Ink October Contest 2019

Name:Valerie Sedore

Bio:I am a self taught artist but with the help of my many artist friends I have learned so much more. This painting was painted with liquid ink using a variety of manufactures.

Story:I was visiting my Mother when I spotted her poppies and thought them so beautiful I took a photo looking down upon the flowers. This photo is what inspired me to paint my Mother's poppies. PS this painting inspired my Mother to say, my garden, my flowers, my painting, and so it became her painting.

Name:Patricia Carriere

Bio:I have been studying art with Lise King for four years. Are has become my quiet friend where I can get lost in a contemplative space. I enjoy especially pen and ink but there is such a variety of mediums to try. I have much to learn and I enjoy the class times with a wonderful group of people who are also on their own journey. Everyone is encouraging. I love that our teacher believes in and challenges us to discover the hidden artists within.

Story:A picture of trees reaching for the sky. The perspective captured my attention. I loved the twisted branches which told a story of myself as one ages but still survives. The expression of gratitude of the trees as they reach to the heavens. as I drew the branches I was taken to a place of solitude where I was lost within myself as I moved the men on the paper. It was a fun piece for me. I called the picture “Reaching” It is 10”by14” Micron archival ink size 005 Pen and ink paper

Name:Adrienne Assinewai

Bio:Adrienne Assinewai is a Northern Ontario visual artist born and raised on Manitoulin Island. Being surrounded by so much nature and culture, she was inspired from a young age to express and share this beauty with others. Her award-winning work is executed in a variety of media and subject matter from needle felted sculptures to acrylic paintings. Always one to have several things on the go, her work ranges from small and whimsical to more detailed pieces. Now based in Sudbury, Adrienne creates from her studio at home which she shares with her husband and their feline overlord Stryder. As well as being an active member of the Modern Seven and Inside Out she also regularly participates in markets and exhibits throughout the year. Her work can be found online under the name RavenStar Studio.

Story:"Star Thrower" 18' diameter Acrylic, ink, & coloured pencil on canvas (M. Graham, Faber-Castell, Prismacolor, and Mont Marte respectively) What inspired me to create this piece was the pushing of boundaries. Firstly, I simply wanted to test and see how my chosen materials would react in relation to one another and push the concept of what some of these materials were designed to be used for. As for the subject matter, I wanted to create an image that blended reality with storytelling. I wanted the features of my deer creature to seem realistic but at the same time take on a more simplified illustrated approach such as one might see in old illuminated manuscripts. I explored the idea of a spiritual being that helped to create the cosmos, flinging stars and galaxies out into the void as it galloped across the vast expanse of space.

Name:Dawn Joy Ritchie

Bio:I'm a self-taught artist who never dreamed I could be an artist. I've been painting since I took a community night class in 1996 and drawing since 2001. It was that fateful day in 2001 when I decided to close my eyes and try to draw a cat that I embarked on my artist journey. I was so thrilled with the result I tried drawing other animals, this time with my eyes open. I like to work in acrylic on canvas, watercolour, ink, mixed media and digital. I'm a juried active member and show with the Federation of Canadian Artists. Besides my original paintings, for many years I've been selling my artwork as fridge magnets, greeting cards, and prints. I work from my imaginations and it always seems to come out whimsical. Lately I've been adding lots of detail to my paintings with black pen. I call them whimsical graffiti style. So much fun!

Story:Title: Home is Happiness Medium: Derwent intense ink blocks and pen on canvas. Sixe: 11"x14". I was inspired to create a painting for my niece. She lives on a horse farm with her husband and 4 little children. One of her children recently survived cancer so I added the angel to bless their house. I love innovating with colour and shape and media. Being self-taught I have no knowledge of colour theory or composition but it always seems to magically work out. It seems like the images appear without any effort by myself. I don’t judge and simply allow them to be born the way they want. It’s wonderful not to control the outcome. I’m so grateful to be creating from the imagination. It’s so liberating. I have complete freedom - no rules, no right or wrong, no striving to have the image look a certain way. So much fun to be playful and experimental during the creative process. What you initially think are mistakes can end up being the best features. I believe in the healing power of creativity and its power to change our lives. It’s such a thrill to create something that never existed before. I believe we’re all creative. The key to unlock the door is firstly to give ourselves permission, then take a risk and allow what appears in your artwork to exist. If you suspend judgement, experiment with something new, follow your heart, and stay true to yourself it's a magical journey of discovery.

Name:Andree Raymond

Bio:I am a wife, mother of 3, grandmother of 6, sister to 14... I guess family is important to me... :D. I would describe myself as an enthousiastic humanitarian who is discovering her artistic side. I am enjoying pen and ink as a medium that i find very convenient. It allows me to pull out pen and pad anywhere anytime.

Story:This is Hunter's Point's landmark abandoned church. Hunter's Point was a native settlement that served as a trading post in through the 1900's. The village was abandoned in the late 60's. This old church seems to hold a lot of tears and testament to the local natives as they suffered through the residential school program. It is very fitting that it still sits tall on the bank of Lake Kipawa, Quebec... as do many survivors. My piece is named Tenacity