Eric Tardif – Top
- Eric Tardif proudly sponsors the “Founder’s Award” with his creation “Delicate”
Artist Statement
In my work, I use steam bending, a technique discovered by a Czech engineer that allows creators to mould wood into different shapes. This technique has opened up new horizons for me and allowed me to give artistic expression to my passion for birds in the Canadian wilderness: their natural elegance, beauty and grace.
My objective was to reinvent the traditional wooden duck decoys and to rethink how birds are represented. Using exclusively North American wood — black walnut, black cherry, red elm, ash and Canadian maple — I slowly steam-bend millimeter-thin blades of wood, arching each segment into the desired shape, a clean-lined mix of joined and splayed fruitwood shards that morph movement into form. The choice of wood adds touches that are sometimes ethereal, sometimes solemn. The wood’s flexibility, roughness and stiffness suggest the movements of the bird to be born. All of my sculptures express a feeling of freedom.
My bird pieces are gracefully, elongated hand-laminated hardwood interpretations of some of Canada’s most elegant wild birds: geese, swans and herons.
My most recent creations are three-dimensional wall pieces. I use a collage technique including Japanese rice paper for forming landscapes, a new habitat for my wooden birds.
~ Eric Tardif
You can contact Eric and view his work online at
www.erictardif.com
David Brown – Top
- David Brown proudly co-sponsors “The Founder’s Award” with his creation “Bayfield Moon”
- David Brown proudly and fully sponsors the “Best Editing Award” with his creation “Expanse”
- “Best Cinematography Award” with his creation “Meadow”
Bio and Artist Statement
Bio
A graduate and former faculty member of the Ontario College of Art and Design, David Brown has earned a following as one of Canada’s leading encaustic painters. David’s work has won several awards and has been shown at numerous galleries and museums throughout Canada and the U.S.. His paintings are held in private and corporate collections, across North America, Europe, and Asia. Active in Toronto’s creative community, David convenes monthly expositions at the Gladstone Hotel to showcase works by emerging artists. He is a member of CARFAC Ontario, and the Parkdale Village Arts Collective. David lives in downtown Toronto and works in his studio located in the historic Distillery District.
Artists Statement
My work is an exploration of colour, form, texture and medium. Most importantly though, it is a reflection of the environments that surround me. Each abstract composition captures moments of the Canadian experience. Urban culture and chaos juxtapose the breathtaking vistas of our rugged geography. Defining this landscape is to strike a balance between daily life as an urban nation against a majestic backdrop of natural splendour. I am inspired by the vastness and solitude of our land, and equally fascinated by human expression in the urban context.
My process begins with simple penciled symbols inspired by children’s drawings and primitive cultural icons. Drawn elements become seeds for my paintings as I sculpt varied surfaces on the canvas. The encaustic medium allows me to encapsulate found objects and to play with transparency. The entire process is physically demanding and stimulating to all the senses.
Initially it is the colours and textures that draw people to my work. Next the very act of seeing becomes all-consuming. Pigments glow from within the wax and images start to dance on the canvas. Perception changes as the audience shifts in physical proximity to the work. Different layers emerge and recede so the viewer is challenged to look from the outside inward and from the inside outward. Many people say these paintings evoke a child’s whimsy. For me they represent an important visual bridge for the emotional growth we all experience, embrace or endure
~ David Brown
You can contact David and view his work online at
www.encausticcollage.com
ANDREW G.S. BRIGGS – Top
- Andrew proudly sponsors the “Best Sound Award” with his creation “Daft Punk”
Biography
Andrew Briggs was born in Vancouver, Canada on August 3, 1982. Son of medical professionals he is the first and only of his immediate family to choose a career as a practicing artist. While he has spent the majority of his life in Vancouver, he has also lived in Victoria in 1991 and in the Comox Valley where he attended Emily Carr University and received his B.F.A. in General Fine Arts. Additionally, Andrew followed his sense of adventure and travelled to Japan and Italy where he became interested in peoples relationship with infrastructure and human interconnection.
His travels and education has exposed him to various artists and differing cultures which have extensively influenced his work.
Through his work, Andrew explores the unseen and physical connections between individuals. He continues to pursue creative projects and is exploring various professional opportunities in the arts which include textile art/design/clothing line and the creation of a small print shop, Flock: FAD.
His interests include architecture, travelling, adventure and being outdoors. Art has played a significant part of Andrew’s life and continues to be an expression of his flowing imagination, appreciation for beauty, connection between others and their surroundings, and a reflection of seeing beyond the obvious.
You can contact Andrew and view his work online at
www.andrewbriggs.ca
Jennifer Wigmore – Top
- Jennifer Wigmore proudly co-sponsors the “Best Venue Award” with her creation “After Early Spring”
Bio and Artist Statement
Jennifer has been an actor and artist for twenty years. Originally from Edmonton, Alberta she moved to Toronto in 1995. She is equally passionate about portraiture and abstraction, and has achieved great success in each genre. Her paintings are in private collections and galleries across Canada. Each of her paintings, whether abstract or figurative, is a celebration of energy and movement.
In this painting she re-visits the work of one of her heroes, Tom Thomson.
“As a young person I saw more Tom Thomson’s in books than in galleries. Even in reproduction they captivated me. Exploring his signature view of our country’s landscape has been fascinating and educational.
Over the years I have deconstructed his paintings in a variety of ways, typically in very abstracted versions. I now understand on a physical level the artists desire to enter into a colleagues work and learn from it. I’ve moved beyond feeling that I need to make the works my own, but taken a step directly into Mr. Thomson’s woods. He is one of the greatest painters to study, and is endlessly challenging.”
Jennifer was recently featured on the hit TV show, Star Portraits on BRAVO. Three painters are chosen to paint a famous Canadian celebrity and given only two weeks to paint until their paintings are revealed. The star then chooses their favourite portrait to keep. Jennifer is thrilled that her portrait of Gordon Pinsent now hangs in his home.
You can contact Jennifer and view her work online at
www.jenniferwigmore.com