artists

Wishbeads: An Artistic Endeavor Aimed at Helping Dreams to Become Reality

When was the last time you made a wish, and really felt as if it could come true? Every child blows out birthday candles or tosses pennies into a well, and not only makes a wish, but also genuinely believes it’s likely to become a reality. Then adulthood happens, and belief in things of that nature generally tends to fade. A new product is in the works that seeks to recreate this experience for adults, and rekindle the belief that wishes can come true. Known as Wishbeads, it’s a unique arts and crafts kit.

Wishbeads is more than a just a bracelet-making kit; it’s an opportunity to pause and think what you truly wish for. After visualizing a wish, it’s then written onto paper, and the paper is transformed into paper beads. These beads form the bracelet. Wearing is aimed at inspiring the owner to take action.

Wishbeads comes with a 21-day action journal, complete with prompts to enable the wearer to start seeing elements of his or her wish in action. The theory behind it is that if you focus on something hard enough, the law of attraction will bring it to within reach. Wishbeads claims to be able to aid in doing this, and help the wearer to manifest exactly what he or she wants from life. Do we believe that it’s actually capable of making dreams come true? We reserve judgment. What we do know for sure is that making the bracelets is a fun activity, and can provide a great bonding experience for women if done communally.

The kit is currently being financed via the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter, and can be found on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. It’s already creating quite a stir, with the women who have already created Wishbeads bracelets waxing lyrical about the experience. Perhaps this marks a return to those halcyon days of making wishes and really believing in them. Who knows, maybe Wishbeads will one day become the adult equivalent of blowing out candles or tossing a penny.

Thank you Art World Expo Vancouver!

Thank you for another terrific event!
Art World Expo 2016 Glamour Noir was a smashing success!
Another great event at the 6th annual Art World Expo in Vancouver! With a “Glamour Noir” theme to coincide with the 6th annual show and Friday, May 13th event date, we were fortunate to have a wonderful event and gala celebrating over 100 hundred of artists from across Canada, USA and Europe. A big thank you to all of our participants, guests, sponsors, donors, staff, and volunteers for making this year’s event another success for artists and art lovers alike!

Enjoy some visual highlights this year and be sure to get in touch with our team asap as we have already opened up Early Bird Registration for the 2017 event on May 12, 2017! If you would like to exhibit, please sign up https://theartworldexpo.com/exhibitor-information/

Be sure to visit our Facebook Page for more highlights of this year’s event!

Artist Angela Tahara

Wine Spoonsors APOTHIC Wine

Deanna Fligg working on the auction table! Watch for our online auction or visit our studio for some great items and offers on items that would love new homes! These offers won’t last long!

Kathleen Fowlstone, 1st Place Winner
Art World Expo Body Painting Competition 2016

Ryan Broderick

Lala’s Art

Hot Arusha did some wonderful hot sauce sampling!

Carrie Hull a first time exhibitor! Beautifully done!

Some of the volunteers this year!
Thank you to our PLATINUM SPONSOR:

Twin Peaks Construction

Thank you to our SILVER SPONSOR:

Coastal Storm Gallery

Thank you to our BRONZE SPONSOR:

Edgemont Village Jewellers

Thank you to our event donors:
We would like to thank our sponsors and donors for making this
event possible each year!

Fresh Magazine-Official Magazine Sponsor
Apothic Wines-500 Glasses of Wine for first 500 guests
Social Savvy Gals-Social Media Sponsor
Cinderelly’s Castle-Social Media Sponsor
Diamond Dolls Network-Social Media Sponsor
Jenny Craig-VIP Sponsor
100+ Artists Showing & Selling Work
Body Paint Competition
Fashion Show: Nancy Perreault
Silent Auction-Proceeds to Make and Break Art Foundation
Cash Bar, Food Vendors and Entertainment
Music & Live Performances
Thank you BFP Video for this fun video featuring some of the talent this year!
Thank you BFP Video for this fun video featuring some of the talent this year!
VISIT OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE DETAILS on how to be a part next year!

This Friday, we will also be posting all the auction items on a FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE basis on our Facebook page! In fact, there are some wonderful items already listed online! Great gift ideas that you can get at 30% of retail value! Check out the items on our page here:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.262689130560038.1073741828.140033176158968&type=3

Thank you to Patrick Parenteau Photography.

6th Annual Art Show Just Around the Corner!

As the 6th annual Art World Expo nears, our team is prepping for another evening full of art, entertainment and fundraising! This year, we are again grateful for the support of our volunteers, donors, advertisers, sponsors and of course, all of our talented artists who choose to participate in this event year after year.

Some of our highlights this year include:

Wine Sampling from Apothic Wines

Glamour Noir Theme: Dress Code for Guests is RED, WHITE AND BLACK-Order a Mask with your ticket purchase and show your support for BC Artists!

Food Vendors & Cash Bar

Body Painting Competition

Fashion Show by Nancy Perreault

Live Painters

Silent Auction

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VIP Tickets with Swag Bags Valued at over $150 /each

Each year, we strive to make this event a great one for artists and for guests in our community. Annually, we help over 200 artists exhibit, show and sell their work via MAB Art Studio and Boutique Gallery, as well as pop ups, trade shows and markets. We also hope to help others with their creativity by offering studio painting classes for beginners and children from all over BC. All the funds raised in our auction support BC artists and exhibitions via Make and Break Arts Foundation. If you don’t have your tickets yet, what are you waiting for?!

Order your ticket here:

https://theartworldexpo.com/attend-event-3/

It Takes a Village to Raise a Child…

Working Together for
a Vibrant Arts Community

Help Make Our Community More Creative!

Throughout the year, at the studio and in the community, we fundraise by selling various products and services to help us sustain regular arts programs at the studio and events in the community. If you have followed or been involved with us long enough, you will have noticed that we sell everything from Poinsettias during the Winter Holidays, Valentine’s Day Chocolates, Spring Flower & Vegetable Starters, to products like Coastal Imagination Masks, Accessories and even Painting Classes throughout the year!

We try to be as creative as possible with all our fundraising in order to keep classes, camps and events going! With the generous support of our studio patrons, volunteers, social media followers and sponsors, we have been able to continue to survive while so many galleries and venues close down. Just today, we found out that The Railway Club, a popular music venue, is closing due to high rents and low profits. In addition to today’s announcement, the popular Silk Purse Gallery and Music Box in West Vancouver is also set to be demolished and replaced with waterfront development. Read more about the Silk Purse story published in the North Shore News here: http://www.nsnews.com/news/west-vancouver-artists-decry-ambleside-studio-loss-1.2217067

There are others whose galleries and centres buzz to be closing and packing it in. As an arts and culture lover, I can’t help but feel sad not only for the communities and the lovely people who live and work here, but also for the future generations of children who each year, lose more and more of a connect to arts and culture with the lack of cultural organizations succeeding.

As a young girl growing up as an immigrant in Canada, my family and the people who immigrated with us made it a priority for us to learn, do, see and experience as much as possible in the name of multiculturalism and cultural education. Being part of the community and doing as much as we could even when it was at times difficult for our families to make it, was and continues to be a key ingredient in why so many people want to come here to live.

My question today is why are we allowing our own community to shun the thought of such greatness, cultural diversity and talent by failing to support our own local economies? Living in Vancouver makes our money-consciousness, in particular our spending and earning, a high priority that simply seems to weigh us down rather than empower us as a community. I can’t help but urge everyone in our community to really assess what we are spending our hard-earned money on. If we can shift our spending to support local BC based business owners; artists, designers, builders, farmers, we truly can make a difference in our cultural fabric.

Spring is always a busy time for us fundraising in our operations, and with the news of so many closures, I can help but write and give my two cents on the issues surrounding ‘shopping local’ and supporting local arts based initiatives. Since opening this business and studio in 2010, I have seen so many positive things come to fruition as a direct result of camps, classes, and exhibits that my heart really does ache when I think about a future without art and artisans.

At our studio, we truly do appreciate your support and if all you do is share this email with someone who you know cares about arts and culture, then that helps all of us spread awareness about the importance of community.

If you can help us with our fundraising initiatives this Spring, be sure to consider our offers below. We have some great local products and services that directly support the studio classes, kids art camps and events such as Art World Expo and Painting Dreams International Art Tours. We are also on the look out forVOLUNTEERS for Art World Expo as well as studio and gallery volunteers to help with the studio and ongoing fundraising campaigns. Please email or call us directly to join our team and help us keep our community creative.

We are also running our spring bottle drive for April and we would appreciate your help there too! Proceeds from fundraising initiatives this month will be helping with summer arts programs for kids art camps

as well as Art World Expo.

April Fundraising Offers!

All proceeds support art camp for kids and Art World

Expo this summer via Make and Break Arts Foundation.

Spring Seed Packs
Organic Pepper Seeds with Seed Starter
$2

Painting Classes
Offer Valid Only March 29-April 30
$12/class
Reg. $40/class

Painting Dreams Scarves
Includes Handmade Button Pin
$20

VIP Art World Expo Ticket
$75
Includes Glamour Noir locally made mask to wear at the event,
Art by Edy Art Card, Drink Ticket and VIP Swag Bag. VIP line up as well!

SHIPPING IS NOT INCLUDED. PLEASE PURCHASE SHIPPING FOR THESE ITEMS HERE:

SEED STARTER
$2.00 SHIPPING

SCARVES
$4.00 SHIPPING

VIP TICKET MERCHANDISE SHIPPING
$10.00

MAB Art Studio & Boutique Gallery

1335 Pemberton Avenue

North Vancouver, BC

604 999 6177

www.mabartstudio.com

Art World Expo: Vancouver Art, Fashion & Body Paint

When people think of Vancouver, most think of mountains, trees, ocean and, high priced real estate! If you aren’t from here, you probably won’t hear much about the huge pool of talent that lies within our city bounds unless you are a savvy collector or art buff. One of the amazing thing that we get to do each year is feature amazing artists, designers and musicians. Among some in this year’s show include Nancy Perreault, an eclectic and wild designer who is humbly making waves in the city and beyond. Guests can expect a range of designs that range from ready to wear to a glamorous party to wild, one a kind pieces perfect for glass cases on walls. Another highlight each year is the emtertainment. Among some of the great performers, Art World features some 20-30 performers each year including musicians, dancers, jugglers, hula hoppers, actors and of course musicians. Some of the artists performing this year include Gayle Arnold’s two person band The Strangest Days, as well as Kara Lockwood Music. In the past, we’ve highlighted local musicians including first time performers like Mat Walach to veteran rockers Bif Naked and Doug Fury. We pride ourselves in sharing local talent in all stages of their careers. Another highlight of the show is our auction. Not only do the proceeds help support arts based initiatives such as arts programs for kids and adults, funds are also used to produce art exhibitions and support artists in the event. Guests can expect to bid on everything from hotel packages and BC activities and adventures to art from artists in our show and beyond! This year, we are giving away two tickets each week when you repost this image and hashtag #artworldexpo! Body paint by Jess Hawkins. Line up! Gary Weston 2014. Glamour Noir theme this year. Consider purchasing a mask this year by Coastal Storm Gallery. $20/ea or included in a VIP ticket.

Guests can bid on amazing items and services in the auction.

Art World Miami: French Sculptor Capucine

www.capucinesafir.com

About

“Can Art alleviate souls? This is my project.
My work is about reshaping reality by giving smoothness and sensuality to my sculptures. In return, people feel lighthearted and at peace. This is my reward.
I keep caressing my sculptures. My hands are my eyes. I carve in limestone and plaster, with hand tools only and also work with mixed media, always inspired by nature. This is my process.
Since 2013, I’ve been living and working in Miami. I want to reach out to the world. This is me..”

Biography :
Capucine Safir is a self-taught, Miami-based French sculptor.

After many years working in the movie industry, she graduated in interior design in Sydney, Australia where she lived for a few years.

In 2009, Capucine’s life took a new turn when her second son was born disabled; after caring for her children full time for four years, as she moved to Miami, she decided to pursue her love of art and started working full time as a sculptor.

She enjoys every aspect of this art from the physical implication to, the sound of the tools to, the dust. But, most of all, it is the appearance of the form emerging from the block that makes direct carving so special. She soon found her own style through soft rounded shapes. Streamlined, pure, atypical are some of the adjectives which best define her sculptures.

Her work is very instinctive whether she creates animals or abstract sculptures. The worlds of sculpture, design, as well as painting or nature itself also make up her varied artistic influences.

She carves in stone and plaster with hand tools only and also works with mixed media.

Dress Up for a Cause

This year, we are thrilled to be hosting our 6th annual event at Science World in Vancouver! Our theme is “Glamour Noir” and we invite you to partake in our fundraising campaign!

Purchase one of these limited edition Coastal Imagination Masks made right here in BC specially for our event and support arts initiatives in British Columbia.

$20/ea with proceeds to Make and Break Arts Foundation.

Wear at the event and show your support for arts programs and exhibitions in our province!

Available through our ticket link starting on February 1!

Thank you to Coastal Storm Gallery for their ongoing support. Coastal Storm Gallery Website

Ticket Giveaway!

All you have to do is #artworldexpocontest on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook with your favourite Friday the 13th or noir character and you’ll be entered to win! TWO TICKETS will be won each Friday until the show! Good luck!

Weekly Giveaway!

To Etsy or Not to Etsy-Check out Morphingpot Art Studio!

As an artist, there really are a million and one ways to promote art for sale. Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google, Youtube, Periscope, Snapchat are just some of the the social media platforms that you can use. The list is endless when you think about it! Today we want to look at a shop on Etsy from Morphingpot Art Studio. While the craze for Etsy may have started several years ago, as seen in this shop, it is still an amazing way to sell and feature work to potential buyers and fans from all over the globe.

DSCN7405

Meet Isabella Pavanati, who studied painting at the Art School in Milan; Drawing and Artist’s Book at the Graphic Int. School in Venice and Sculpture techniques at the Sculpture School in Treviso. She loves Jazz and Soul Music is a vegetarian and loves animals (but not as food :)).

“Hello and welcome to Morphingpot Art studio, the Etsy s hop of artist Isabella Pavanati. Here you will find a large selection of my unique and whimsical sculptures, folded book art, head planters, wire wall frames, wire wall art, paintings and so much more, all made by hand here at my studio in Treviso, Italy.

I also love custom orders, so please feel free to convo me to discuss any custom art projects you have.

Thanks for visiting!”

Want to find out more? Check out this shop’s About page.

Feature AWE Artist at MAB Art Studio-Marilyn McKee

by Monika Blichar, Owner and Producer Art World Expo

I first met Marilyn Mckee in 2010 when producing the first of a series of events; now known as Art World Expo produced in Vancouver and Toronto. Drawn to her talent in jewellery making back then, I knew that she was a treasure and kept my eyes on her. I think back to all those phone calls I made to check in over the years and wonder at how she could stand me asking about her art and progress. I wasn’t a customer after all; just an agent and promoter keeping tabs on her. Through my eyes, I knew that she was something special. I am really pleased that I kept in touch as today, she is the first feature artist of 2016 in my studio and gallery in North Vancouver.

If you haven’t met Marilyn, I will tell you that behind the stunning pieces is a truly wonderful woman who is not only a talented artist but an accomplished professional, mother and community member. Marilyn McKee is a member of the Tsit Gitanee (Eagle) clan of the Haida Nation, whose roots are from the islands of Haida Gwaii; world famous for its natural beauty and talented artists. Aside from creating, Marilyn is an active mother and grandmother and contributes to the community regularly. She is currently the President of Raycam Community Centre; the only community center in the Lower Mainland to offer free programs for kids and adults. She has been with the organization for over 10 years and has done everything from leading art projects to sewing 50 Halloween costumes.

Since a child, Marilyn has always had an artistic ability. Even when asking her about her work and photographing her for this article, her childlike joy and wonder shine through in her smile and in the way she talks about her work. She is at ease with her imagination and an innocence about her talent has stayed within her spirit. She is inspired by traditional stories and moulds them into her art with a modern twist, incorporating Celtic design, Fairies and mermaids amongst more traditional Northwest Coast elements. Her most popular are the Fairies; which are breathtaking in both jewellery and paintings to say the least.

As an artist myself, I feel privileged to have seen her art evolve into an array of beautiful works ranging from jewellery, drums, and paintings. I look forward to sharing our space with her essence this month; not only because of the beauty of the works but also to see an another artist’s work through my eyes and through those of our visitors.

Unafraid and experimental with her work, MAB Art Studio & Boutique Gallery is pleased to have Marilyn McKee as the January 2016 feature artist. Her use of many unconventional methods in her artwork result in a fresh look at the knowledge and richness her Haida culture.