Arts Society King is pleased to present
its fifth annual
Autumn Reflections En Plein Air Competition
With Adjudication and Commentary by
Diana Tuszynski
Prizes in Seven Categories:
Best in Show – $400
Best Natural Feature – $150
Best Architectural Feature – $150
Best Human Interest – $150
Most Daring – $150
Best Artist Under 18 – $150
Honourable Mentions X3 – $100
Participating Artists & Winners
Best in Show
Jessica Wilkinson
Why be afraid of the dark, when you can love it, instead? Through her artistic expression, Jess Wilkinson has been sharing her love of the different ways light can bend for over thirty years. She received the Gold medal in the RCO Arts Category for her watercolour series showing different phenomena we would experience if not for the ill effects of Light Pollution. Through her work with pencils, pastels, oils, watercolours and clay sculpture, you can expect a colourful journey showcasing the beauty of natural things and especially, the wonders of the sky at all times of night and day.
Best Natural Feature
Oksana Baczynsky
Oksana has resided in three provinces, and travelled extensively across the breadth of Canada, sketchbook, paints and camera in hand. A longtime resident of Aurora and summer cottager of Haliburton, she is inspired inspired by these locals to portray the majesty of and beauty of the Canadian landscape, both in watercolour and acrylic media. Although Oksana holds a BSc, BEd, and PhD in cell biology, she has also studied art classes at Seneca college and Fleming College Haliburton school of Art and Design. Her work may be see and The Burlington Art Gallery and Royal Rose Art Gallery in Aurora.
Best Architectural Feature
Brittany Lauren
Brittany Lauren is a contemporary wildlife painter based in Stouffville, Ontario. Her journey in art began with formal training at Sheridan College and the Toronto School of Art, where she earned an Advanced Diploma in Craft and Design. Brittany’s work takes inspiration from her time at a wildlife rehabilitation centre, leading her to adopt a minimalist approach that highlights the beauty of wildlife on neutral backgrounds. She specializes in acrylics, incorporating various materials to create textured realistic portrayals of her subjects.
Most Daring
Spenta Chothia
Spenta Chothia is a Canadian Born Artist living in King City!! Spenta has studied at the University of Toronto Mississauga in the Art and Art History Program. She is very Passionate about Painting and making Art with her intuition and abstract skills using realism to grab from!!
Best Human Interest
Winnie Chen
I am Winnie Chen, a Markham-based Watercolor artist. Art has been my passion since childhood, an unyielding flame that I never let extinguish. Inspired by the bustling energy of the city and peaceful beauty of nature, I use watercolor to bring my vision to life on paper. Watercolor is my favorite because of its transparency and unpredictable water flow, which make each painting a unique journey.
Honourable Mention
Pat Earl
Patricia Earl paints to convey the light, colour and mood of what she sees and feels around her as Mother Nature so generously provides. She doesn’t have to travel far to find subjects that inspire her. The gentle rolling hills, farmlands, forests and wildflowers that she loves to paint are found in abundance in Ontario’s countryside, on the hiking trails and in her own backyard. Watercolour and acrylics are her mediums of choice whether painting in her studio or en plein air. Her brushes and paints go wherever she goes! “To paint is to see!”
Honourable Mention
Hanifa Meamujee
Hanifa’s art explores the world of images and visions. Her work captures light and colours in a manner that awakens the senses. Connecting with Nature and People brings Hanifa most joy, and she invites the audience to share the moment in a play of colours and lived experience.
Hanifa’s art has been exhibited at Gallery 96 in Stratford Ontario, Yorkville Library, BIA Art Walks, Sunnybrook Hospital, T-Buds restaurant, John B. Aird Gallery, Dignam Gallery, Headwaters Arts Gallery juried shows and the Papermill Gallery at Todmorden Mills. Her art has also been included in fundraising silent auctions for charity organizations.
Honourable Mention
Susan Walker-Ing
Susan has painted since a young child. Enjoying art in mediums such as printmaking, watercolour, drawing, and painting in pastels, acrylics, and oils. She graduated from York University with a degree in Art History. Finishing her degree in Florence, Italy, the inspiration has stuck with her throughout her career. She is a versatile artist with a track record of success across various mediums. Her recent accomplishments include receiving an Honorable Mention in the Saugeen Plein Air Competition in July 2020, and in 2021, she earned the esteemed title of “Best in Show” for her oil painting at the ASK Autumn Reflections En Plein Air competition. In 2023, she won her second “Best in Show” with the ASK Autumn Reflections En Plein Air competition with her oil, “Celery Harvest, King”. Her dedication to plein air painting, which presents both challenges and joys, is evident in her outstanding work. Her art has garnered international recognition and is collected by art enthusiasts worldwide.
Susan, who is the founder and president of Aurora’s Creative Connection: A Centre for the Arts, earned the Town of Aurora’s recognition and respect for her significant contributions to the local art community. In honor of her outstanding achievements, she was awarded the prestigious Johnsons Culture Achievement Award. You can find Susan Walker-Ing on a show produced by Rogers by simply searching for her name on YouTube. The show features her painting plein air, includes an interview, and showcases numerous examples of her artwork.
Meet Our Judge
Born in St. Catharines, Ontario, Diana Tuszynski discovered her artistic nature early on but had a hiatus of a couple of decades before picking up a brush in early 2000. A career in financial services with her own insurance brokerage gives this artist a practical grounding and lends to her volunteer work with several arts organizations. Diana credits the Fine Arts Society of Milton (FASM), with bringing her out of the artist’s closet, stepping onto the Board 10 yrs ago and took the Presidents role in 2023. A founding member of the Escarpment Artists, she organizes the annual weekend art studio tour in west Halton, which included 5 locations and 18 artists in 2024. Diana is also on the Board of the Art Gallery of Burlington where she serves on the Development & Fundraising Committee and the Acquisitions Committee. A love of creativity and organizing has led to a full roster of arts related pursuits and activities with a practical lens. Diana lives in the rural hamlet of Kilbride, within the City of Burlington. She enjoys painting nature in realistic and abstract painting with brush or palette knife using either acrylics or oil/cold wax medium and has been exhibiting her work since 2004. Diana has displayed her paintings in group shows at the Holcim gallery in Milton, Sunnybrook Hospital, Caledon Town Hall and other group shows in Halton Region and participates annually in the FASM Studio Tour. Diana’s work has been selected for Juried Shows with FASM, the Red Door Gallery in Georgetown and Joshua Creek in Oakville. The Escarpment Artists Salamander project had Diana create 2 “salamanders” as part of an initiative to bring awareness of quarry expansion into natural habitat. These “salamanders” have been on temporary public display throughout Burlington. Volunteerism and love of community go hand in hand with her love of art and its ability to draw attention to concerns of habitat loss. Diana believes that everyone is an artist at their core, but we all have different ways to express our creativity.