Artists’ outdoor studio tour returns this month

A collage of artists' next to their artworks on a digital poster for the West End Studio Tour.
The West End Studio Tour is back this fall for its 27th year. Photo courtesy of WEST.

Submitted by Joanne Pasieka/WEST

The West End Studio Tour (WEST) team is delighted to host their fall tour this year. Now in its 27th year, the tour will take place Sept. 17-18 and Sept. 24-25. It will be a safe, open-air event: artists will display their work outdoors on their properties. The artists are excited and grateful to be revealing new pieces and look forward to meeting everyone.

A downloadable/printable map of the studio locations is available on the WEST website (westendstudiotour.ca), or the map in this Kitchissippi Times issue (pg. 37) can be torn out.

New on the tour

Abstract artist Judy Anderson is drawn to textured surfaces and bright colours. She has participated in the Buckhorn Festival of the Arts, Wall Candy, Art Fest in Toronto, Strathcona Art in the Park and Art on the Water, and has displayed at the Ottawa Art Gallery. She also has operated Curated Nest, a local art supply, decor and vintage-finds store.

Pippa Beck has been making mosaics for over 20 years. Inspired by the natural world, Beck often incorporates materials she finds on hikes, including stones and shells. “I absolutely love how ordinary pieces of glass, stone or ceramic can come together to create an effect that is much greater than the sum of its parts. For me, mosaic is a metaphor for community.”

An Nguyen uses vibrant colours and intricate composition to illustrate the rhythms and joys of modern life. Inspired by her travels and love of music, her geometric contemporary paintings capture musical concepts of cadence and rhythm in the movement of their fluid lines and shifting shapes. Her paintings have been featured in Ottawa galleries and public venues.

Returning artists

Lynette Chubb brings the ancient art form of stained glass into the space age with modern materials (sheet acrylic, glass paints, inlaid lead) and an innovative new process. Being unrestricted by traditional methods, Chubb’s all-original designs (reflecting both her Celtic heritage and her Canadian birthright) are unique in the field of window art.

Internationally recognized Margaret Chwialkowska works in oil. She paints “alla prima,” using a palette knife, permitting a loose, spontaneous style allowing texture to evolve naturally. The goal is to evoke the mood of a natural setting and to capture the feeling of being overwhelmed by the natural, almost magical beauty of a landscape.

Lenka Cutler specializes in oil painting and linocut printmaking. “Light is a constant influence,” Cutler says. “It shapes the story that unfolds.” Her work explores the human condition and our interaction with animals and our environment, often verging on nostalgic, with dream-like glimpses of movement and light.

Wendy Feldberg is a botanical ink artist. As well as prints and paintings, she makes inks, paints and paper from plants and foraged materials. “I like to make work that aims to capture the transient and fragile beauty of our natural world, and that alludes to the passing of time.” Feldberg grows native plants in her garden.

Deirdre Hierlihy works primarily in linocut and lithography. She loves the graphic quality of the dark ink on the light paper. Her recent work explores the interconnectedness of the natural environment with human activity. “My art-making celebrates the world around me: the urban landscape including natural and developed areas.”

David W. Jones is a professional Ottawa artist whose work has been displayed for more than 35 years across Canada and in other countries including Italy, Japan and the USA. He loves the outdoors and painting “en plein air” (in the open air) and his work reflects the mood and temperature of the environment. 

Mixed-media artist Maciek Peter Kozlowski has dynamic new works to present, including a series of colourful geometric landscapes. There are also six large, 60” by 60”, colourful abstract pieces. And of course he will present legacy pieces from the Poppies collection, the Ghosts and Aliens collection, and other collections.

Heather Lovat-Fraser paints abstracted vibrant street scenes of Ottawa and the valley. She tries to touch people’s heartstrings with wonderful Ottawa memories. “Art can mean many things to different people,” she says. “It can challenge you, excite you, provoke you and engage you.”

As a lifetime artist, Janie Jaehyun Park takes pure joy in transforming her state of mind into images. Whatever the subject is, her artwork is a delightful visual meditation.

Joanne Pasieka is a digital fine-art photographer. This past winter, she began using live edge wood as beautiful canvases for her wildlife photos. As well, she will unveil a series of fantasy composite prints titled “Changelings.” Her award-winning “Fern Unfurling” was displayed at Da Artisti Gallery during spring 2022. 

Jennifer Raby has been exploring the magical process of batik for more than 40 years, producing fine art through the use of textile dyes, various types of hot waxes, cottons, hemp, silk, linen bamboo and rayon. “My Batik process and techniques can best be compared to water colour, but much less forgiving,” she says. “Come join me. What a journey! I love to share.”

Manju Sah has been painting professionally for 30 years now.  She paints with oils, acrylics, and watercolours. “We are at a different time now; I find my process is still evolving. I have been trying to find bridges – between how I painted before the pandemic and what I discovered about painting during the lockdowns.”

Mixed-media artist Pamela Stewart uses modern and unexpected materials to create impactful, abstract expressionist works that will add drama and emotion to your space. She uses materials such as art resin, synthetic paper, alcohol inks and more in her work. Her work has been shown at art exhibitions and galleries across Ontario and Quebec.

Venz Vesselinov primarily paints oil on canvas. “I am lucky to have [had] the chance to draw, sculpt and paint all my life,” he says. “During the lockdown, I had a very productive year. I was able to create canvases I always wanted to make, and finally, I found the time to turn my inspiration and love of beautiful nature into creative work.”

Paula Mitas Zoubek has painted all her life. She has worked with painted, dyed, and batiked fabrics, some exceeding 12 feet. Now, she mainly works on wood and canvas. Her painting is combined with collage in a unique way. The development of ideas is the most exciting part of creation for her.

The WEST fall tour is free; the show runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 17-18 and Sept. 24-25.

For more information, please visit westendstudiotour.ca or contact Pamela Stewart at paminottawa@gmail.com

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