We are excited that Marie-Helene Babin is returning to the show this year!
Have a look at her website: http://mariehelenebabin.com
Uncategorized
Art for Your Walls!
Are you looking for some inspiration in your home? As the next Art World Expo nears, we are finding some great products to help you get inspired in your own fairy tale life! Check out this cool site offering a variety of wall art in the forms of stickers!
MagicalWall.co has some great ideas on how to bring inspiration into your home. Each decal is made of quality vinyl and no matter what kind of patterns or styles you’re looking for, you can go for a variety of wall art right off this site! Some ideas for your home are adding a tree, nursery wall lettering, wall art quotes, and photo frame vinyl decals. You can apply them in your living room, bedrooms, kitchen and even bathroom. Also, they can add more fun to your workplace too!
Have a peek and get inspired:
Picture to People
Are you looking for an easy, fast and free designing tool? As artists, we know it can be difficult and expensive to create graphics quickly and efficiently to help you with your branding and marketing. Afterall, good branding and marketing is the key to success not only as an artist, but as a business owner.
Whether you are an artist or creative entrepreneur, we recommend trying Picture to People, http://www.picturetopeople.org for your next graphics project. They have thousands of text generators, a huge collection of creative photo effects perfect for flyers, banners and posters; some are even exclusive to their site and can’t be found anywhere else!
Best part, there is NO SIGN-UP needed and it’s totally free!
Be sure to check them out!
Meet Angela Weichel for Art World Expo!
Art World Expo is Coming!
HAPPY FRIDAY!
Thank you!
We appreciate your business and wanted to
send out something to make you smile!
We love FROGS….don’t you?
Happy Friday!
Maybe you will find a frog who will turn into your price at this year’s “Fairy Tale” themed celebration!
Don’t miss the art event of the year!
The Work of an Evil Mastermind
The Work of an Evil Mastermind
An Interview with Kelly James McLeod
By Alyssa Laube
About: Kelly James MacLeod is a 44 year-old husband and father of six with the “limitless imagination of a 5 year-old.” He works as a freelance makeup artist who focuses on fantasy and science fiction-themed pieces and was professionally trained at Blanche Macdonald Centre.
How did you choose the name, “Mastermind By Design”?
It came about in the mid-90s while I was going to college. One of the projects in my business marketing class was to create a viable business, and a friend and I decided to do a t-shirt company that would showcase my art. My friends always called me an “evil mastermind”, since my imagination always went off on different tangents, and the name stuck for our business. When I had the opportunity to create a new makeup company after going to Blanche, I decided to re-use the name!
You work in a lot of different areas, such as airbrushing, bridal design, and special effects. How do these compare, and which is your favourite to do?
When I first left school I threw myself into absolutely everything! From fashion to runway to weddings and beauty makeovers and demos – I mean everything! However, I do prefer character-driven genre pieces. Full body make ups and character creation are my thing.
How did your training at Blanche Macdonald change you as an artist?
Before attending Blanche McDonald, the only make up I ever did was on my kids at Halloween. One day, I had the opportunity to see a make up demo by Howard Berger, made famous by his work on The Walking Dead. After the demo, I got 20 minutes alone with him and he basically told me to learn everything I possibly could about make up. Well, I guess the universe had something in store for me, because Blanche McDonald sponsored my program and I have never looked back. They gave me the tools to bring my imagination to life, and gave me the confidence to make my mark in the industry. Blanche McDonald change my life.
What are some of your “biggest” or most well-known projects?
Some of my most well-known projects are:
“Ugly Betty”
Horror theme
Model Lia Awesome
Photography by Jonny Ray Studios
“Epic Battle”
Superhero theme, full body paint and airbrush
Models Gemma Doyle and Cindy Van Beek
Photography by Ken Nash
And “Golden”
Hand sponged body paint
Model Sarah Notman
Photography by Greg McKinnon
I also have a “Kinky Klowns” series with Prudeworld.com that’s gaining a lot of popularity.
Can you list some films, people, books, etc. that have inspired you greatly in your work?
I was a child of the 70’s and 80’s, so for me it was comic books, Dungeons & Dragons, science-fiction, Star Wars, etc. that fed my imagination from the time I was a little little boy until now! I can’t really pinpoint anything specific that inspires me because I get inspired every day by people, things, and other artists. My imagination literally does not shut down for any reason!
You seem to have an interest in clowns and zombies. Why do you think you’re drawn to that kind of work?
Clowns and zombies are kind of what’s popular right now. Zombies are always fun to do since everyone loves them; it’s what people usually ask for. As for clowns, either you like clowns or you don’t. I think, personally, clown make up on a male is creepy while clown make up on a female is kind of kinky. Still, I do not limit myself to just those two characters.
What are your hopes, as an artist, for the future?
My goals for the future in make up are already in play. I have started a production company with a friend called “Mastergraf Productions”. We’re looking to write, direct, and produce our own short horror films. We are currently working on a script but it’s still very much in the developmental stage. I work very closely with prudeworld.com where I am the art director and key make up artist for erotic, fantasy-style shoots. I do everything else with Mastermind By Design. All in all, I just want to create new and amazing characters and bring them to life. My imagination is vast, so I have a never ending source for material. I want to bring something visually new to the public and I just hope that they like it.
To see Kelly’s work, visit:
OPEN JURY-MARCH 14 11-4
Are you an artist in the Greater Vancouver area looking for some more information about Art World Expo?
Join us for this Open Jury Day where you will have the opportunity to meet directly with Owner and Founder of Art World Expo, Monika Blichar. Bring in your portfolio, some samples of your art and all your questions about the show to MAB Art Studio & Boutique Gallery at 1335 Pemberton Avenue, North Vancouver, BC.
Carolyn Bruce Designs Susan Galick Fine Art
Margaret Kitchen
All sorts of artists are welcome to exhibit at the 5th Anniversary Special Edition of Art World Expo held annually at Telus World of Science. Questions? Please call us direct at 604 999 6177
Check out some of our past events:
A Flare for a Fashionable Lifestyle-An Interview with Angela Krewenchuk
by Alyssa Laube
About: Angela Krewenchuk founded her own urban lifestyle website and talent agency, Metro Living Zine, in 2014. It specializes in finding “Urban Experts”. To learn more, visit:
What made you want to launch a site like metrolivingzine.com?
I began to view the traditional idea of fashion as being overly reductionistic. I see fashion as encompassing far more than what we are wearing. Today, fashion can best be conceptualized as what we wear, where and what we eat, who we are sleeping with and why, what we are reading, what social issues interest us, what hobbies inspire us… the list goes on. In effect, fashion is the totality of things that motivate and inspire us.
You used to work as a Fashion Anthropologist with Retail Insider. How is working at metrolivingzine.com different?
You can’t compare the two. Retail Insider is the most highly respected resource in Canada to obtain the inside scoop on what is happening in the luxury retail market. By contrast, Metro Living Zine is an urban lifestyle publication that specializes in discovering experts in diverse fields ranging from Horticulture to Haute Cuisine. We will be celebrating the soft launch for our talent agency on Saturday, March 07 at the Shangri-La hotel. Come out and celebrate with us! We are working on producing a larger-scale, open talent recruiting call in late August 2015, complete with an after party to celebrate and honour everyones contribution.
How would you describe your style?
Quirky artist. I’m the antithesis of the quintessential tall blonde with long, centre-parted hair sporting Ray-Ban Aviators. I like conceptual designers such as Comme des Garçons, Gucci circa the Tom Ford years, Balenciaga circa Nicolas Ghesquière, Alexander Wang and of course Christopher Kane. I am a sucker for Camilla Skovgaard shoes and getting super frightened because the teeth on my highly prized Camilla Skovgaard Saw Tooth wedges I bought in 2012 are wearing down and I do not think I will be able to replace them!
How would you describe Vancouver’s fashion scene?
Growing! I am super proud of Jamal Abdourahman and his team at Vancouver Fashion Week for putting the Vancouver fashion scene on the international map! I am already counting down the days to Fashion Week in Vancouver March 16-22 at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre. If you have not been, you need to see it to experience it. Every season there is at least one show that brings me to tears by virtue of its utter beauty.
What are your favourite trends, past or present?
High heels, platforms, platforms… oh yeah… and platforms! I wish John Fleuvog would reissue the Black Rubber Soled Absolute Smirnoff bootie I bought in 1993. It was absolute shoe perfection. I could have run a full marathon in those heavenly, comfortable, platform booties. I wore them to shreds and shed bitter tears when at last they fell apart.
Do you predict any for the future?
International reports have been pushing Culottes and high waisted flares for the past 18 months but I am not sure they will go mainstream. Consumers are afraid to purchase high-waisted flares because they require a total reconfiguration of your silhouette. In order to pull off high-waisted flares you need super high shoes. A complete silhouette overhaul is hard for the average consumer to wrap their minds around. This is why the skinny jean has reigned supreme since 2004. The business of fashion has changed. In the past, designers dictated what the trends were. Now corporate shareholders dictate trends when they look at spreadsheets that say how many units of leopard print dresses moved last season. That is where the bulk of mainstream fashion originates now. Corporate spreadsheets – not the minds of brilliant creative artists like the late Alexander McQueen.
What draws you to the fashion industry?
I am a quirky, creative artist. I started watching Fashion TV with Jeanie Becker when it first came out in 1985. In Grade 6 art class, I drew a picture of Inès de La Fressange from a Chanel perfume advertisement. This was not normal behaviour for a young girl growing up in Deep Cove in the early 1980`s. I loved the creative escapism fashion offered me.
Why did you choose to launch an online magazine, rather than a paper copy?
I wanted to save trees and regard digital media as the future for all forms of journalism.
At metrolivingzine.com, you work with a diverse team of talented individuals. You cover everything from beauty products to social issues! What is it like to collaborate with so many uniquely skilled workers?
I love it. I love reading their articles and am constantly inspired by their points of view. Lara Bolton wrote an excellent article about how to be a better business person. The essence of the article was: if you put garbage into your brain and subsist on a diet of reality TV, your output will be garbage.
The catch phrase of the article was “garbage in – garbage out”, and since I published it 4 months ago, that phrase has run through my head too many times to count. Ana Badila of Badila Beauty ran a fantastic beauty/fashion editorial series exploring The Seven Deadly Sins that made my heart stop. Mheyah Bailey is a Heart Centred Communications expert who just completed a seven-part series on how to become a better communicator. If you are even Remotely interested in purchasing Real Estate in Vancouver, you need to read ReMax Realtor Melissa Kubek’s home purchasing tips every Saturday. Stay tuned for exciting content coming from our celebrity interviewer, Shannon Little! Finally, it was a huge honour to celebrate the launch of Marilyn R. Wilson’s book, Life Outside the Box. This book made it to the Amazon Best Seller list!
I’d also like to give a shout out to Leah Bolton (Goddess Astrology), Shannon Thompson , Edward Quan (Styledrama), Paul Fitzgerald (See It LIVE Canada), Rodrigo Morales, Eartha Hubbell, Kerry Gibson, Dr. Kumar Shivdasani (Cur Laser), Melissa Kozoma (www.deepsouldiving.com), Ha Na Hussainaly, The World Needs M a.k.a. Monica Morong, Savanna Franklyn, Karen Henry-Maurage, Jack Wass, and Kamantha Naidoo (The Health Babe).
The roster of highly talented MLZ contributors is growing and it is an honour to work with every single one of them. I wanted to create an environment that would inspire me. I don’t want to ever retire.
Photography: Sylvester Law
Photo Edits: Cliff Vestegaardcliff: _vestergaard@hotmail.com
A Business With Integrity
A Business With Integrity
An Interview with Jennifer Daerendinger
By Alyssa Laube
About: Jennifer Daerendinger, owner of ROAM Gallery in City Square, Vancouver, creates a unique and welcoming atmosphere for emerging artists. She will be running a booth at this year’s expo, where artworks from ROAM will be on display.
What inspired you to open your own art gallery?
I have always had a huge love for art and a number of artist friends who inspire me. The opportunity to do a show presented itself in December 2013, and because it was a big success, there was a lot of interest to keep doing them for emerging artists.
How did you come up with the name ROAM?
My very good friend and colleague, Colleen Kirk (who owns the PR Firm, The Kirk Group), came up with the name. ROAM was initially suppose to be a “pop up” gallery. We just never left City Square.
What meaning do you find in supporting local artists?
I think that there are a lot of very talented artists in Vancouver and it is often very hard for them to find venues to show in. It’s my pleasure to provide not only the opportunity, but the space for them to show their work. My goal is to help artists market themselves by providing them with the exposure of social media and a show in a non-conventional gallery, giving them the chance to make an event with their art. There is something very special about directly supporting the arts in Vancouver. It is incredibly gratifying for me.
How would you describe the atmosphere in the gallery?
I like to think that the gallery is warm, inviting, fun and has a sense of community. It’s open for the artists that show every month to come in and paint, hang out, invite friends, or whatever else they like. Each show is different, seeing as how the artists really have an impact on what the space becomes and how it is used. Also, I am so lucky to be located in City Square in a beautiful historic building with the modern amenities attached. It has great lighting and an openness that is so complimentary to the art. Overall, the environment is a mix of styles, much like our art in ROAM.
What, to you, is the most important thing about running your own business?
I have had the privilege of working with and learning from some of the best companies in the world, including Chanel and Holt Renfrew. This gallery allows me the opportunity to apply all of that knowledge to my work. I’ve always loved art and dreamt of owning my own business, so the gallery is a perfect fit. It marries art, marketing and commerce.
How has owning the gallery changed you and your life and the lives of others?
I was working in consulting up until the last part of 2014 when, in December, I decided to take all of my energy and focus it on starting my own business. Somewhere along the way, I realized that I had built a successful gallery that was doing really well! I’m always pleased when the artists see their pieces on social media after it is hung and are thrilled with the results. What truly humbles me is that I have had artists show 3 times at ROAM already, which tells me that I am running a business with integrity. Sometime around the third show, people would walk up to me and say, “Are you the gallery owner?” and I would laugh to myself in disbelief and say “Yes, I guess I am!”.
What is it about the Art World Expo that makes you want to join?
Monika. She’s the Bomb.
More about ROAM Gallery can be seen at:
