POSTCARDS FROM THE ROAD: Laundromat in Sackville, NB

jen — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 12:26:05 +0000

Hazel Meyer is a Toronto-based artist, aspiring athlete and amateur sports broadcaster who sometimes explores relationships between textiles and sports in her work. She recently did a residency at Struts Gallery and Faucet Media Arts Centre in Sackville New Brunswick, where she kept this blog documenting experiences, inspiration & process. She can also be found at www.hazelmeyer.com

I was warned of the Sackville panty snatcher and told NOT to leave my laundry alone, so, I stayed with my [...]

QUESTIONS FOR CRAFTERS BLOORCOURT: Jack Dylan (Market: August 13, 2011)

jen — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 01:40:42 +0000

Behold our final vendor spotlight for the Bloorcourt Arts and Crafts Street Fair Market with illustrator Jack Dylan. Find Jack and dozens of other super talented makers’ stuff at the Market on Saturday – it’s gonna be a goooood one.

1. What processes and materials are involved in creating your work? Normally I’ll start a sketch with pen, not a good pen, but a cheap little Bic pen (I like black best). Then I’ll scan that and start making some magic in the photoshop [...]

CRAFT SHOW: Bloorcourt Arts and Crafts Streetfair Market (August 13, 2011)

jen — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 23:13:15 +0000

Yes, yes, I’ve been blogging about little else lately in the form of vendor profiles, but sometimes it’s easy to miss the forest through the trees! So just a quick ‘mark your calendars’ type note that this very Saturday, the Bloorcourt Arts and Crafts Street Fair is coming up, and the market action is NOT TO BE MISSED.

We’ve got several dozen artists and makers offering up prints, ceramics, paper goods, textiles for the home and bod, accessories and jewellery galore, and even [...]

SHOP CRAFTY: Field & Market Pop Up Shop (July 7 – 10, 2011)

jen — Thu, 07 Jul 2011 22:22:36 +0000

I am running out the door so just a flyer and some links for this pop-up shop – stylish & tasty looking (& opened today!):

http://blog-fieldandmarket.tumblr.com

Facebook event

EXHIBITION: Zoo @ Loose Canon Gallery, Hamilton (July 8 – August 12, 2011; reception July 8)

jen — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 15:10:30 +0000

It’s art crawl time again (yes, I am going to keep plugging this thing until I see more of you guys wandering the streets of Hamilton every second Friday night of the month!) and this is the show I am most excited about checking out. A fantastic little group of local illustrator/designers have come together to explore the wonders (and from the sounds of it, horrors) of the animal kingdom. Behold:

ZOO
or, A Motley Menagerie of Magnificent Mammalia

EXHIBITION: Hanged & Drawn at LE Gallery (May 27 – June 19, 2011; reception: May 27)

jen — Thu, 26 May 2011 15:55:52 +0000

Illustration definitely seems to be having a heyday, with the shelves of art bookshops exploding with glossy volumes celebrating contemporary illustrators & established institituions taking it seriously as an art form to study and collect. This Friday LE Gallery celebrates the hype with the opening of Hanged & Drawn, a show featuring 6 Canadian extremely talented illustrators.

Hermetic Island by Tristram Lansdowne

HANGED & DRAWN

May 27 – June 19
Opening reception Friday May 27 at 7:00pm

The last decade in the international art world [...]

CRAFTY LIT: Embroidered Penguin Novel Covers by Jillian Tamaki

tara — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 14:42:20 +0000

I just came across these incredible embroidered book covers by Canadian illustrator Jillian Tamaki thanks to a link on Broken Pencil’s website. Tamaki illustrated the acclaimed graphic novel Skim, written by her cousin Mariko Tamaki in 2008, and her practice as an artist spans comics, editorial illustrations and much more. She also has had collections of drawings published by Drawn and Quarterly and Conundrum Press.

Toronto School of Art– they are hosting an artist talk with illustrator extraordinaire Nicholas DiGenova next week. A little known fact about TSA…they host really fantastic artists talks on a regular basis. Keep an eye out on their website and blog for future guest artist announcements.

Photo of Nicholas DiGenova by Brittany Shepherd

The Toronto School of Art (TSA) is pleased to welcome Nicholas DiGenova to our studios on Wednesday, April 27 at 6.30 [...]

FROM THE DESK OF TCA: Last days of Becky’s kickstarter campaign DONATE by April 27!

jen — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 12:46:05 +0000

Rust in Pieces, Boris Carloff
by the men and women of the Misanthrope Specialty Co.

You may recall this recent post about Becky’s Kickstarter drive to raise funds to embark on her seasonal craft journey across North America. Well, the deadline is coming up in less than a week, and though she has made some amazing progress ($5474 at time of posting) she still needs your help to reach her $6500 goal by April 27. [...]

CRAFTY LIT: Toronto Comic Arts Festival (May 7, 2011)

jen — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 12:37:05 +0000

TCAF always has the best posters and this year’s by Jillian Tamaki is no exception!

Never been? Come check out graphic greats like Chris Ware, Adrian Tomine, and Chester Brown and see what local talent like Willow Dawson, Rosemary Travale, Koyama Press, and Wowee Zonk have to offer! You may be surprised at the craft factor at this show as well…I’ve scored some great prints and the most adorable little mushroom scuplture in years past.

BASIC INFO:

The Toronto [...]

EXHIBITION: Marian Bantjes: I Wonder at Onsite (at) OCADU (March 2-June 5, 2011) REVIEW

tara — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 19:27:22 +0000

I Wonder image courtesy of Onsite (at) OCADU’s website

A few weeks ago I dropped in to see the exhibition I Wonder at Onsite (at) OCADU, which features the innovative and utterly seductive work of Canadian graphic artist Marian Bantjes. I Wonder is also the title of Bantjes’ new book, which not only features her lush and highly original work with design and typography, but it also discusses her thoughts on design. Having flipped through the book in [...]

SHOP CRAFTY: Online Clear-out from Sarah McNeil

becky — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 15:46:55 +0000

Just got word that former Toronto visitor and all-around talented lady, Sarah McNeil, is taking some time to focus on larger project and will be clearing out her Etsy shop from now until March. For those who are fans of her work, deep discounts on limited editions projects and originals will come as welcome news. It’s also exciting to think about what she might be working on next…

GET INSPIRED: Art Department Illustration Division

jen — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 16:05:03 +0000

This may be old news to those of you tapped in to the illustration/sexy advertising world (these guys have been going since 1995), but holy geez, has Art Deparment got some incredible illustrator portfolios on their site. This has little to do with Toronto, aside from the inclusion of our very own Virginia Johnson – image above – on their roster of illustrators, but I had to share this find with you! Here are a handful of my favourite images – definitely inspiring for future [...]

EXHIBITION: Ray Fenwick’s Mascots at Katharine Mulherin (February 10 – March 6, 2011, Reception February 10)

becky — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 22:18:43 +0000

Winnipeg (via Halifax and then back to Winnipeg) artist, Ray Fenwick, is passing through Toronto this week to hang his new show at Katahrine Mulherin. The show, Mascots, is a collection of figure and text on found book covers as seen in his new book of the same name.

In concert with the launch of his book, Ray made a few video previews to animate some of the illustrations that [...]

CRAFTY LIT: Sword of My Mouth Book Launch (May 6)

jen — Mon, 03 May 2010 18:14:00 +0000

Those of you on Facebook may have been noticing that a lot of your friends or friends-of-friends profile images are starting to look….awesome. This is because Shannon Gerard, illustrator and crocheter of sturdy plants, fuzzy foods & facial hair, is promoting her new book by offering portraits for facebook profile pics. The line up is huge, but last I heard the deal is open until May 4th. Read on for deets on the book and launch party.

Jim Munroe and Shannon Gerard have a new graphic novel [...]

EXHIBITION: Winter 2010 Visual Arts @ Harbourfront Centre (January 23 – April 4)

jen — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:45:12 +0000

Micah Adams, Plain Jane Monument: She’s Had This Burden for Many Years, 2009, brass, 6cm x 4 cm x 2cm.
Photo: Tom Bilenkey

VISUAL ARTS at York Quay Centre
Winter 2010 Exhibitions

Saturday, January 23 – Sunday, April 4, 2010
Main Gallery Hours:
Tuesday and Thursday through Sunday: noon–6pm; Wednesday: noon–8pm;
closed Monday (except for civic holidays).

235 Queens Quay West
Toronto, ON M5J 2G8
416.973.4600
www.harbourfrontcentre.com/visualarts/yorkquaycentreYQC10_1.cfm

IT’S A BIG DEAL!
Micah Adams, Alisha Marie Boyd, Norah Deacon, Niko Dimitrijevic, Margaret Lim, Shuyu Lu, Amanda McCavour, Adriana McNeely, Rose Angeli [...]

QUESTIONS FOR CRAFTERS: Miki Sato

admin — Sun, 10 Jan 2010 22:34:19 +0000

Miki Sato is a Toronto-based illustrator who uses a mixed media approach to creating her designs. You may have recently seen her work in our inaugural craftoon feature (or take a look here). In this interview with Amy Borkwood, Miki discusses a bit about her process and creative inspirations.

Can you tell me a bit about the process of your work? How does your work come together, from initial idea to finished piece?

The ideas usually come to me when I let my [...]

EXHIBITION: Field Notes @ Industtrees (January 15-February 12, reception: January 15)

rosalyn — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 14:21:37 +0000

Field Notes :: Jan 15th – Feb 12th @ Industtrees

No matter what advances we make as a species, most of us still revert back to the ol’ pen and ink to document our thoughts, ideas and dreams.

“Field Notes” brings together a slew of new work by Adrian Forrow, Kellen Hatanaka and Jim Mezei that is inspired by thier own individual approaches to the note-taking and creative process. From direct observations to completely abstract thoughts, all of [...]

Intern Top Picks No. 21

rosalyn — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 03:39:07 +0000

bbrrrr! grab a cup of tea and please join us for another batch of lovely picks!
happy weekend sweet friends

Amy says:

(image from Daniel Douglas)

1. Jenni Rope

Okay, look at all these books. I’m overwhelmed.

2. Sofia Arnold/Icebear

Other wordly silkscreened prints. Love.

3. Susie Cowie

Vintage-inspired embroidery.

4. Daniel Douglas

This picture is perfection: the tumbledown wood, the yarn-roof, oh!

5. Mariska Karasz

Incredible, [...]

GET SCHOOLED: New Independent Illustration diploma program @ Seneca

toronto craft alert — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 03:39:38 +0000

Arts and commerce collide in Seneca’s new Independent Illustration diploma program

Artists with an edge.

That’s the plan at Seneca College, where an illustration program with an entrepreneurial twist will begin in January.

The only diploma program of its kind in Ontario, the Independent Illustration program offers a unique focus on the business of art.

In addition to learning about traditional art forms such as drawing, painting, mixed media, sculpture and digital media, students will create and register their own small business, have a working website, and have the accounting, marketing [...]

Intern Top Picks No. 20

nightjar books — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 20:54:04 +0000

It’s suddenly winter but these top picks will keep you warm.

Caitlyn says:

(image by DosFamily)

1. DosFamily

I’m in so love with the house tours they feature… I want to move in.

2. Modeerniteter

Adorable, adorable, adorable. Swedish style at it’s best.

3. Andrew Bannecker

I know, I know.

4. Hannah & Landon

They’ve been floating around on the internet for awhile, but this couple is pretty cute.

5. 1918 Vintage

Cute little vintage store. I [...]

QUESTIONS FOR CRAFTERS: Crystal Bretschger

jen — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 01:31:10 +0000

Interview by Amy Borkwood

Crystal Bretschger is an illustrator and graphic designer by trade, and a recent Torontonian by way of New York City. She makes some of the most compelling illustrations—a lovely combination of childlike aesthetic and stark linework. I asked her some questions recently about her work, her new life in the city, and the banner she just created for the Toronto Craft Alert’s newsletter.

Can you tell me a bit about the process of your work—where do you work, what materials do you use?

Well, I have a 500 square foot apartment [...]

GET SCHOOLED: Fashion School Application Seminars (October-November)

rosalyn — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 10:15:09 +0000

FASHION SCHOOL APPLICATION SEMINARS

We are very excited to have Tarah Burke joining our Sew Be It Team and heading our Fashion school application program. She had created two programs to help you increase your chance in acceptance and answer any questions you have regarding the fashion industry.

The following programs are designed to compliment each other to help you build a solid portfolio and a clear guildance in choosing the appropriate career in the fashion industry.

Fashion Program Application Seminar
DATE: OCTOBER 18, [...]

Intern Top Picks No. 19

nightjar books — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 20:57:12 +0000

New Top Picks, and tonight is Nuit Blanche? The weekend is looking so good. Enjoy!

Amy says:

(image by We Make Words)

1. We Make Words

It’s what they do.

2. Maybe Forever

A collaborative show between Sean Morris and our Torontonian-for-a-short-while, Sarah McNeil. We’ve linked to Sarah in Top Picks before, but the new collaborative work deserves its own mention. Gorgeous, mysterious work.

3. Stil in [...]

EXHIBITION: Kozyndan Solo Exhibition (October 1-25, reception: October 1)

rosalyn — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 12:06:04 +0000

Narwhal Art Projects Presents

KOZYNDAN
Solo Exhibition & Book Launch

Opening Reception:
Thursday, October 1 from 6-10pm
Artist will be in attendance. Signing from 6-8pm

Location:
Narwhal Art Projects
680 Queen St. West
Toronto, ON, Canada M6J 1E5
647.346.5317

Exhibition Dates:
October 1 – 25, 2009

Narwhal Art Projects & Magic Pony are pleased to present The Unknown Portraits, a new exhibition with American-Japanese artist duo Kozyndan. This exhibition documents a unique portraiture project spanning the past four years of Kozyndan’s travels. Originating [...]

GET SCHOOLED: Class Listings at Wise Daughters (September-October)

rosalyn — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 03:32:37 +0000

For grown-ups:

Art Cards to Make and Trade
Sun, Sept 27, 1:00 – 3:30
with Lisa Pijuan-Nomura

Pay-what-you-can

Cartooning (for people who don’t think they can draw)
Sun, Oct 4, 1:00 – 4:00
With Cathy Thorne of Everyday People
Make a cartoon you can print, email or use as an avatar.

$50

Handmade Holiday Gifts
Sun, Oct 18, 1:00 – 4:00
With Anna Redish
Make 3 different easy and economical gifts – beeswax candles, lavender sachet, appliqué tea towel – plus gift bags and tags.

$65

Bookbinding
Mon, Oct 19, 7:00 – 9:30
With Amy Borkwood [...]

FROM THE DESK OF TCA: City of Craft 2009 is ALIVE!!!

jen — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 16:52:20 +0000

Things are starting to get jiggy* over at City of Craft headquarters, as we just announced the results of our jurying session (painful! exhilarating! so much talent, so little space :<<<), are starting to get the new blog in gear, and have made-over the site with the 2009 artwork by TCA’s very own Amy Borkwood.

I want to direct everyone over to the blog to check out Amy’s write up of why she chose the T.O. buildings she did to illustrate in the poster. Maybe it will inspire someone to open [...]

Intern Top Picks No. 18

caitlyn — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:31:30 +0000

It’s a beautiful day in the neighbourhood as we bring you another edition of Intern Top Picks.

Feel free to comment below on your favourites!

Amy says:

image by Hidden Archive

i. Hidden Archive – Really incredible geographically and nature-inspired installation work. Check out the intense quilted tepee.

ii. Cloudy Collection – Ongoing collaboration between a letterpress printed and various artists. The prints come in volumes – 7 prints in a theme (one volume is all red) and only costs $40. [...]

Toronto Craft Alert » Illustration

CRAFTY HAPPENING: Everything Under the Moon @ Enwave Theatre (February 18-23, 2012)

EXHIBITION: Three Knocks: Katy Horan, Adrienne Kammerer and Jamiyla Lowe at Narwhal Art Projects (November 11-December 5, 2011)

POSTCARDS FROM THE ROAD: Laundromat in Sackville, NB

QUESTIONS FOR CRAFTERS BLOORCOURT: Jack Dylan (Market: August 13, 2011)

CRAFT SHOW: Bloorcourt Arts and Crafts Streetfair Market (August 13, 2011)

SHOP CRAFTY: Field & Market Pop Up Shop (July 7 – 10, 2011)

EXHIBITION: Zoo @ Loose Canon Gallery, Hamilton (July 8 – August 12, 2011; reception July 8)

EXHIBITION: Hanged & Drawn at LE Gallery (May 27 – June 19, 2011; reception: May 27)

CRAFTY LIT: Embroidered Penguin Novel Covers by Jillian Tamaki

FROM THE DESK OF TCA: Last days of Becky’s kickstarter campaign DONATE by April 27!

CRAFTY LIT: Toronto Comic Arts Festival (May 7, 2011)

EXHIBITION: Marian Bantjes: I Wonder at Onsite (at) OCADU (March 2-June 5, 2011) REVIEW

SHOP CRAFTY: Online Clear-out from Sarah McNeil

GET INSPIRED: Art Department Illustration Division

EXHIBITION: Ray Fenwick’s Mascots at Katharine Mulherin (February 10 – March 6, 2011, Reception February 10)

CRAFTY LIT: Sword of My Mouth Book Launch (May 6)

EXHIBITION: Winter 2010 Visual Arts @ Harbourfront Centre (January 23 – April 4)

QUESTIONS FOR CRAFTERS: Miki Sato

EXHIBITION: Field Notes @ Industtrees (January 15-February 12, reception: January 15)

Intern Top Picks No. 21

GET SCHOOLED: New Independent Illustration diploma program @ Seneca

Intern Top Picks No. 20

QUESTIONS FOR CRAFTERS: Crystal Bretschger

GET SCHOOLED: Fashion School Application Seminars (October-November)

Intern Top Picks No. 19

EXHIBITION: Kozyndan Solo Exhibition (October 1-25, reception: October 1)

GET SCHOOLED: Class Listings at Wise Daughters (September-October)

FROM THE DESK OF TCA: City of Craft 2009 is ALIVE!!!

Intern Top Picks No. 18