member of Blink Gallery Collective, Fieldwork Collective and is an instructor in the diploma program at the Ottawa school of art.

Valerie Ryan

Valerie Ryan, B.F.A. (Queen’s University), M.F.A. (University of Saskatchewan), has been teaching art to children and adults for over 25 years. From 1990 to 2009, Valerie worked as a very knowledgeable tour guide and an outstanding studio instructor at the National Gallery of Canada. She has received Artist in the School and projects grants. Valerie’s colourful and expressive landscape paintings are in the collection of the City of Ottawa, External Affairs, Canada, as well as many corporate and private collections.

Krystyna Sadej

Krystyna is mostly known as a tapestry artist, and this woven medium has greatly influenced her mixed-media art. These texture-rich works reflect her own unique philosophy: “The best thing you can do as an artist, is to allow yourself looseness of expression. Run away from conventional forms and landscapes by creating new relationships with traditional technique, colour and media.” Originally from Poland, she has exhibited her works internationally over the last 30 years, and her art is owned by collectors in Europe, Canada and the USA. www.krystynasadej.com

Ruth Secunda

A visual and performance artist returned to her hometown of Ottawa in 2002. Prior to leaving, she helped to establish “85 Clarence,” a noted artist cooperative that contributed to a growing local visual arts community. After five years in Montreal, Ruth was awarded a Canada Council Writing Grant, which took her to the Banff School of Fine Arts. Following the completion of her project, she remained a Banff resident for the next 16 years. She helped to establish the Banff Arts Council, Banff First Night Celebrations and various visual arts projects. She also received a Governor General’s Caring Canadian award for her community work in 2001. Since her return to Ottawa, she became a Board member of the Council for the Arts in Ottawa. She currently teaches at the Ottawa School of Art where she conducts mixed media classes to adults and children. She is actively involved in numerous solo and group exhibitions.

Kirk Sutherland

Kirk Sutherland is a Toronto-based Canadian artist. He has exhibited his work under the representation of many art galleries internationally over the last 30 years. Many of his pieces are included in both private and corporate collections globally. Sutherland graduated with high honours from the Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCADU) in 1991, majoring in Contemporary Art and Drawing and Painting from the Faculty of Experiential Arts. Kirk Sutherland is a renowned colourist who was born with synesthesia. This blending of senses very much enhances his perception of colour and his overall creative process. Kirk Sutherland is also known for working with the Hollywood Film Industry, creating and designing public art in urban environments and working with the music industry creating album cover designs.

Guillermo Trejo

Guillermo Trejo was born in Mexico City and has a BFA from Bellas Arts School of Painting, Sculpture and Printmaking. His first subject after emigrating to Canada in 2007 was a serie of drawings inspired by characters from Canadian newspapers. As he tries to understand the “multicultural” landscape in Canada, he likes to draw plants and make prints of people. His profound understanding of art history is reflected in his contemporary work. He currently teaches printmaking and drawing at the Ottawa School of Art.

Janet Tulloch

Janet divides her time between her work as an adjunct research professor in Carleton University’s College of Humanities and her practice as a fibre artist. Janet has studied with Fiona Duthie (Salt Spring Island, BC) and taken workshops with Moy McKay (Scotland), and Catherine O’Leary (Australia).

Janet’s fibre art has been exhibited at the Mississippi Valley Textile Museum, the 2018 Felting Symposium & Exhibition in Nova Scotia, and in OSAO’s instructors’ exhibitions. In 2019, she will be a guest artist at Arts on Main Gallery in Picton, Prince Edward County.

Janet works in 2 and 3D combining wet-felting, needle-felting and stitching. She loves to incorporate untreated fleece from Shetland and Orkney. Her wearable art practice includes cowls, scarves, berets and jewelry. She draws on her Orcadian heritage, the sea, and domestic history for her imagery.

You can find her work @fibrelass on Facebook and Instagram.

There is no Instructor for this section.

There is no Instructor for this section.

Ian Wade

Ian is a sculptor and artist working with clay since 2016 who has been teaching his practice in workshops and classes since 2020. Ian’s work focuses on people and characters seeking to bring life to them in three dimensions. He has graduated from De La Salle High School’s “Centre d’Excellence Artistique” and studied at Ontario College of Art and Design in Toronto. 

Lindsay Watson

Lindsay Watson is a contemporary oil painter, based in Ottawa, who finds inspiration in the world around her.   Starting with photographs, (all her own), of the small, strange, or strangely beautiful moments of her life, such as toys strewn on the floor, kitchen scenes, or landscapes, Watson upcycles this imagery into contemporary oil paintings that range from nearly abstract to photorealistic.  Using brushes, palette knives, squeegees, spatulas, or whatever else she can find in her kitchen, Watson takes a fresh approach to a classical art form.

Influenced by genre painters, such as Vermeer and Mary Pratt, Watson believes that all emotions can be expressed through simple imagery.  As such, she combines light, colour, and paint application with everyday scenes, to make works that are at times playful, tender, or brooding. 

Watson is a BFA graduate of the University of Ottawa who has shown in several venues in Ottawa, Kingston and Toronto. 

There is no Instructor for this section.

There is no Instructor for this section.

There is no Instructor for this section.