Canadian artist Mais Al-Sheikhly began her career as an artist after having immigrated to Canada as a teenager from Iraq. The traumatic experience left her struggling to find the words to understand her world around her, and as a result, she turned to art to create what she couldn’t express. A self-taught artist that has been working with the mentorship of Barry McCarthy, she found that cubism and abstract art allowed her to freely express her imagination on the canvas.

With over a decade of experience, and an endless imagination Mais has presented exhibitions both on the domestic and international stage. With an astounding eye and limitless imagination, Mais continues to bring her ability to take traditional culture and concepts to create works of art that are both abstract and imaginative in new and intriguing ways.

Learn more about the artist:https://maisarts.com/.

Learn more about the podcast and podcast host: http://curatoronthego.com/podcast.

Canadian artist Michelle Vella is known for her bold, fun, and colourful works. From her studio in Toronto, Michelle Vella paints subjects that celebrate pop culture, feminism, fashion, and equality. Vella’s art has been exhibited in Canada and the United States and has been featured in publications such as Harper’s BAZAAR, W magazine, City Life Magazine, and The Washington Post. Plus TV appearances on The Marilyn Denis Show and Cityline. Her most popular works include her portraits of pop culture icons such as Audrey Hepburn and Andy Warhol to Pop Food brands like Nutella and Kraft Dinner. Her custom commissions vary from portraits, cottage landscapes to pop art brands.

Learn more about the artist: https://michellevella.com/.

Learn more about the podcast and the podcast host: http://curatoronthego.com/podcast.

Amber Hahn is an abstract mixed media artist based in Toronto, Canada. When she’s not face painting her four-year-old, she loves to paint using a number of different mediums such as acrylic, pastel, and ink.  Growing up, she was always drawn to creative outlets; painting, drawing, and writing.  A five-year cancer survivor, Amber uses art to navigate the many emotions she experiences in her life journey and is imagined through themes of love, hope, strength, empowerment, reinvention, and discovery. Her abstracts instill a sense of calm, with soft flowing colours, bright lines and a splash of brilliant, shimmering gold. Amber’s mission is to embody the spirit of happiness and light through her work, in order to elicit the strongest of emotional bonds with her viewers.  Her work has been collected across Canada and the USA.

Learn more about Amber: https://www.instagram.com/amberhahnart/

Learn more about the podcast and podcast host: http://curatoronthego.com/podcast

Sarah Carlson uses her training in painting and filmmaking to compose narratives around themes of nature, kinship, female identity, and humour. Her work spans painting, murals, sculpture, video and installation. Recent exhibitions include Gladstone Hotel,  Red Head Gallery,  Propeller and solo exhibitions at Gallery 1313 and Ignite Gallery. She lives in Burlington, Ontario and works in and around the greater Toronto and Hamilton area.

Learn more about the artist: https://sarahcarlson.ca/

Learn more about the podcast and the podcast host:

https://curatoronthego.com/podscat/

Caroline Chorazy is a self-taught, Toronto based abstract artist specializing in acrylics and gold leaf. She draws her inspiration from natural elements in an attempt to capture organic movement and flow in all of her artwork. Her use of gold leaf and/or pigment gives each piece a unique gesture and ability to change appearance or shape in cohesion with the room and light.

Learn more about the artist: 

https://www.instagram.com/artcc86/

Learn more about the podcast host:

https://www.instagram.com/curatoronthego/

https://curatoronthego.com/podcast/

Welcome to Season 2 of Curator on the Go Podcast. This episode is a get-back-together episode to give you some updates on what I am up to and answer some questions you've asked me. 

Don't forget to tune in every Tuesday for a new episode! 

Murals are an excellent way to transform your walls, especially if you want to create a bold statement and add character to a space or site. It is no wonder that murals are becoming increasingly popular additions to corporate offices, hotels, cafes, residences, and co-working spaces. 

Working as an art advisor, I always guide and help my clients throughout the entire mural commissioning process and I would like to share with you details and insights from my latest project that took place in Toronto. 

Today I have the pleasure of speaking to Althea Johnson, the owner of Shop Propr Life+Style in Toronto, and Leslie Phelan a Toronto based mural artist. When you want to commission a mural, you will have to go through a few stages. During this interview, we’ll go through all, and you will hear the feedback about the process of commissioning a mural from my client and the artists. I hope you will enjoy this unusual format. It was so much fun to record! 

Learn more about Althea Johnson:

https://shop.proprlifestyle.com/

https://www.instagram.com/shopproprlifestyle/

https://www.instagram.com/proprlifestyle/

Learn more about Leslie Phelan: 

https://www.lesliephelan.com/

https://www.instagram.com/lesliephelan/

Learn more about the podcast and podcast host:

http://curatoronthego.com/podcast/

https://www.instagram.com/curatoronthego/

Julie Hawkins is an abstract painter from Woodstock, Ontario, Canada. She is a self taught artist, although formally educated in interior design. Her works are created out of intuition through spontaneous movement and expressive brushstrokes. Julie’s painting practice is an integral part of her ability to live a mindful life. Painting, for her, is like a bridge to the present moment.

Julie has exhibited her work in Toronto, Vancouver, Los Angeles, and New York City. She has been working as a professional artist for over 10 years, selling work directly at exhibitions as well as through gallery representation.

Learn more about the artist:

https://juliehawkins.ca/

https://www.instagram.com/juliehawkins_art/

Learn more about the podcast and the podcast host:

https://www.instagram.com/curatoronthego/

http://curatoronthego.com/podcast

Laura Costantiello is inspired by nature and led by love, each bright and bold piece is infused with her breath and soul, creating an authentic energy that will make any space look spectacular. The colour combinations in her work are often inspired by nature as well as the countries she has explored. Laura also uses the beautiful Italian language to title her paintings - as an homage to her heritage and love for the diverse country. 

Learn more about the artist:

https://www.instagram.com/laura_c_studio/

https://www.lauracstudio.com/

Learn more about the podcast and podcast host:

https://www.instagram.com/curatoronthego/

http://curatoronthego.com/podcast/

Peterborough-based artist Kathryn Last explores the intersection of creation and the expressivity of material through the artworks that she creates. 

Kathryn graduated from Trent University in 2013 specializing in Visual theory, Media and Cultural Studies. Kathryn is currently completing her Masters Degree at Trent University pursuing a research creation project in conjunction with her own artistic practice. 

Learn more about the artist:

https://www.instagram.com/kathrynlastart/

https://www.kathrynlast.com/

Learn more about the podcast and the podcast host:

https://www.instagram.com/curatoronthego/

http://curatoronthego.com/podcast