Artist Of The Month
Calling all nominations!
If you know an artist with an artistic talent and deserves to be recognized please nominate them!
Call Jen at 834-6617 or send us an email to crbyarts@wcgwave.ca
* Artists under 18 years of age will have to have the permission of a parent/guardian.
Past "Recognized" Artists
Susana Danyliuk
Susana Danyliuk
has been chosen our Artist of the month!
Susana moved to Carberry in the late 80’s to early 90’s, and has
been the librarian at R.J. Waugh Elementary School for the past 10
years. She has been interested in Art her entire life, but did not have
the opportunity to pursue her creativity until later, as art was frowned
upon in her family. Other than painting, Susana is a passionate dressage
horse rider, coach, and trainer.
Art is not just an interest for Susana; it is part of who she is.
Susana took 1 year of commercial Art and found that
this was not the path she would like to follow.
In 2000 she went to a Shirley Brown art show that intrigued her.
Three artists met with Susana and she was accepted as a ‘mentee’.
The other artists taught her a lot of different things that she
had not learned in the past, like the stretching of canvas, for example.
In July of 2008 she was awarded the “Community connections & access
grant” to be mentored one on one by a painter, whose name is Fay Jelly.
This grant made it financially possible for Susana to work.
Recently, Susana was accepted by ‘Mawa’ which is ‘Mentoring
Artists for Women’s Art’.
This pilot is a mentorship program through rural and remote foundation
that runs between March and August of 2009.
Susana is excited to get started with this.
She has also been requested to teach, but is not ready at this
time, it will be a possible future endeavor.
Susana’s inspiration to paint comes from an
“emotional hook”, an event; it has to mean something to her.
If she is “emotionally hooked” the painting is better, in her
opinion. Living in the
country has always been a dream of Susana’s and this is definitely one
of the key inspirations to her painting.
She says the only downside is that she does not have as much
access to an artistic community that someone in an urban center may
have. Susana says that she
doesn’t have one specific style but she loves color.
She was described as an ‘intuitive expressionist’ by university
professor Michael Boss, who is also a renowned Manitoba artist.
Susana says that the “process” is not relaxing; in fact it is
very focused and intense!
Once a painting is accomplished she describes this as very fulfilling
and pure relief! Initially
she keeps her paintings around her home in plain view so that she can
“live with them” for awhile, then she moves on.
Susana’s paintings are mostly in private
collections. The Manitoba
government owns one of them.
She doesn’t put her paintings in juried shows, as much as she should.
It is not whether she wins or not, it is more about the learning
process, allowing her to be around other artists, and finding new
inspiration.
I asked Susana what advice she would give to an inspiring artist and she said “Don’t be so hard on yourself; it’s about the process and the joy it brings you.”
Laurissa Recunyk has
been chosen our Artist of the month! I recently had the pleasure of
meeting the delightful Laurissa, who lives in Carberry with her family;
she is 11 years old and is in grade 5, at Carberry Collegiate!
Laurissa started dancing at the age of 4. She began with Ballet at the “Brandon School of Dance” and took some lessons in Carberry! When Laurissa was 6 she switched disciplines and started to dance Tap and Jazz at “Steppin’ Time Dance” studio, in Brandon. Laurissa dances for an hour and a half each week and is currently in Junior 2 Jazz and Tap 2-3, instructed by Kristen Yuel! Each Year Laurissa performs in a large recital that takes place in May. She also has danced in the Brandon festival of the Arts every year since being a student at “Steppin’ Time Dance Studio”! At each Festival, Laurissa is judged by a panel of adjudicators where she competes against other dancers with her class. On Thursday February 26th and Sunday March 1st, 2009 Laurissa performed in the festival with her class and they were awarded 3rd in Jazz and 4th in Tap! Way to go Laurissa!!
Besides Dance, Laurissa has been taking Piano with Miss Klassen, the music teacher at R.J. Waugh, and is in her second year. Swimming is another thing she really enjoys!
I asked Laurissa what advice she would give to someone just learning to dance, and she said “If you’re in front of an audience, keep your head up, work hard and stay sharp!”
Anne Fallis
Anne Fallis has been chosen our Artist of the month! I was given the pleasure of meeting with Anne. We sat at Rays Diner, each with a cup of tea, and I was intrigued by her story. It was exciting to hear about her life, and I was truly fascinated by all of the experiences, that she has had, throughout the years!
Anne was born and raised in Carberry. At the young age of 17, Anne began her journey. She moved to Winnipeg to study art at The University of Manitoba Art School. Anne did a residency in North Carolina during the summer, between her 3rd and 4th year, then soon graduated and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. After her years of Art School, Anne lived in many different cities and communities, before she settled in New York City, where she stayed for 33 years. Anne made the move back to Carberry, in September of 2006.
Anne has taught various workshops and classes throughout her career as a potter. She has taught workshops in Chicago, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Alberta, among many others. Recently she held a workshop in Brandon. These Pottery workshops can be hands on or demonstrations. She said that they often begin as hands on and turn into a demonstration, either way; they are a way to learn and discover the art and techniques of pottery. Anne has also taught weekly classes and is currently teaching here in Carberry, on Tuesday evenings!
Anne’s pots have been displayed in many various locations; I was personally impressed to find that she has displayed and sold her pieces at the shop in the Guggenheim Museum uptown and downtown, as well as at a gallery called Contempory Porcelain in Soho, both in New York City. The “Stoneware Gallery” in Winnipeg is a co op that Anne is a partner of. She is currently displaying and selling her pieces at the gallery, she also has pieces in Portage La Prairie, at the Brandon Art Gallery, and here in Carberry, at Penny Rosa! Anne has a studio attached to the back of her home overlooking her garden, where she works and displays her pottery; she also has pots throughout her house and regularly uses them.
Anne remembers beginning to draw in the first grade and presumed that this was probably her first memory, of becoming interested in Art. Anne was surrounded by creative people for as long as she can remember, so I got the feeling that Art was something that she was destined to have in her life. She is inspired by nature. A lot of her pieces have sticks (driftwood), natural shapes & colors. She says that her life inspires her work. She says that although she doesn’t necessarily find pottery relaxing, it is motivating and she is always ready to get into the studio!
Besides pottery, Anne likes to read and spend time in her garden. She likes to travel and is planning a trip to the Arctic, in July, to hike for a week! I asked Anne what advice she would give an aspiring artist and she said, “Spend as much time as possible in the studio”.
Coffee House!
This month, I would like to highlight all of the artists & entertainers that graced us with their talent, at the “Coffee House” event, held Saturday May 2nd, 2009. It was so exciting to have such a variety of entertainment and really gave me and those in attendance, a clear view of how many talented people, we have living right here, in our community!
The evening began with the Frederiksen sisters, Samantha and Nicole, playing a piece each on the beautiful grand piano. Samantha continued to dazzle us with her pretty voice and a monologue that was touching and well delivered.
Next, we were delighted to have Becky Nikolaisen, who flawlessly presented a vocal, while she accompanied herself, on the piano.
At this time, we called up our young aspiring singers Amy Schneider, Sydney Bateman, Abby Jones, and Shylan Sinclair, who performed a Taylor Swift song, “Our Song” with confidence and enthusiasm. Way to go girls!
Followed by this Becky Nikolaisen returned to the stage, this time with her husband Jerrold and they delighted us with a duet! The talented duo sang together, Jerrold played guitar and Becky kept the beat with a drum, what a talented couple!
Seth Recunyk, who made his way to the stage on crutches, charmed us with his harmonica playing. He has only been playing for a short while, but seemed to have a good grasp, on his instrument and delivered a confident and appealing performance.
Now it was time to step away from the instruments and step on to the dance floor! Tillie Harpelle is a seasoned clogger and impressed us, with her dance steps. I was amazed by her vigor and well choreographed routines. This style of dance is very high energy and Tillies dedication and physical ability was clear.
Next we introduced a musical group that was recommended by one of our own community members. The group of three, travelled from Treherne to play for us. Keith Gorrie and Fred Mansfield were on the Banjos, Devona Sherman played the Piano and they all sang! The group was well rehearsed and had a great vibe.
Soon after this lively group, Erica Muirhead hit the stage, with her acoustic guitar and smooth voice. Erica sings without effort and in my opinion, she has a natural ability to attract her audience.
Isaac and his “Jest Sticks”, was very enjoyable to watch. Isaac had excellent stage presence and charisma. He genuinely loves his craft and was thrilled to share his talent, with anyone wanting to learn. Following this, we were captivated by Lynette Didur and her group of Belly Dancers. These local ladies and their instructor had the audience’s full attention when they entered, from all different areas of the hall, in a mysterious way. The dancers were well prepared, did a fantastic job, and looked great in their costumes!
Next to take the spotlight was Stuart Olmstead, whose character and sense of humor, makes him a natural on stage. Stuart has a remarkable voice and a personality to match. I found Stuart a delight to listen to and thought that his choice of familiar songs was just what we needed, at this point in the show!
Tillie returned to the stage, but this time she put away her clogging shoes and drew our interest, with her yodeling. This talented woman had our toes tapping, as she thrilled us with her upbeat songs!
Ivory Leifso
Ivory Leifso has been chosen our “Artist of the
month”! Ivory moved to
Carberry, just shy of, two years ago.
She is a vibrant 16 year old that is currently in the 10th
grade, at Carberry Collegiate.
She has been interested in Art her entire life, and says that she
believes that she loved to draw from the time that she could manage to
hold a pencil. Ivory’s first
choice is drawing, but she is also enthralled in painting, as well, and
has quite the talent for both! Other than visual art, Ivory loves to
listen to music and has been playing the Clarinet, for the past 4 years.
When she is not drawing or involved in music you can usually find Ivory
curled up with a great book!
Ivory took some formal art classes, in school, up
until about the 8th grade, but nothing further than that.
She expresses an interest in taking some formal training, in the
future, to help improve her techniques.
She is confident in herself as an artist as she is, but knows
that the more experience and knowledge you have can only make you a
better artist and sometimes can give you new ideas or inspiration!
Ivory’s art is inspired by many things.
She conveyed to me that when she listens to music or reads,
something appealing, it will often come out in her drawing or painting.
She also informs me that what she draws or paints is very much
dependant on what is going on in her life, at the time.
Her art always shows that emotion in an obvious way, with bright
bold colors or dark hard lines, for example.
Ivory has had her art work displayed in a few
school libraries, in the past, but only recently was invited to present
her work here, in Carberry.
She was honored to put her art up to exhibit, at Studio Forty Eight.
She accredited Mary Baron and Jennifer Henderson, for giving her
this opportunity! She also
tells me that recently she has just sold her first painting and is
ecstatic about this.
Hopefully, this is the beginning of something grand for her!
I asked Ivory what advice she would give to an aspiring artist and she said “Don’t ever let anyone tell you that what you’re painting or drawing isn’t right, because if it’s yours, its right … no one else can decide that for you!”
Anne-Christin Baron
Anne-Christin Baron has been chosen our Artist of
the month! I met with Anne
over a cup of tea, in her kitchen.
I recently noticed Anne’s photography at the Library, where her
work was on display, for the month of September!
Anne-Christin has a true love of
photography, which is obvious when you look at her photographs, as they
are beautiful. It doesn’t
seem to matter what she is shooting, from flowers to horses to pastures,
they all capture the true essence of there significance.
Anne was born in Sweden, 1956.
She came to Canada in 1977, as a farm exchange student, for the
summer. In 1980, Anne moved
to Carberry permanently and has been here, in the Carberry area, ever
since. Anne says she has
always had a love of photography.
She purchased her first camera when she was 12 years old, it was
a “Kodak Instamatic” and up until very recently, she still had it lying
around. Currently Anne-Christin
has a much more updated camera and has used it well.
With the luxury of the newer digital cameras, sometimes she takes
10 or 15 pictures of the same item. The picture is taken at different
angles, which is something she says she likes to do, as this gives her
the opportunity to pick and choose what she likes.
She will often rid the ones she does not like right away, but
sometimes keeps a few different shots to compare and contrast. Anne-Christin
has taken pictures all around the world; across Canada, some in the
United States, Sweden, throughout Europe, Australia and New Zealand,
just to name a few.
Anne has not had any formal training but, in my
opinion, certainly does have a special talent and a great eye!
She is mostly self taught, but does reminisce about having some
informal lessons from another student, in high school, that was taking a
photography class. When Anne first came to Canada, she joined the
Brandon Camera Club, but no longer is a member. Anne once developed her
own black and white photos, but now sends them out for development.
She has not sold any of her work to date, but has just recently
had her photos displayed, for the month of September, here at the
library in Carberry! Anne is looking forward to a displaying and selling
her photos, along with other local artists, at the former studio forty
eight, now owned by Cathy Drayson.
Please watch for the grand opening of Cathy’s coffee house!
Anne-Christin has a wonderful family and she tells
me that they all have worked with diverse styles of art, at one point or
another, throughout their lives.
Painting, drawing, braiding, and music are just some of the
things they have dabbled in.
Her family supports her love of photography and accepts the many photos
and photo albums, throughout the house.
Anne’s husband “Buck” and youngest son Lars teased her about the
amount of flower pictures they have seen over the years! This most
likely comes from her love of gardening! All in all, though, it was
obvious they appreciate her talent and are very supportive and proud of
her!
Anne-Christin has many other interests in her life.
She loves animals, particularly horses and dogs.
Anne adores reading and has a true appreciation for the outdoors
and nature! Anne has
travelled extensively and really seems to enjoy photographing her
moments creating beautiful memories for all to enjoy.
I was fortunate enough to be able
to see some of her collection, of photos, and was impressed by how Anne
can take a simple flower or a pair of boots and photograph them in a way
that makes them beautiful!
She tells me that her family, friends and nature
inspires her pictures, but mostly it is just that she looks at something
and says “wow”. In my personal
opinion, I feel that Anne gets her inspiration from within herself and
is able to see beauty in almost anything. Anne displays her photos
throughout her house, as well in photo albums that she carefully puts
together. She has framed
photos, as well as the more personal fridge photos; which is something,
I'm sure, we can all relate to.
Anne has created some fabulous greeting cards, which I was able
to look at. She expressed to me that photography, for her, in very
relaxing, and you can just get lost in it while forgetting about
everything else around you.
The other great thing about it, in her opinion, is that you can snap a
picture in 1 minute, or spend 1 hour, or a whole 1 day, so it is
completely up to you! Her
husband jokes that it is not unusual for Anne to be running into the
house to get the camera, then right back out to capture that perfect
shot. Anne agreed!
Anne has never taught photography before, but would
be interested in teaching a digital photography course here in Carberry,
based on her knowledge of capturing a good shot.
She says that if this is something that we are able to provide,
she would like to have it be hands on experience, where students could
experiment with lighting, angles, and more, both inside and out.
I asked Anne-Christin what advice she would give an inspiring artist, and she said “Go for it, don’t be shy”.