artworldexpo

3 Days Left for Early Bird Tickets!

You heard right! There are only three days left for early bird tickets! Early bird tickets end February 29, 2016-secure your tickets now!

Fashion Show by Nancy Perreault

We always love this event and each year strive to make it more interesting and amazing for the artists involved as well as the guests who attend. This year we will have an array of art for sale from over 100 artists from Canada, USA and Europe; we are very exited that once again, we have artists exhibiting from out of country. We will also continue with live painting, stage demonstrations, live music, a fashion show, silent and live auctions, food vendors, drinks and of course, the always popular body painting competition.

Little Monsters Studio returns! Photo: Gaby Saliba

Our theme this year is “Glamour Noir” as our event date falls on Friday, May 13. Guests are encouraged to adhere to the dress code and wear only red, white and black to the show.
Please continue to support this fabulous event and all the imagination and possibility that lies within it. It’s more than just a show, it’s the Art World-a place you can truly experience everything and anything creative.

Stump Artist is back-maybe even live chainsaw carving!

Michael Griffin Fine Art is back-be sure to chrck him out!

Lisa Austin, The MT Canvas, and Deanna Fligg setting up a few years ago!

A feature from the 24HR -thanks Sarah Rowland!

Producer and owner of Art World Expo, Monika Blichar is creating #GlamourNoir50 , a collection of 50 new paintings to be unveilled at this year’s event.

Gary Weston’s art is a crowd favorite!

Guests enjoying an array of stage performances all night!

Gypsy Jean and her walking art-ask us about hownto get a walking ad for your business at the show his year!

Open Door Gallery in 2015 -amazing!

Purchase your tickets before the 29th of February and enjoy early bird discounts. Order your tickets HERE.

Consider purchasing a VIP ticket including a limited edition Coastal Imagination Glamour Noir mask by Coastal Storm Gallery. Created specifically for this event in support of Make and Break Arts Foundation who annually support kids and adult arts programs, artist exhibitions, and creative professional development both locally and internationally. A VIP ticket also comes with a fast track line up, a special swag bag, and a drink ticket.

Thank you Twin Peaks Construction for your ongoing sponsorship for our annual event. Be sure to visit their website for all your home and commercial renovation and new build needs!

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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

Good Food Wanted!

Are you a caterer or restaurant? Bakery or creative sushi joint?

If you would like to feature your food as art this year at our event, we have a few more spots left for amazing chefs, caterers and restauranteurs! Get creative this year and sell your specialties at our event. Information under the Exhibitor tab.

Feel free to call or email us as well!

Art World Tips: How to Sell Your Art Online

by Monika Blichar

As an artist, you want to be sure that your work is sellling. Sure you could stock pile it and hang on to it, but that would mean you would have to take a day job, making money somewhere else to support your work. If you are a full time artist, you will understand that the necessity to sell your art is likely the most important process of being a full time artist today. Some of you might be emerging or even established and you’re wondering how to possibly sell more art without booking so many shows, events and working directly with clients. Have you tried selling your work online yet? Here is our three step process to listing and selling online!

1-Build an Online Store

YES! How can people buy something from your site; without visiting you at a show, event or coming to your studio, if you don’t have anything to sell online? Sounds pretty simple and it is! No matter what website platform you are working with, many of them will have an option to either create an online store or to add in PayPal links to work that you want to sell. Check out our sister brand MAB Art Studio & Boutique Gallery’s store HERE This site store is built on Yola, a simple but effective way to list multiple products. Another way to do it is simply open up a PayPal account and link html codes to images that you want to sell.

2-Marketing the Store

Now that you have your store set up, you need to get people to go there to check out your work and buy it. HOW? Well, be sure to PROMOTE your online store. No one else but you is going to do this, especially in the beginning. Use every kind of resource that you can think of; Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and of course, list in your community’s sites like Craigslist, Kijiji, or even on community boards with old school flyers! Yes, old school still works too!

3-Run a Contest or Promotion

One of the most effective ways to build a brand and awareness of it is to run a great contest or promotion. What can you offer without feeling like you are selling your soul? Be fair to yourself and to your market, but also be sure that you are offering something people will actually want! (Don’t be re-gifting that old pair of mittens you got at Christmas from Auntie Jean last year as a contest giveaway!) Think about things that you would actually want. A $5 Starbuck’s card with every purchase of a necklace of over $50. A free movie ticket when you buy an art class or even a free art card with the purchase of any of your paintings. The possibilities are endless here! You will not only help sell your product by increasing excitement about it, but you will also reward your customers…everyone loves rewards!

If you have a comment about this tip, be sure leave it below. We also love when you share our tips with your artsy friends. Help another artist out by sharing this post. Come on, you know you wanna!

Keep Being Creative!

Urban Ubiquity-Opens in Brooklyn November 1, 2015

The Creativebloch Gallery, located at 145 Front Street in DUMBO, Brooklyn is pleased to announce our fall/winter show, “Urban Ubiquity” scheduled to open November 1. The show will feature local artists and photographers with themes relating to NYC and will run through December 5^th. For more information please visit https://www.facebook.com/events/1651829538429642/1652127815066481

Some of the artists and photographers include, Chris Lyzcen, Chad Martin, Joanne Borek, Nicole Maron and Joe Bloch.

Creativebloch is a studio/gallery/shop that promotes emerging artists. Joe Bloch is the artist in residence and curator. He has over 25 years experience in both the commercial and fine art world. He became well known for his medical art and has illustrated countless books and journals for many top surgeons and physicians around the world. Over the span of his career, he has branched out as a painter, creative director and curator. His goal with Creativebloch, is to support community efforts to keep artists and art in the creative post industrial neighborhood of DUMBO, Brooklyn.

Joe’s highly textured acrylic paintings are part of the permanent collection at Creativebloch. He draws on his illustration and art background and gritty Brooklyn history for inspiration. Many layers are built up over a period of weeks in Acrylic.

For more information visit www.creativebloch.com.

Testing the Limits: An Interview with M.U.A. Mark Boyer

Artist Spotlight Mark Boyer

by Alyssa Laube

Mark Boyer of 3BArtistry is a creative renaissance man. Under his company name, he works in set design, makeup artistry, body painting, and sculpting. It’s hard to imagine how someone could juggle so many professions without having a specialty, but that’s exactly what Boyer claims to be. In other words, he’s a jack of all trades in the art world. Although he’ll be partaking in the body painting competition at the Art World Expo, he doesn’t seem to limit himself to any one field. Instead, he views his combined talents as a single area of expertise.

“My specialty is actually blending all of [my skills],” he illuminated. “Whether I’m sculpting flesh wounds in silicone or clay, body painting someone green, or creating a wearable piece of art like a monster suit, it’s all a form of makeup to me. When it’s most powerful, the different elements all come together to make someone look beautiful, or different, or scary.”

All three of those adjectives perfectly describe 3Bartistry’s portfolio. His work with face and body paint focuses on changing the whole person to be something surreal and illusory. Almost every piece looks like something you’d find in a circus or haunted festival, though there are still times when a simple eyeliner-and-lipstick looks is also needed. The diverse talent coming out of 3BArtistry has also led Mark in another direction: working on film sets. This makes sense when attention is drawn to his latest goals.

“I’ve progressed towards special effects geared to the film industry, and one of my current projects is as a SPFX technician for film. When I’m not on set, I take gigs in everything else for variety and to keep my skills sharp. Plus,” he added, “I like to stay busy!”

Maybe that’s why he practices so many art forms in so many environments. Ten years ago, Boyer worked as a face painter and “wanted to gain a better sense of what [he] could do with makeup as a medium.” To satisfy this desire, he attended Complextions International (CMU College) and was excited by all of the opportunity he discovered. That excitement led him to Bodyssey, where he partook in his first body painting competition and met his now-girlfriend, Red Herring. After that, Boyer spent two years sculpting mascots and, finally, returned to freelancing with other forms of makeup.

Herring and Boyer collaborate on many of the looks produced by 3BArtistry. “We’ve been painting together for over 7 years. She knows my style and what I can do,” he added. “She likes to test my limits.” The back-and-forth between the two artists must contribute to what makes their art so unique. The audience is guaranteed to get something creative out of 3BArtistry at the body painting competition, as foretold by Boyer’s plans for the event.

“I’m thinking about a darker feel in the fairy world since my thoughts are moving closer to Halloween. Trolls, giants, and evil kings interest me so, unsurprisingly, I’m a huge fan of Tolkien, Brian Froud, and H.R. Giger. To start, I’ll pick out a character and a few ideas. Then i’ll dig through my house full of props and sketch out a body template design, but nothing specific. Sometimes I make significant changes once I get on-site. At these competitions, I see a lot of great competitors out there and I like to challenge myself to create something unique. It will also come down to my models ability to live within my work; I have a few people in mind who are exceptional at acting and posing,” he contemplated. “Ideally, everything will work in harmony and I’ll be able to craft something that really wows the audience.”

Come see what 3BArtistry creates at the Toronto Art World Expo’s body painting competition!

The Ashley Twist: An Interview with M.U.A. Ashley Vieira

by Alyssa Laube

For Ashley Vieira, working as a make up artist is all about instilling confidence in others. As a teenager, she eagerly anticipated any opportunity she had to get dolled up, whether it was for a bridal party or prom. Every time she saw herself in the artist’s chair, her “confidence levels skyrocketed.” That feeling is what inspired her to practice make up professionally. “If I was able to feel that strongly about myself, I knew I wanted to make others feel the same way. I’m happy to say that I have accomplished that with some of my clients,” she explained.

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However, those clients aren’t all looking to be beautified. Vieira, who runs Smash Beauty & SPFX, also works extensively with special effects. Some of her most fascinating creations are gruesome and otherworldly, which she admits spawn from her obsession with prosthetic wounds.

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“I love doing various things with prosthetics. However, I think my favourite thing to create currently is making small prosthetic wounds and putting them on little kids. Now hear me out, that sounds disturbing, but I actually get hired to do this at large events,” she laughed. “Both the kids and parents love how twisted it is, because who the heck expects to see a booth at a family event doing this? And yes, I layer on that blood. I swear, it’s all in good fun,” she promised. “Nothing Dexter inspired.”

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Sure, there’s nothing menacing about Ashley’s morbid interests, but that doesn’t mean that it stops at prosthetic wounds. She also has a soft spot for skeletons, or more specifically, Dia de los Muertos Sugarskulls (Day of the Dead). Although she’s reluctant to admit it, Dia de los Muertos always ends up sneaking into her style in one way or another. Vieira says that it’s the “crazy amount of details” that she found so exciting, saying, “I love colours, patterns, dots, and skeletons. It just made sense to incorporate that into my art. I keep thinking that I will eventually get bored with it but it keeps popping up in my work and my details only get more intricate!”

The combination of her skill as a make up and special effects artist is what allows Ashley to leave her mark in the beauty world. Seeing things from a “contrasting perspective” is what makes her special. “My knowledge from one helps me understand what I’m lacking in another. That’s what helps me turn my first concept into something much larger, ending with a big bang,” she explained.

At this year’s Art World Expo in Toronto, she’ll be showcasing these talents in the body painting competition. Her plan is to create a hybrid version of The Little Mermaid, crossing Disney’s and Hans Christian Andersen’s versions of the iconic figure. And of course, there has to be “an Ashley twist somewhere in there.”

It seems that the “Ashley twist” is putting a creepy spin on cute figures, which certainly makes make up artistry more interesting. Of course, Vieira feels the same way. “One day I can be making someone extremely beautiful, the next day I can be ‘killing’ that very same person/character and drenching them in blood,” she said. “At the end of the week, it all evens out. Never a dull moment!”

See Ashley exhibit at this year’s Art World Expo or visit her website to learn more about her services!

The Art of Event Planning: Kat Kou Events

The Art of Event Planning: An Interview with Kat Kou of Events by Kat Kou

An Art World Expo Spotlight

By Alyssa Laube

Not all of the artists that attend the AWE are exhibiting. As a matter of fact, many of the ticket holders are artists who have come to admire the work of likeminded people in their city. One of those ticket holders was Kat Kou, whose experience as a makeup artist drew her to the Expo. Upon arriving at Science World, she “fell in love with the whole concept,” and later used her skill with makeup to work at one of Monika’s Halloween events.

It was this skill that brought her to other special events, where she got a behind-the-scenes look at how they were run. Before long, she found herself “fascinated with the creative process of event planning,” and she moved to Toronto to explore her passion. “Because I always enjoyed upbeat, social environments, starting an event planning company was easy for me,” said Kat, about starting up her business, Events by Kat Kou. Since it’s inception, the company has hosted “anything from Sick Kids fundraisers to wine and cheese nights, comedy functions, and speed dating events.” Recently, she planned an indie pop show at a local Toronto bar, and in the future, she will be planning Toronto’s Art World Expo.

“I chose to work with AWE for many reasons,” said Kat, about her involvement with the Expo. “For one, I am an artist myself and enjoy surrounding myself with creative environments. It’s definitely not your average art event, as they’re always upbeat, vibrant and full of talented people! It has been successful in Vancouver for years now and I want to see the event grow. I think that AWE’s going to be big in Toronto and I am honoured to be part of the success.”

Her high opinion of the Expo combined with her talent as an event planner should ensure that it’s a night to remember. “To be in the event planning business, you definitely have to be a people person. I have always enjoyed being around people, so having an energetic and bubbly personality will get you places,” said Kat, she she has it in spades.

“I have always taken pride in my events being unique. I do not believe in limiting myself and always find a way to collaborate with local talents,” she continued, about her approach with Events by Kat Kou. “ It could be something as simple as a staff party, but I always manage to make sure everyone has a good time. Guests are usually encouraged to dress up to match the theme of event, which always makes things a lot more fun!”

It will be exciting to see how Events by Kat Kou leaves its mark on the Art World Expo. The combination of a fantastic event with a fantastic event planner cannot disappoint, especially when both sides believe wholeheartedly in the cause they’re supporting. Stay tuned to learn about which direction the event is headed in, and watch http://www.katkou.com/ for other great ways to spend your day.

Thank you to our Platinum Sponsor:

ART WORLD EXPO-WIN A TRIP TO EUROPE!

We are thrilled to announce that our sponsors at Twin Peaks Construction have offered to support a contest that will allow one lucky winner to travel to the World Body Painting Festival in Europe summer 2016!

This contest will open mid winter after our Art World Expo Toronto show at Hard Rock Cafe! As a general guideline, all participants in the 2013, 2014 and 2015 Art World Expo Body Painting Competition will have a chance to win a flight to the World Body Painting Competition in Europe. Full contest details will be announced in the Fall!

Good luck to all of our competitiors and big thank you to our generous sponsors at Twin Peaks Construction! Building the Future is their motto and we are very grateful that they are helping us build the future for artists around the world!