Ajax Creative Arts June 1 to July 6

Artists of Uxbridge July 6 to August 10

Ann Goldring, Pavla Horsak, Christine Chown, Judy Fountain, Don Thomas, Barbara Pechkovsky, Joanne Binns, Rosemary Sparks, Kathleen Baldry and Jane Butler

Diversity with Harmony
The Show presents local artwork by 10 artists in a variety of styles and mediums to:
• Showcase the Artists of Uxbridge group
• Highlight what a collection of random artists can create
• Encourage others to start, resume or continue to create art

Artists of Uxbridge is a local group of artists that meet regularly to foster artistic endeavours amongst members and in the community. It was formed over ten years ago and currently there are 14 members. In addition, the group promotes community events such as Uxbridge Celebration of the Arts by organizing the Art on the Fringe Festival and holds its own annual show.
Members’ artwork is in a variety of styles and mediums including watercolour, ink, oils, acrylic and pastels. The subject matter ranges from nature to still life to portraits and more, in both realistic and abstract styles.

Ramona Marquez-Ramraj ~ 2022

Ramona Marquez-Ramraj is an emerging self-taught visual artist that works with acrylic and other media that give her abstract and landscape art depth and texture. A native of Venezuela, her paintings feature bright, energetic colors; a reflection of her background.

The artist started to display her art in 2018 at various art juries shows where she received an award of excellence for her painting.

Ramona has donated a few of her paintings to promote students education. She lives in Pickering with her husband, two children and her dog.

My Art Simple and imperfect
a Creation of love for Color and Life ....

https://ramonagarabatoart.wixsite.com/website

Norman Smith ~ 2022

Norman Anthony Smith
August 2022 to Sept 14, 2022
Norman Anthony Smith is a local photographer/artist who has exhibited works of art throughout the City of Toronto and the Durham Region. In the last 10 years he has dedicated his time towards building a stronger community and has become an integral part of the Durham Region. He has served as a representative on the Recreation, Arts and Culture Committee for the Town of Ajax; was as an adjudicator for the All Saints Media Arts Program in Whitby; and, created the Rock the Block community art showcase, promoting local talented musicians and artists in Ajax. At present he spends a lot of his time as a competitive soccer coach for the Pickering Football Club, while balancing the life of a corporate, wedding and private event photographer. He has always taken great pride in giving back to the community and raising the spirits around him. Using multiple mediums such as oil on canvas, acrylic on canvas and photography, his art work is a reflection of his ideals about life and navigating society.

This exhibit of high gloss photos on metal at the McClean Community Centre in Ajax displays photos based on scenes captured in the world we have had to endure within the past two years. It embodies the feeling of hopelessness and hope that many of us faced while having to navigate our silent world.
https://www.normananthonysmith.com/

Ingrid Mc Donald

Ingrid Mc Donald

As a self-taught artist from the small island of St. Lucia, I found a sense of joy in drawing and painting. At a young age, I realized that creating calmed my fears and enabled me to express or hide emotions in a way that was safe and also fun. I am grateful to have been able to fully explore the gift of painting since I moved to Canada.

My creativity is a God-given gift. Drawing and painting have been the second strongest forces in my life and will continue to be. They keep my mind serene and focused. The joy of able to see beauty and capture it, or envision something in my head and bring it to life on paper or canvas has always given me a natural high. Although no single particular style of art predominates my creative work, I favour abstract art because of the mystery it holds. It fascinates me since it allows you to visualize what you want to see, and need to see or feel.

To me, art has always been a means to say what I feel, as loudly as I can, without making a sound. When I paint, I do my best to capture anything that appeals to my eyes and touch, whatever makes my heart dance with joy. I want every piece of art that I create to bring a flood of joy and a smile to every individual who comes in contact with my gift.

Inese Poga

Art is my passion and I have been painting, drawing and creating art for more than 5 decades. I have been teaching drawing and painting for more than 4 decades. I have my own art studio where I teach and paint. I am a self-taught artist for the most part. I am extremely good at drawing from reality and I have also photographic memory thanks to drawing.
I relocated to Canada in 2004, and had to start out from scratch once again because I couldn’t take anything much with me from my native country Latvia (Europe). All my art (more than 1,200 finished paintings) has been created between 2008 and now.
My style is best described as romantic realism, because my paintings often are rather emotional portraits of my surroundings than reality. I love mixing abstracted parts with realistic details.
I started to gain public exposure in Canada in 2010.
I opened my own art gallery in downtown Whitby in May 2010.
Since then, I was having in average 4 shows per year at my gallery.
I have also participated and had taken part in other events:
Solo exhibition in Toronto Beaches, April 1-30, 2011.
9th Annual Oshawa Art Association Spring Studio Tour in 2011
10th Annual Oshawa Art Association Spring Studio Tour in 2012
OAA 43 Juried Art Show: “Kitchen Symphony” and “Take a Rest” paintings in 2011
OAA 44 Juried Art Show: “Gifts of Summer” in 2012
Featured artist at the SilverStone Gallery in August 14 and 28 in 2011, I also gave watercolour demonstrations at the SilverStone Gallery, Pickering.
Two day event at my studio-gallery with Canada Culture Days in 2011
My painting “Farmers Market View”, full sheet watercolor, was published on the life style magazine “Nature Awakenings” cover in the USA in March 2012.
My painting “Summer fields”, large watercolor, was published on the life style magazine “Nature Awakenings” cover in the USA in October 2013. I sold many paintings due to this feature in the USA.
Fall Art festival at Camp Samac, September 2012.
Fall Art festival at Camp Samac, September 2013.
Canada Culture Days, 2-day event at my studio-gallery in September 2012.
Canada Culture Days, 3-day event at my studio-gallery in September 2013.
Canada Culture Days, 2-day event at my studio-gallery in September 2014.
I had my own art gallery in downtown Whitby up to June 2018.
I am a member of PRAC.
Between 2014 and 2018 I had health problems and many surgeries, yet, I kept painting whenever I could. I also had home care up to spring of this year. During this time due to mobility issues, I could not leave my house and participate in any events and shows.
I have given numerous art classes and workshops between 2010 and now, in average, 2-3 every week.
I'm also a life sciences specialist. I have Master's degrees in Pedagogy, Foreign linguistics and Psychology.
According to me, art should be uplifting, poetic, thoughtful, endlessly beautiful and always taking to a higher level of human experience. That’s at least my definition of art.
My art displays emotionally charged and enhanced captures of my favorite subjects: landscapes, still lives, flowers, plants and nature scenes. I don’t paint reality. I am painting and drawing my vision about me, us and the world we see around us. I do not use photos, but reality for inspiration and reference.
My art is displayed in private and public places in Latvia, private collections in Germany, vary many paintings in the USA and in Canada.

Juried Art Show

Featured Artists that have supported PRAC's
Art in Public Places Programme

Enid Roberts | Anne Labelle-Johnson and Tony Johnson | Hi-Sook Barker

Jocelyn Ball | Bob Thackeray | Hanneke Koonstra

Michael Peech | Don Hewitt | Hi-Sook Barker | Nancy Howell
Angela Hennessey | Jessen Sheridan | Bob Hinves