Celebrate King: Acoustic Art Installation

Carole Ahmad

Email: carole.ahmad@outlook.com

Living in a rural community most of her life, Carole Ahmad has always been drawn to the land and the agricultural way of life, and the symbolism of the barn. For her painting Nobleton Barn, Carole describes that the bank barn (a two storey barn often built into a bank or hill) beamed through the snow laden trees. When a vintage pickup truck pulled up in front, the scene begged a painting for posterity’s sake. The original work was painted in acrylic on canvas in 2023.

Carole is a longtime resident of King Township. Together with her husband Shaheen, she founded the Schomberg School of Art. It guided many emerging artists from the area and beyond, and operated from 2004 to 2011. Carole is a multi-faceted eclectic artist. She paints. She pots. She quilts. She writes. She nurtures her creative spirit with the Kaleidoscope Group of Artists and with Artistic Adventurers. She enjoys roaming the rural roads of King Township and en plein air sketching the barns of old in ink and watercolour, for present pleasure and for future paintings.

Oksana Baczynsky

Email: oksanabaczynsky@gmail.com

Oksana Baczynsky has lived in three provinces and has travelled with sketchbook, paints and camera in hand extensively across Canada and into the Yukon. She is a long-time resident of Aurora, but summers at her cottage in Haliburton. Her love of the Canadian landscape has inspired her to capture its majesty and beauty in both acrylic and watercolour. Being an avid gardener, Oksana is always inspired to render the many flowers in her gardens.

Although Oksana holds a BSc, BEd and a PhD in cell biology, she has also studied art at Seneca College, Fleming College’s Haliburton School of Art and Design, and attended many painting workshops.

In April 2025, Oksana was the featured artist at the King Municipal buildings in King City. Her work may be found at the Royal Rose in Aurora and the Burlington Art Gallery. Oksana is an instructor of acrylic painting at Newmakeit in Newmarket.

Winnie Chen

Website: https://www.moonmoonartwork.com/

Winnie Chen is an accomplished full-time artist, based in Toronto, and creator of MoonMoon Artwork Studio. Her artistic style is a seamless blend of abstract shapes and realistic forms, infused with vibrant colours that are sure to captivate the senses. Winnie’s preferred medium is watercolour, owing to its transparent quality and unpredictable water flow, which add a unique touch to every painting she creates.

For Winnie, art is a form of therapy that transports her into a dream-like world. Her ultimate goal is to invite her viewers to immerse themselves in her creations, find solace, and experience a moment of peace.

Sherry Dube

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sherrydubebateman.art/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SherryDubeBateman
Website: https://sherrydube.ca
Email: sherrydubebateman@gmail.com or admin@sherrydube.ca

Sherry is a self-taught traditional artist whose work encompasses landscapes, florals, and wildlife. Her art is characterized by its intricate detail and lifelike quality. With a deep appreciation for nature, she seeks to capture the colours, moods, and atmosphere of the natural world. Drawing inspiration from the Ontario landscape, Sherry spends considerable time photographing its diverse scenery, flora and fauna, which serve as the foundation for her paintings. She strives to depict scenes with minimal human impact, showcasing nature’s untouched beauty.

Her wish for those who view her work is to gain a renewed sense of appreciation for the world around them, finding peace in its complex beauty. For Sherry, there is a unique satisfaction in knowing that viewers can “get lost” in the fine details of each piece. In her words, “The beauty I find in nature around me is what inspires my work, and my desire to preserve this vision is what motivates me to create.”

Sherry became an elected member of the Ontario Society of Artists in 2024 and her work is found in many private collections across Canada.

Patricia L. Earl

Website: http://www.pearlsart.ca

Patricia L. 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 wild flowers that she loves to paint are found in abundance in Ontario’s countryside, on the hiking trails, and in her own backyard. Some of her inspiration comes from her view from the pillion of their motorcycle as she and husband Jim travel the Ontario countryside or
American southwest.

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.”

Jacqueline England

Website: http://jacquelineengland.com/

Jacqueline England resides in the Mississauga, Ontario, area. She was born in Nottingham, England, and immigrated to Canada as a young child. She returned to the U.K. to further her education. While there, she was introduced to the world of horses and, as a young teen, spent many a day “mucking out”, grooming, riding and showing horses. She has worked in various mediums, such as pastel, watercolour, gouache, acrylic, graphite and oils but favours oils as she loves the intense colour that is achieved by using them.

When Jacqueline paints, it is imperative that she strive to create photo-realism, especially for her horses. As long as she can picture in her mind her hand moving over the body of a horse, she is able to achieve the height of realism she demands. Jacqueline’s greatest wish is that upon viewing her paintings, the viewer will be able to feel and see what she saw while painting all these gorgeous creatures of nature and to have a greater insight of the animal it portrays.

Leslie Hobson

Website: https://lesliehobson.wordpress.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lesliehobsonphotographs/

Leslie Hobson is an award-winning photographer and author who has been a resident of King Township for more than 40 years.

After a successful advertising career, Leslie turned her efforts to supporting her community and volunteered for Hope House Community Hospice for more than 20 years, serving in various capacities including visiting volunteer and Chair of the Board. She created ‘Songs of Love and Loss,’ an anthology and visual exploration of grief in our modern world, as a successful fundraiser for Hope House. Her poems for a collaborative children’s book, ‘Animal Friends from A to Z’, raised funds for Holland Bloorview Children’s Hospital.

Leslie enjoys performing her poems live and, in addition to her creative efforts, as founder of the King City Angels, she supported girls and women and organized choir visits to long-term care homes in York Region for more than 20 years. She enjoys singing, travel and games with her family and friends.

Mary Morganelli

Website: https://mariellart.com

Mary Morganelli immigrated from Italy where her love for art developed at an early age. Her artwork was put aside to start a family, but recently she revived her passion by taking private lessons. She adores painting whatever inspires her, including portraits, landscapes, flowers, animals, automobiles, and more. Using an array of mediums, her therapeutic creations tell stories, express emotions, and some are just for fun. For Mary, variety is the spice of life.

Sylva Sroujian

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artbysylva
Email: sylva@sroujian.com

Sylva Sroujian is a Richmond Hill-based artist who transitioned from a career in business to pursue her lifelong passion for art. Over the years, she has showcased her work in various solo and group exhibitions, earning recognition in numerous juried shows and receiving several awards.

Sylva primarily works with cold wax and oil as well as acrylics, creating expressive landscape paintings that reflect the boundless beauty of nature. Her outdoor adventures – camping, hiking, and exploring the wilderness in places like Algonquin Park and Lake Superior – inspire her artwork, infusing it with a deep connection to the natural world.

Through her art, Sylva aims to evoke the serenity and wonder found in nature, inviting viewers to pause, reflect, and reconnect with the landscapes that inspire her.

Joe Trimmeliti

Website: http://joetrimmeliti.com
Email: info.jtart@gmail.com

Joe Trimmeliti graduated from George Brown College in 1974 in Graphic Design. He was a Senior Staff Artist in the Toronto Public Library art department for 15 years. Currently he is self-employed in sign making and graphic design. Joe has recently rekindled his love of painting and has been successful in several fine art shows and sales.

Joe’s oil and acrylic paintings are original impressions inspired by his natural surroundings and rich imagination. His landscapes and abstracts are varied and continuously evolving. They have been positively embraced by the art enthusiasts and collectors who have attended his shows.

Phyllis Vernon

Website: http://phyllisvernon.com
Email: phyllis.vernon@sympatico.ca

Phyllis Vernon paints in a variety of media and styles – her art is an exciting and constantly-changing event as she explores and experiments with her love of colour, texture, light, form, media, and a wide variety of subjects. Originally a watercolour artist, she has broadened her scope to include acrylics, inks, graphite, collage and handpulled prints. Sometimes her paintings are highly realistic, as in the Barns series, or they may be inspired by her imagination with a realistic subject focus.

Phyllis welcomes the opportunity to paint commissions and delight clients by capturing a favourite location or idea.

Susan Walker-Ing

Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/shop/PaintedWorksbySusan
Email: swoosh528@gmail.com

Susan Walker-Ing has painted since she was a young child, enjoying art in mediums such as printmaking, watercolour and drawing as well as painting in pastels, acrylics and oils. She graduated from York University with a degree in Art History and finished her degree in Florence, Italy, creating inspiration that 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 Arts Society King (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 – Ansnorveldt, 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.

Jess Wilkinson

Website: www.jesswilkinsonfineart.com
Email: jesswilkinsonfineart@gmail.com

Jess Wilkinson is an experienced visual artist with a dynamic range of skills and interests creating fascinating work. As an introvert, she embraces art as a primary form of expression. Her work speaks without interruptions or competition. With over 40 years of experience, she has developed a vast array of skills. Initially focusing on photorealistic commissioned portraits using graphite and coloured pencils, she has since delved into oil painting and pastels as her primary media.

Recently, she has explored the world of clay sculpture, discovering a new dimension that has influenced her 2D creations. Her art aims to reveal beauty in everything, drawing attention to the magic in everyday places and objects. Her work frequently incorporates elements of water, sky, and natural phenomena, reflecting her passion for astronomy.

Her interest in astrophotography brings a scientific angle to her art, resulting in pieces that are accurate yet transcend literal depiction. This unique blend of scientific curiosity and artistic flair sets her work apart, offering a window into the beauty that exists in the universe.