Art Spark

About Maureen Munden
Maureen Munden, BFA York University, has 15 years of experience 'playing at art' in her successful classes in Thornbury and Collingwood.  Her easygoing adventures give her students the support and tools they need, while she lays the groundwork for them to explore their own creativity.

About Howard Pain
Currently residing in the countryside near Collingwood, Howard has moved on from a long career in advertising and graphic design in Canada including various senior positions- senior art director JWT, Toronto, creative director Y&R, Toronto, founding partner BPW Limited and BPA Limited.

Responsibilities
included major projects in all media in Canada, U.S. A. and Europe for international corporations and governments. He has received numerous regional, national and international awards for design and communications. In 1975 he undertook a study of the early furniture of central Canada and in 1978 'The Heritage of Upper Canadian Furniture' was published in Canada and 'The Heritage of Country Furniture'
was published in the United States. In 1990 Howard and his wife fell in love with the gorgeous, exotic, Caribbean island of Nevis and established an art gallery there in 1993 with a plan to return to my early interest in painting. In the 15 or so years since then I have produced a sizeable body of work dividing my interest between Canada and the Caribbean. He was elected as a member of the Society of Canadian Artists in 2003 and his work is in private and corporate collections internationally.

Artists Statement

I am inspired by a wide range of subject matter and environment including the dramatic moods of the Georgian Bay area in Canada, the exotic vegetation on the Caribbean island of Nevis, the graphic forms of flowers, fruits and vegetables, architecture and the human form. At the same time I am exploring the potential of these same forms and colour themes in abstract studies. The act of painting is very important to me whether it is the calligraphic manipulation of oil pigment on a large canvas or the elegance of just the right drop of colour in the wet surface of a watercolour in progress. I strive for economy and clarity while I reject technique for its own sake. Sometimes I wait for some time for that profound feeling, observation or concept that sparks the demanding process of making a painting.

About Steven Bowie

A visual artist and teacher for over 25 years, Steven is former Head of the Gallery School at the Art Gallery of Ontario and Chair, 3D Computer Animation at the Toronto Film School. His teaching experience also includes courses at the McMichael Canadian Art Gallery and the Koffler Centre of the Arts. He has exhibited work internationally since 1983 and holds a Masters Degree in Visual Art. Steven's extensive experience in both traditional and digital new media is fused with a love of art in all its forms. His passion for teaching is delivered in a fun, dynamic style that has inspired students of all levels and abilities.