Imagining Place: A Creative Landscape

This 1.5-hour workshop will consider the elements of landscape that capture the imagination. From vast skies, deep waters, vanishing roadways, and windblown forests to the shadows of an urban high-rise and everything in between, each student will build an image of a landscape that reveals a bit of their story. Working with acrylic paint and drawing from their own connections to land students will be encouraged to engage with narrative, perspective, colour, and mark-making to craft a unique and imagined landscape painting.

Artist Bio: Corynn Kokolakis is a figurative oil painter whose practice merges the often-disparate roles of mother and artist. Influenced by motion and materiality, her work explores memory, childhood development, and caregiving. She holds an MFA in Visual Art from York University and a BFA in Drawing and Painting from OCADU. She received a SSHRC CGS Master's Scholarship and the Glay Sperling prize in 2022. Recent exhibitions include Cedar Ridge Creative Centre, Art Mur, Baycrest Health, and the Toronto Public Library. Her work has been featured on Global News, BT, CP24, CBC Radio, and She Does the City and can be found in the public collection of Micheal Garon Hospital as well as in private collections in the UK, the US, Australia, France, and Canada.

Skill Level: Beginner

Age Group: All ages (however children will be encouraged to participate in the full 1.5 hr class)

Note: Acrylic can stain clothing, participants should plan accordingly, and bringing an apron is encouraged. To reduce waste, participants are asked to bring a large surface to use as a palette (think dinner plates, clean take-out containers, or anything that can be scraped and cleaned) and 2 medium-sized jars (or yogurt containers) for paint water. ** All other materials will be provided.