Thank you to the Escarpment Artists!
Loved seeing these one-of-a-kind artworks bringing to life the Jefferson salamander? So did we! And we have the Escarpment Artists to thank. We’d like to give special acknowledgement to the artists below for their amazing work creating these Jeff & Sallys for all of Burlington to enjoy! Curious to know who painted which salamanders?
Monday: Louise Botha and Bill Brehm
Tuesday: Cheryl Norton and Marnie Brehm
Wednesday: Diana Tuszynski and Bill Brehm
Thursday: Ursula McDermid and Cheryl Norton
Friday: Diana Tuszynski and Lois Freese
My path has led me to study art and design and work as a designer. This led me to design for people with disabilities and later to work in a more direct capacity in the field. I embrace creativity as a way to relax, communicate and find balance in a world where it seems to be more important than ever. The Niagara Escarpment with it's beautiful sunsets and sunrises is an integral source of inspiration for me. I treasure my tree lined walks among it's textured rocks, catching glimpses of fragrant ancient cedars and various birds and animals that call it home. I try to relay the peace that I find in nature in my paintings and treasure the moments spent in my studio recreating it. My path has led me to study art and design and work as a designer. This led me to design for people with disabilities and later to work in a more direct capacity in the field. I embrace creativity as a way to relax, communicate and find balance in a world where it seems to be more important than ever.
The Niagara Escarpment with it's beautiful sunsets and sunrises is an integral source of inspiration for me. I treasure my tree lined walks among it's textured rocks, catching glimpses of fragrant ancient cedars and various birds and animals that call it home. I try to relay the peace that I find in nature in my paintings and treasure the moments spent in my studio recreating it.
Bill grew up in Wisconsin in the USA where he studied Art and Architecture at Lawrence University. He has been painting in watercolours, oils and acrylics for over fifty years. Following his retirement from a career in urban planning he moved to Canada in 2001 and became a Canadian citizen. He has studied painting with Tom Deitrich, Tom Lynch, and Mike Zimmerman. Bill's style is eclectic and runs the gamut from detailed renderings to impressionistic and abstract. His paintings are usually full of colour and often done en plein air (outdoors).
Bill is also a writer and photographer and has published a dozen volumes including a series of "Doors of the World" travel books with his wife Marnie, and several historical works.
I have always enjoyed doing anything artistic or crafty. As a child I always did well expressing myself through art. I decided to take cartooning at Sheridan College for post secondary education to find out that even though I was good; so was everyone else. I then decided to go into the Engineering Field as a draftsperson. For 20+ years I worked on a drafting table 8-10 hours a day which gave me little time or desire to work on my own creative art. An early retirement has allowed me to focus on getting back to improving my own artistic abilities. I have experimented with oil, acrylics, pen and ink, alcohol inks and watercolour. I have found my comfort is in Watercolour and pen and ink. I love working on smaller pieces which include unique one of a kind cards.
Marnie has been painting and creating art for many years. While working professionally as a Chartered Professional Accountant, she has found art provides great relaxation and stimulates both sides of her brain. She has participated in many classes and workshops over the years and has studied with painters Tom Lynch and Julian Hyzler. Marnie and her husband met at a painting class in Elora, and paint together en plein air while travelling the world.
Marnie also creates polymer clay jewelry, and co-writes travel photo books.
Diana Tuszynski, lives in the rural hamlet of Kilbride, within the City of Burlington. Currently she enjoys painting nature in realistic and abstract painting with brush or palette knife using either acrylics or oil/cold wax medium and has exhibited her work since 2004. A founding member of the Escarpment Artists group, she credits the Fine Arts Society of Milton (FASM), with bringing her out of the artist’s closet. 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 participated several times in the Milton Studio Tour. Diana’s work has been selected for Juried Shows with FASM, the Red Door Gallery in Georgetown and the Joshua Creek Juried show in Oakville.
Look for her at the Escarpment Artists annual country show, and in her studio in Kilbride, on appointment. Commissions accepted.
I call myself an artist much more comfortably and confidently than I used to. Living in Milton for over twenty years plus my association with so many gifted artists helped define myself.
Coming to Canada as an immigrant from Germany in my early years (a few years after WW2 ended) had a part in shaping who I am. My formative years were spent in Northern Ontario and in my early twenties I relocated to Southern Ontario. Art in my family was not looked upon as a lucrative profession so I meandered along different paths and ended up in the Public Sector until my retirement a few years ago.
Since my teen years, I played with various mediums and most recently fell in love with alcohol ink. I have had no formal art training; my intuitive creativity extends beyond painting into artistic food preparation and crafts of every description.
Abstract to impressionism to realism covers the gamut of themes I work with and are all represented in my work in private collections, book covers and corporate greeting cards.
I have the good fortune of living in Campbellville, as there is plenty of inspiration to inspire my art work. I have been painting for over twenty years, originally focussing on Folk Art, then progressing into landscapes and pet portraits. I have continued to take classes and workshops, and have recently developed a passion for oil and cold wax. As an active member of FASM for over ten years, I have found the friendships and knowledge gained to be a priceless bonus. I am constantly looking for new challenges and new mediums to try. While landscapes are what I find to be most enjoyable, I am always trying to step outside of the box. Recently I started rock painting which is great fun. Painting takes me to another dimension. While creating there is nothing else to think about. Creating is something I would not consider giving up. There is nothing like it. Always thinking about what my next project will be. The Salamander project was fun and inspirational, besides being for a good cause.