TWIN PEAKS CONSTRUCTION

Art World Expo Christmas Fair!

Tomorrow we invite you all to our Christmas Fair at 4015 Fraser Street in Vancouver, BC.

Over 50 participating Artisans, vendors, and designers who are selling a variety of goods and services! Art, fashion, jewellery, home decor, knitting, make up, skin care, health and wellness, desserts, and so much more! Finish all your shopping, support local and even enjoy lunch with us! Best part is that we invite all ages and it’s free to attend! We have 100 swag bags for the first 100 people too-great items inside include essential oil from SPOIL YOURSELF, Art by Elizabeth Hill, a copy of Fresh Magazine, one free art class at MAB Art Studio & Boutique Gallery and an It Works drink sample to keep you healthy!

Learn more on our Facebook event page Here.

Our event auction, Christmas earrings and coffee sales are supporting two causes. The first is to help fund our new creative arts and wellness centre opening in North Vancouver in the Spring. The second is to support a member of our Art World community with cancer. Please be sure to buy a coffee, bid on items in the auction and purchase a pair of these earrings by Monika Colmorgen for $7! if you can’t make it and you’d like a pair of these earrings, please email us at artists@theartworldexpo.com or call 6049996177.

Painting Dreams Art Tours Featured in North Shore News!

A big thank you to the North Shore News for featuring our owner and project creator for Painting Dreams International Art Tours this weekend in the paper!

This summer, Monika took the second annual retreat to Wroclaw, Poland-the European Culture Capital for 2016. Monika taught art classes and coordinated activities such as gallery visits, museum tours, gnome hunts, castle visits and walks through the city.

This tour was made possible from our sponsors and affiliates: Twin Peaks Construction, Art by Edy, MAB Art Studio & Boutique Gallery, Art World Expo, Make and Break Arts Foundation, Daddy Blogger, Jireh Stone Vancouver

Read the full article: http://www.nsnews.com/entertainment/dossier/travel-inspires-monika-blichar-s-creative-journey-1.2331560

Artists interested in travelling to Barcelona, Spain in 2017 can join us for the next art trip, please email artists@theartworldexpo.com or visit www.mabartstudio.com to register online. The next meeting is scheduled for September 25, 2016 from 2:00-4:00pm. Instructors for the 2017 tour will be Monika Blichar and Irene Eaves.

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.

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!

twinpeaksconstructionlogo

The Illusionist: An Interview with Carolina de la Cajiga

by Alyssa Laube

“Annitya” will be up for auction at the Art World Expo. Proceeds support Make and Break Arts Foundation.

Carolina de la Cajiga doesn’t call herself an artist but an “illusionist and interpreter”. To describe what she does in photography, sculpture, and painting, she explains “I create illusions by transforming my ideas into something tangible”.

Her vision is different than reality, she “adds or removes from what is there” in order to feel satisfied with the finished product. In her Portraits of Canada and Canadian Divas series, she replaced hair with flowers. In Post-Modern Glyphs, she removed the backgrounds surrounding her subject: cable knots. What used to be behind – buildings, clouds, trees – was digitally cleared away in order to obtain a clean image with only the knots visible. “My goal is simple: to represent what I see in my mind. “It’s all aesthetics, beauty,” said de la Cajiga.

Over the past few years, her work has been focused mostly on photography but, as anything she does, it is her own kind of photography. Her most recent series is “shooting dynamic light that lasts atto seconds (the smallest unit to measure the speed of light).” De la Cajiga takes hundreds of shots and carefully picks the ones she believes have the most potential. What follows is a multi hour-long process that turns those photos into de la Cajiga’s vision for the piece through the use of various methods and computer programs. “The result is a photograph that asks the audience to question whether [parts of] it ever existed -what you see is not what is, but what your mind sees… “The more of these shots I process, the more complex and intricate the images are turning out to be.” Not finding a term to describe her technique, she coined the word “Katharosgraphy” from the Greek Katharos = to scratch, to clean, to purify, and Graphy = process. Coincidentally, Katharos also means oak tree which is what Cajiga, her last name, means. At the Art World Expo, she will be exhibiting this series of work.

Many of her other works also play with altering reality. The series, City In Flux, is based on illusion and “bend[ing] architectural protocols”. Here, she twists and morphs Vancouver buildings. In What If ? she places Las Soldaderas (“civilian women who made significant contributions to both the federal and rebel armies during the Mexican Revolution of 1910”) into other important events throughout history. Even in her photography of everyday life, such as Construction – Workers, Lifting of Backhoe, Invisible in Neon, and Rain City, she added or deleted components that are unidentifiable to the public eye. Only de la Cajiga knows what did and did not exist in the moment when the photo was captured. The audience is left to wonder.

Carolina will be part of the “Love in Any Language” exhibition at the Ferry Building Gallery in West Vancouver, 1414 Argyle Avenue, West Vancouver, February 2 – 21, 2016. The opening reception will be February 2, 6 – 8 pm, and Meet the Artists is on February 6, 2 -3 pm.

You will also be able to see her work and catch up with De la Cajiga at her new studio at the 195 Pemberton Studios bustling artist community in North Vancouver.

Take a look at Carolina de la Cajiga’s collections yourself on her website. Better still, see them in person at this year’s Vancouver Art World Expo. She is in the process of finalizing a new website, http://www.delacajigafineart.com, to display the Katharosgraphy artwork. Stay tuned!

Leaking Awesome: An Interview with Entrepreneur Simon Martin

Art World Expo Artist Spotlight: Simon Martin

by Alyssa Laube

Leaking awesome is a brand new t-shirt printing and design company stationed in Greater Toronto. The project, run by Simon Martin and his brother, had a humble beginning. It didn’t start out as a business venture, but rather a personal medium for self-expression. “To be honest, I just started making shirts for myself,” admitted Simon. “My desire wasn’t to make a business out of it, but people like my shirts, so I decided to sell them.” It seems to be simple as that. Simon received so many compliments on the shirts he designed and wore that he decided to share them with the world. Of course, the first step was to choose a name for the project.

“I went through many different names before coming to Leaking Awesome,” he explained. “One time, I made a Facebook status that read, “I’m leaking awesome,” to say that my awesomeness is just oozing out of me. When looking for names, I thought, “That’s kind of like my shirts.” So I settled on that name.”

Unfortunately, things got a little more complicated after that. Simon had the designs, the demand, the name and the end goal. The only thing he didn’t have was a way to efficiently produce the shirts. Because Leaking Awesome is still a relatively small company, it would be pointless to mass-produce hundreds of the same product. However, for t-shirt printing brands, that’s one of the only ways to do it. As a result of this system, Simon’s been left with a dilemma: deal with the unfitting circumstance of mass-production, or purchase his own machine? Thus, a Kickstarter was born.

“The Kickstarter is for a machine that allows me to create more custom(izable) designs, he said. “Currently, the custom shirts are poor quality, overpriced, and mass-produced. I would like to change that by purchasing a machine that allows them to be high quality, affordable,and personalized.”

To help raise money for this cause, Leaking Awesome will be selling the shirts they have made at Toronto’s Art World Expo. Their starter line-up, which will be released on November 7th, will be the Leaking Awesome’s first official designs. “I gathered from the reactions of those who have seen them that they were the right ones to start the brand with,” responded Simon, about how he chose the first designs. Fans can look forward to some of those posted on the web site, including the most popular twist on Nike’s iconic design, pictured below.

So Leaking Awesome is definitely on the right track; they just need a little bit of help to get to their destination. As it is, the company is just Simon and his brother. Although the company does have help from volunteers ranging from videographers to models, they participate out of their own good will. “People help because they like the clothes and believe in Leaking Awesome,” Simon added, and when it all comes down to it, that’s why he’s there, too.

“The goal with Leaking Awesome is to grow. If that means opening a store, awesome. But if it’s just giving a few people some cool t-shirts, I’m happy with that.”

Help Leaking Awesome achieve their goal of owning their own t-shirt printing machine, visit them at Toronto’s Art World Expo, and support Canadian businesses!

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:

Painting Dreams in France-Summer Art Tour 2015

The Dream was to travel to another country and take some time to create. Some real uninterrupted painting time in our corner of the world was definately needed-especially since most of the year, we are busy coordinating our shows and running our studio.

Last summer, The Dream came to life when a group of our studio goers got to talking about getting away on a tour to France. Lynda Wigley, a well versed lawyer and profound traveller, started the conversation after bringing in photographs of sunflowers to paint. Most of our students bring in photos, but Lynda had a lot of these wonderful photos and with each class, she started to open up more and more about her experience in Southwest France, Dordogne to be precise. Each week, we noticed that the enthusiasm about a painting retreat in France was gaining more interest. Why not try to take a tour in 2015 we all thought? With that, the idea was born and we managed to fill 10 spots (we have one more seat left!) and are taking off on July 11-25, 2015.

Over the last year, we have excitedly signed up 8 fabulous participants to join us on this trip. In the next few posts, you’ll have a chance to meet each artist or gallery owner and as we move towards our departure, you’ll also get some of our updates about our trip and how even from Vancouver or Canada, you can get involved in being a part of this wonderful adventure!

We have been fundraising for the group and individually, each artist and gallery has been working hard to ensure that the trip is amazing! Our main goal is to be sure that MAB Art Studio & Boutique Gallery has enough funds to sustain itself during the month our owner Monika Blichar is away as we have 150+ children coming in for our annual art camp. Monika has been painting a series of 40 paintings each for $100 to support the studio. Thank you to all of you who have bought one of the originals and those of you who even bought some of the cards that she’s made out of the paintings. Currently, the pieces that are available are below. If you are interested, please send us an email at artists@theartworldexpo.com and we’ll make sure you get your piece! You can also buy an art card or print at www.mabartstudio.com/store

These three pieces below are available! Get your own original by rising star Monika Blichar today! Each is only $100 and supports the studio kids camps this summer! If you would like to contribute to the studio kids camps this summer, we encourage you to visit: http://www.gofundme.com/kf8vig or check out our updates on our Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Painting-Dreams-International-Art-Tours/968374583192403?fref=ts

We are also selling advertitsing spots to companies who might like to be involved and gain some exposure on this trip! If you have a business who might benefit from some international expsoure, be sure to check out our advertising opportunities. We have everything from stickers on our luggage, for a mere $20, to product placement of your products in three different countries in Europe. You can download the advertising order form: PAINTINGDREAMSADVERTISINGLETTERpdf

Get your logo on our luggage for only $20! Order 604 999 6177

We also have a fantastic selection of art cards and masks by Art by Edy and Coastal Storm Gallery. Proceeds from the sale of these kid friendly items support our studio while we are away. Be sure to grab one of these cards and masks for a kid in your life and help us support creativity for kids in our community. Order: www.mabartstudio.com/store We have some great Canada Day Masks here just in time for our National Holiday!

We also wanted to thank all of our partners and advertisers to date for helping make this trip happen!

Carolyn Bruce Designs Coastal Storm Gallery

Different Types of Beauty-an Interview with Katerina Taylor

By Alyssa Laube

About: In 2014, Katerina Taylor moved from Alberta to British Columbia to study Makeup Artistry and Professional Hair Styling at Blanche Macdonald. When she is not at school, Katerina is doing freelance work that includes weddings, proms, other specials events and one-on-one lessons. Although Katerina enjoys all specialties that makeup has to offer, she mainly specializes in beauty/glamour makeup.

To reach Katerina, you can email her at katerinataylormakeup@hotmail.com

What are you planning on showcasing at this year’s expo?

I have entered into the body painting competition this year and am really look forward to pushing my artistic capabilities for it’s theme: Fairy Tale. I’m still working on a foundation for the piece that I will be competing with this year.

How did you discover that you wanted to be a makeup artist?

I have always been interested in art and the ability to express oneself through different mediums! I was in my second year of university when I began my retail job at MAC Cosmetics. It was then that I really discovered what I wanted to do with myself. I was encouraged by my colleagues to apply to Blanche Macdonald for their Global Makeup Diploma program. They were previous graduates and told me that I would do well at Blanche. Sure enough, a little over a year later, I am exactly where I want to be! Going to school for Makeup Artistry only pushed me closer to becoming who I want to be. I am now a returning student to Blanche Macdonald for their Professional Hairstyling program and I’m set to graduate this program in March 2016!

How is your education at Blanche Macdonald improving you as an artist?

Going to Blanche, I had a really good support system from the career directors. They were continuously encouraging me to push myself as an artist by volunteering and recommending me to potential employers. This would include working on film sets and fashion shows, various retail opportunities, and a handful of freelance work for me to do on the side. They also featured my work on the main Blanche Macdonald websites! I would keep up with them regularly about what I was up to, and in return, they continued to support me. For that, I am truly grateful.

When you say that you specialize in “special events makeup”, what sort of special events do you mean?

A majority of the freelance work that I do is beauty/glamour makeup. I do a lot of weddings and proms, especially during the warmer seasons.

What was your job with MAC Cosmetics like, and how did it change you?

I was hired with MAC Cosmetics when I had very little makeup artistry experience, so it was very intimidating at first. It was hard for me to feel confident about what I was expected to do, but over time, it became easier for me to really enjoy all aspects of my work. I had a great MAC family; We all got along well and always had fun on counter. Also, because a good portion of our job was to be in trend with the newest makeup fads, we were always asked to be creative. It was a really good start for me – pushing myself artistically like that and thinking outside of my comfort bubble. Eventually, my colleagues saw my passion and encouraged me to pursue school, which led me to attend Blanche! So, in hindsight, I owe my success to MAC Cosmetics for welcoming me into their family and showing me a side of myself that wanted to be noticed.

What do you feel is most important to succeed in the makeup industry?

I believe that the key to succeeding in the makeup industry is networking. Whether you specialize in beauty, fashion, television/film, special effects, or even prosthetics, you need to know how to market yourself. This is absolutely the most important way to succeed, but it requires a lot of work on your part. You must commit to spending hours updating and keeping your information and portfolio up-to-date.

Why do you love being a makeup artist?

If we’re talking about my freelance-beauty work, what I enjoy most is the ability to make people feel beautiful. People of all types come to me for help and advice or just to feel fabulous, and I give them what they are looking for! Despite what a lot of people assume about makeup artists, I am 100% comfortable in my own skin and love when others are too! I am not here to say that makeup is absolutely the way to go or recommend that for you; I’m here to make you feel beautiful. Doing that is very difficult because I’m working against a person’s insecurities, but I wouldn’t trade it for any other profession. Their joy and happiness when I am finished with my work makes it completely worth it.

What are your goals for the future?

My plans include being an educator for what I do and continuing to strive for excellence. I don’t want to limit myself to one specialty, but rather to be as versatile as I can be. I want to be paid to travel the world and showcase my art and eventually, I would like to have my own makeup/hair studio.

THE ART WORLD EXPO IS GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY: