Amelia is a Vancouver-based visual artist with a making and teaching practice centered in clay. A 2013 graduate of Emily Carr University, she is a founding member of the Dusty Babes Collective, a past board member for the Potters Guild of British Columbia, and a continued volunteer at the PGBC community kiln. Amelia loves teaching all ages and has taught classes and special-topics workshops for the Shadbolt Arts Centre, Surrey Arts Centre, Semiahmoo Arts Society, Arts Umbrella in Vancouver and Surrey, AFK at the Gordon Smith Gallery in North Vancouver, and as a visiting artist in schools in Vancouver and Surrey. In 2023, she was a presenter at "Stoked!" the Canadian Clay Symposium.

After an inspiring workshop last year, we are thrilled to welcome Amelia back for two exciting workshops as part of the Vernon Arts Summer School (VASS) 2025! We are confident that her creativity, expertise, and enthusiasm will inspire and spark new ideas in everyone who participates!

Amy was first introduced to clay in 2007. She attended classes and pursued it as a hobby for close to a decade before she decided to move to the mountains of Nelson BC, and enroll in the Kootenay School of the Arts Ceramics program. Amy completed her schooling in 2017 and moved back to Vernon B.C where she started making functional work and teaching during the winter months. “I love teaching and helping students discover the world of clay. I use structured classes and one on one coaching during class time to help students learn the skills they need to make their own functional pieces".

From Spring to Fall, Amy is busy running her flower farm business, Hawthorn Farm Studio, providing flower bouquets to grocery stores from Kamloops to Penticton, A La Carte floral designs, and DIY buckets for weddings and other special events.

Angela is a Canadian artist and art instructor based in the Okanagan area of British Columbia completing her BDes at ECUAD and her BEd at UVic. Angela has exhibited in Canada and the US including 2 encaustic installations in 2021: “BREATH” at the Alternator Centre For Contemporary Art, and “BRINK” at the Kelowna Art Gallery. Angela has written articles for “Encaustic Arts Magazine” and “Wax Fusion” and her work is in permanent collection at the Encaustic Art Institute and Museum in Santa Fe. In 2023 she had an installation at the VPAG entitled “CONSUME”and an installation at the KCT. In 2024, her work “Spiral Pod” was awarded Juror’s Choice at the international encaustic exhibition Changing the Narrative, she juried the international exhibition, Global Warming is Real, by the Encaustic Art Institute, was featured in Issue 6 of Arts to Hearts Magazine, and had a solo exhibit called Amorphous By Nature at Headbones Gallery.

Angela has extensive teaching experience; she has been an art instructor with SD23 for the past 25 years and taught many adult encaustic workshops including Essence of Mulranny’s Painting With Fire encaustic masterclass. In the fall of 2025 she will be teaching at the first ever Canadian Encaustic Conference held in Owen Sound, Ontario.

We are incredibly excited to welcome Angela to the 2025 VASS lineup! Her extensive experience as both an artist and educator, along with her innovative approach to encaustic, will undoubtedly inspire and enrich our community of artists. We can't wait to see the creativity she brings to this year’s program!

Ann has spent most of her life painting in oils, both in the studio and in the outdoors, en plein air. She has participated in and helped organize many plein air events throughout Canada during her career. Being primarily a landscape painter, Ann’s style of painting is very loose and impressionistic, characterized by thick oil paint, harmonious colour and visible brushstrokes. Most of her paintings depict the splendour of the natural landscape around us, from panoramic marshland vistas, to larer than life florals and portraits of distinctive and unique trees.

Her work is shown in galleries in Ontario, Alberta and B.C., and held in collections around the world. She is a Signature Member of the Federation of Canadian Artists, Associate Member of the Oil Painters of America, and has won numerous awards in various FCA shows and Plein Air Festivals. Ann spends most of her time working and teaching at her studio in Lake Country, B.C.

“Being outdoors painting en plein air has made my passion for painting grow exponentially – it is the ultimate experience - feeling the wind on your face, the warmth of the sun, hearing the birds singing.- all of those sensations become a part of the painting.”

Ann's passion for capturing the beauty of the natural world through her expressive brushwork and masterful use of colour makes her a fantastic addition to this year's Vernon Arts Summer School. We are thrilled to welcome Ann to the 2025 VASS lineup and look forward to sharing her talent and expertise with our community of artists!

Ashley is a visual artist, born and raised in the North Okanagan. While her primary medium is clay sculpture, she also works in acrylics, watercolours, beadwork and photography. She gathers inspiration from local and international travels, educating herself on cultures, ecosystems and wildlife conservation. After taking a class at the Vernon Art Center, it revealed animal sculpture work was her creative calling! Immersing herself in the various techniques, shapes and textures further sparked the personalities that have brought her animals to life. Each piece Ashley creates reflects her lifelong passion and advocacy for animals. She currently teaches Animal Sculpture workshops at Vernon Community Arts Center. She can often be found in her ‘creative zone’ during studio drop ins, gaining inspiration during the VCAC’s gallery showings and exploring the many classes VCAC has to offer.

Cathy Toll is a potter who loves every aspect of the medium. For her, working with clay has become a healthy obsession and a continual journey of learning….there is really no end to what can be done with clay. Cathy does artful pieces that are built for function and other work just for the art of it. She is in her happy place when her hands are muddy.
Cathy has taught clay hand building at the VCAC for 5 years and loves to share what she knows and to inspire others.

Catherin Acutt is a multidisciplinary artist and educator with a deep passion for design and fine arts. With diplomas in Fashion and Design, Fine Arts, and Creative Research, her work spans embroidery, papermaking, and artistic innovation. Her art has been showcased in Canada and internationally, including the Chicago Art Centre and the University of Waterloo Art Gallery.

We’re thrilled to welcome Catherine back to the Vernon Community Arts Centre after nearly 10 years when she first shared her expertise through a papermaking class. With her wealth of experience, Catherine continues to inspire creativity and connection through the arts.

Charley began painting in 2017 as part of a process to deepen his spiritual practice. His creative explorations evolved through various styles and mediums until he took a class in abstract painting. Focusing on shapes and colours observed in the natural world but painted in a non representational way sums up his style and practice.

Charley achieved Active Status in the Federation of Canadian Artists in 2018 and has been juried into over 30 shows since then. He is a member of the Okanagan Artists of Canada and regularly participates in their exhibitions.

Charley has a background in coaching and counseling. He now combines his experience serving others with his creative practice, and has been teaching a range of classes in acrylic painting and abstract expression since 2020.

Artist Statement:

Art is learning to express myself in ways that I cannot otherwise do. It’s about taking risks, learning through growth, living with the fear of making mistakes, and connecting with people who understand.
The Japanese principle of satori describes my connection to art: satori is continually acquiring new points of view and perspectives through which we deal with life.

Christine is passionate about creating and teaching art. Graduating from UBC Okanagan with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2009 with majors in printmaking and photography she continues to create original and unique artwork. Christine is an instructor for youth and adults in her home studio, at the Vernon Community Arts Centre and in SD 22 and SD 83 classrooms. In 2020 she had a solo exhibition of her cyanotype works “Full Spectrum” at the Vernon Public Art Gallery. Christine exhibits her artwork locally in shows of the Okanagan Artist of Canada, Okanagan Print Artists and North Okanagan FCA groups and Artsolutely at the Vernon Community Arts Centre.

Diane Black, an accomplished artist from Kingston, Ontario, began her journey in illustration and spent years in the commercial art world before transitioning to a dedicated studio practice. For the past 25 years, Diane has explored ceramics and clay sculpture as a narrative medium, establishing herself as a master of storytelling through art.

Her full-time practice focuses on sculpture but also embraces drawing, painting, and printmaking. Teaching is a cornerstone of Diane’s work, and she shares her expertise with students locally and internationally.

We are excited to welcome Diane to the 2025 Vernon Arts Summer School lineup, where she will bring her passion for clay and narrative art to the Vernon community.

Eiko came from Tokyo to Salmon Arm, B.C. in 1993. She worked for School District #83 as a Japanese Language Monitor. In high schools and elementary schools, she taught in Japanese classes or visiting classes for Japanese language or art classes. She taught not only language, but also gave opportunities to the students to experience Japanese arts and cultures: origami, tea ceremony, ikebana: flower arranging, kimono dressing, Japanese dance and Japanese calligraphy.

Japanese calligraphy is influenced by Chinese culture that has more than a 4000-year history. The participants learn the difference of three different kinds of Japanese characters in calligraphy class. Unlike Western calligraphy, Japanese calligraphy uses India ink with a brush on thin rice paper. The brushes are thicker than paint brushes, and the experience of Japanese calligraphy is rather more like drawing foreign designs than just writing letters.

At present Eiko teaches Japanese culture and language at the Okanagan Regional Library in person and remotely and privately. Also, she obtains Major’s degree in Counseling Psychology: Art Therapy and works for facilitating art therapy groups in School District #83.

Short Description of Japanese Calligraphy and Origami: Begin with explanation about the history and significance of calligraphy in the Japanese culture and the different styles of Japanese calligraphy. Also, participants will learn how to write their names in Japanese and enjoy creating oriental art works using Chinese ink with a brush.
Origami is the art of paper folding, which is associated with Japanese culture. The participants of all ages are able to enjoy making objects with origami paper.

Emily has been an artist all of her life, and was encouraged to revel and wonder in all that can be found in the natural world. Now she encourages others to play with abandonment and embrace the messiness of being lost in a world of colours and textures.
Colour, light, lines, shapes and all the interactions in nature fuel Emily’s wonder and delight. She took up photography at a young age and loves to capture all of that with her camera. More recently, she has been immersed in ‘building’ art with fabric, fibre, paper, clay and recycled materials, on their own and together. The recycled and found fibre has proven to be the perfect vehicle to create art that can suggest or represent scenes or simply inspire abstract creations. She allows her imagination, surroundings, favorite places, and the materials themselves to fuel her creativity and encourage simply “messing about”.

A graduate of Emily Carr University, Gabrielle’s practice is split between paintings, ceramics and public art. Prior to attending ECUAD, she spent five exciting years travelling to over 70 countries on all seven continents by sea, leaving her with a deep connection to the ocean. Those years at sea left their mark and coupled with twenty years living in the PNW, she is forever drawn to themes of water, weather and sky, which reoccur throughout her art practice. Inspired by the beauty of big monochromatic moody skies, through her paintings Gabrielle seeks to capture the quiet sense of calm those overcast days evoke. Primarily working in oils, she is always searching for the moment the veil is lifted, revealing a glimmer of light on the horizon. Her work is often described as quintessentially West Coast.

As part of Canada 150, Gabrielle was awarded a major public art commission by the Government of Canada, City of Vernon and Downtown Vernon Association to commemorate Canada’s 150th anniversary, whereby she enlisted the community to help create an over 100-foot long winding river mosaic installed in Vernon’s Cenotaph Park. More recently, Gabrielle has exhibited her paintings solo at Gallery Vertigo and at the Peachland Art Gallery. Her paintings are represented by Gallery Merrick in Victoria, Ashdale Gallery in North Vancouver, Tutt Street Gallery in Kelowna and through the American online gallery, PXP Contemporary.

Gale Woodhouse has a long and established history as an instructor, visual artist, and craftsperson. Professionally qualified as a teacher of art and design in England and trained and apprenticed as a studio potter, Gale is dedicated to sharing her extensive knowledge of the arts with students of all ages. Her workshops are thoughtfully designed to help students achieve their artistic goals, offering new and stimulating techniques that enrich and enhance their current practices.

Heather took up pottery about 10 years ago after years of curiosity. She is mostly self taught from the Kamloops Arts and Crafts studio where she played and taught beginner classes. Heather spends most of her creative energy on functional kitchen pottery.

"My theory is that as a beginner you should never fall in love with your piece until the final firing. It’s a craft with so many opportunities to fail but when the stars align it’s magic. Pottery has taught me patience, gratitude and a deeper appreciation for all of the talented souls we meet everyday. I love teaching beginners. The aha moment is so fun to be a part of."

Jam graduated from the Alberta University of the Arts in the Spring of 2022 and moved to Vernon shortly thereafter. Jam is an interdisciplinary artist specializing in drawing and ceramics. Their love
for the outdoors and exploring new materials in their own studio practice has led to an
obsession with the use of a spiral motif in all her work, grounding her various material
explorations in their embodiment of themes of organic growth, fluidity, and connection.

Jam teaches clay handbuilding for kids and adults, beginner drawing courses for adults, and has started delving into more youth art programs at the VCAC. Jam also spends time working on further developing her own line of functional ceramic ware, caring for her cats, and trying to spend as much time as possible exploring the never-ending opportunities for outdoor adventures now at her fingertips.

Jasper Coulombe is a self-taught artist who challenged the question, “Do you have to be born with natural talent to make great art?” It wasn’t until her 40’s when she found a key to open her inner artist. The key was DESIRE. It indeed unlocked an adventure of a lifetime.

She began with silver smithing, oil and watercolour painting, felting and 'resinating' with nature (a process of integrating resin with botanicals, wood and/or minerals).

Today Jasper lives in Vernon and teaches what she knows, inspiring others to let their inner artist glow!

Jeremy was born in Edmonton, Alberta and at a young age, became interested in pottery beginning with a summer pottery camp. He pursued his interest in pottery and graduated from California State University, Long Beach with a BFA in Ceramics.

Being an adventurous soul, Jeremy has lived and made work in many places. Now finding himself in Okanagan, he has been making pottery that he hopes will add to and enrich the lives around him. He has taught classes in Nelson and Salmon Arm, and now at the Vernon Community Arts Centre in Vernon.

“I like to make work that reflects the places that I live. I look at architecture, landscape and moments of history to inform what I make. I am endlessly curious about the process, materials and history of pottery. I enjoy encouraging people to find their own creativity and look to share what I have learned along the way.”

Darkhorse Farms & Art Studio features Wet Felting Art Placemats and Yoga Mats, Soapstone, Alabaster and Wonderstone carvings of Jessica Hannah.

"I don’t have a typical art up bringing, growing up on a farm I didn’t have a lot of time for art. However, as a young child I fascinated by my dad who sketched pencil drawings and wanted to be able to create. I picked up a pencil and have done art since then. In my last year of high school I won an art scholarship, which I used to travel to Texas and work with an artist one on one with watercolor. Sports however ruled my life and I went onto a career in competitive road running and cycling. Art never did leave me, injuries sidelined me from time to time and art is what I immediately gravitated to."
"Life took me from sports back to a farm, with an art studio, and it was at that time a good friend introduced me to wet felting with wool and carving soapstone. I was unsure if I would like this medium, but I took to it right away and now a few years later my excitement grows. I have added my own stylized techniques to both mediums."

Jo-Ann Law first fell in love with pottery at Prince George's CNC in her youth. After a long hiatus from the craft, she rediscovered it in 2012 at the encouragement of her eldest daughter, who was interested in taking classes at the local pottery guild in Northern Alberta. Since then, she has devoted many hours to her love of pottery, building her skills through classes and experimentation. When the time came to retire and move back to beautiful BC, deciding on a location was the next challenge. After visiting the Vernon Community Arts Centre she had found her new happy place. She has been a member of the VCAC since 2018 and began teaching in 2019. Jo-Ann's philosophy for pottery is based in pure joy and play, "There is just nothing like taking a piece of clay and creating something beautiful."

Johanna began her pottery journey over 7 years ago at the Vernon Arts Centre. She became pleasantly consumed with the craft, and eventually started a small business called Neighbourly Pottery. In 2018, she began her retail journey by selling her wares in Funktional in downtown Kelowna. Later in 2018, she built and started a studio on her family’s property in Lake Country.
She loves making functional pieces and focusing on timeless and beautiful designs. She aspires to the ‘plain white tee’ aesthetic - a solid basic that never goes out of style.

Kara Barkved is an established international selling artist, born in Montreal but has lived in BC since 1969. She graduated from the University of Victoria in 1983 with a BFA and an MA in 1991. She has studied art, art therapy and psychology, and has been involved in the arts and visual arts all her life. Kara is a versatile artist working in different mediums, and whose main interest is in Abstract Art. Her paintings evolve out of spontaneous marks that mingle with her imagination and the influence from the world around her.

Karen has been a ceramic artist for 23 years and instructor for 21 years. She became addicted to clay in 2000 when she joined the Kamloops Arts and Crafts Club. Within two short years she was instructing her own adult hand building class. In 2005, Karen enrolled in the Australian National University’s 4-year Distance Ceramic Diploma Program. She also completed extra semesters in China and Australia which gave her the opportunity to learn new techniques and skills from a variety of amazing artists.

Karli moved to Vernon in 2018 and wanted to find a community that she could be a part of in her new hometown. After taking a beginners pottery class at the VCAC, she was immediately hooked and has been honing her skills and trying new pottery techniques ever since.

"I love adding sgraffito and carving to my wheel thrown pieces and enjoy sharing and teaching those skills and techniques to others. The VCAC is my home away from home, hope to see you there!"

All the way from snowy Alberta, Keke Clarke has been playing with colorful arts and crafts her whole life, and has found sunshine, and a welcoming home, here in the North Okanagan. Dabbling in clay, glass, acrylics, watercolor and art modeling, she loves exploring new skills and will never be able to pick "just one" art interest.

Linda has always had diverse interests in the arts, (painting, dance, drama & mime). After 36 years as a dance instructor, Linda’s passion for painting has now been realized. Linda has been a watercolour artist for 24 years, enjoying the variety of creativity and flow that the watercolour medium offers. Linda’s paintings are admired for their vivid colours and diverse techniques. At times she introduces other mediums to enhance her work. Her art subjects are varied, but particularly she draws inspiration from the beauty of nature.

Linda has continued to grow in her art by regularly receiving instruction from a number of Canadian artists in both Ontario and British Columbia as well as taking online courses. Vernon Community Arts Centre and Allan Brooks Nature Centre are two locations where Linda has been employed to teach watercolour classes and workshops. She and her husband have made their home in Vernon BC since 2009.

Lowell Friesen is a born and raised Vernon Community Arts Center potter, having taken his first class at the Arts Centre back in 2013. Lowell has since spent the last 6 years learning from the wide array of teachers the center has to offer, and developing his skills in both wheel thrown and hand built pottery. It only made sense that Lowell would one day become a VCAC instructor.

Focusing on functional yet creative versions of classic forms, Lowell's aim is to one day build the ‘holy grail’ of all coffee mugs. When he’s not getting muddy in the clay studio you can often find him on the road singing songs in bars and cafes across the country or talking to his flowers in the garden at his home in Salmon Arm, BC.

Marlene Lowden primarily works in oil and creates large expressive paintings on canvas. After several years in television broadcasting, she resumed her lifelong interest in painting, drawing, and photography. She draws from her experience in television and video production, applying to canvas similar principles of composition and storytelling. While working and raising her two daughters, she studied with a range of instructors learning watercolour, acrylic, and oil painting techniques

Marlene is a proud alumni of Thrive Art Studios, an international collective of female artists. For over 2 years, she exhibited an homage series of 32 works to Canadian female artists called “Blind Contour Homage.” The exhibition travelled to 7 public galleries in British Columbia. In 2021 she was named one of “28 contemporary Canadian artists to know” by Create! Magazine. She is honoured to be included in the All She Makes curated artist directory, the 4th Edition of their magazine and in Art Seen Magazine based in the U.K. Recently Saatchi Art selected her as 1 of 24 artists to collect in 2024. She lives and works in her hometown of Gibsons, BC Canada.

We’re excited to welcome back Marlene to the Vernon Community Arts Centre for our 2025 VASS workshops! Her bold, expressive oil paintings and mastery of storytelling through art make her a true inspiration. We’re so looking forward to having her share her knowledge and creativity with our community once again!

Melly was born and raised in Indonesia where she taught music for over 20 years. She taught under the Yamaha Music Foundation in Japan for ten years and taught private piano and keyboard lessons in elementary schools as well. Her students ranged from young children to seniors. Melly loved helping her students reach their goals and prepare for local and international festivals, concerts and competitions.

Melly learned music at Yamaha Music School, Indonesia where she earned Advancement Examination Fundamental Certificate, Advancement Electone Performance Certificate, and the Teachers Training Course Certificate. She also took piano lessons and learned music theory at the Royal Music School in Jakarta.

Soon after arriving in Vernon in 2004, Melly found there was a need to "fill the gap" for keyboard lessons. She has been teaching keyboard at the Vernon Community Arts Centre ever since.
Melly believes with just a few lessons, anyone can experience the joy of playing music. Playing electric keyboard is fun, simple, and students like to explore different sounds and background music to accompany each song they learn. Her senior students especially appreciate the lightness of the keys and find it easier on their hands and fingers compared to playing a piano.

Monique teaches oil painting at the Art Centre. She studied (oil) painting at different art schools in Europe, before she moved to Canada in 2022 from The Netherlands. She can be found in her studio most days, working on large abstract mixed-media paintings. Besides that, she enjoys photography and encaustics (painting with beeswax). Monique exhibits frequently and she is a member of the Federation of Canadian Artists.

Before becoming an artist, Nancy lived on a hobby farm and created an award-winning garden on the coast which has given her much inspiration for her whimsical artwork. After moving to the Okanagan, she became a caregiver to her mom and needing some “me time”, attended a “Zen” doodling class at the Vernon Community Art Centre. She discovered a whole new world of “happy art” which she creates on illustration board with pen and alcohol inks. Her work is full of bright, beautiful colors and she loves to have the viewer look for things beyond what is plainly visible.

"I am an ACNO member because it makes me a part of an active artistic community. I believe in artists having the opportunity to share friendships, to learn, to work, to display, to teach and to heal."

Norm Compton studied music at Capilano College in North Vancouver. He has performed in a variety of bands and has experience in many styles of music including rock, country, blues and folk. He also enjoys writing music and recording in his home studio.

Patricia Doyle is a visual artist residing on the Bella Vista Hillside in Vernon, BC. While her primary medium is glass she also works in metal, acrylics, clay, silk, videography and photography. Doyle’s works are usually centered on both her love and awe of nature and her quirky sense of humor. She uses art to convey her vision of the world being a more harmonious and beautiful place. Doyle teaches fused glass and glass bead-making classes at the Vernon Community Arts Centre. She also teaches one-week intensive glass bead making courses at Red Deer Polytechnic’s Summer Series of the Arts in Alberta. Her work is available for sale in a number of stores and gallery shops in Western Canada.

Quinn in best known for bringing out people’s awesomeness.

Quinn is a visual artist and educator practicing in the Okanagan. Born in Edmonton, she began her career as a wedding and portrait photographer. Having grown up in an artistic home, pottery, glass, painting and drawing have been consistent areas of exploration in her life.

Recently, Quinn has channeled her creativity into the teaching of art classes at the VCAC. Her instruction teaches others to connect with art as an outlet for their emotions and as a method of meditation.

As instructor, ceramic studio technician, and coordinator of the Joining Hands program, Quinn finds great joy in helping others explore and expand their artistic talents.

Reha Sakar’s artistic journey began in childhood and has evolved over 20 years in the movie and gaming industry, where he currently works as a Digital Matte Painter on Disney’s Spidey and His Amazing Friends. However, Reha’s true passion lies in watercolour painting.

A senior member of the Federation of Canadian Artists, Reha’s watercolour work is known for its dramatic, loose style, capturing light, mood, and emotion. Watercolour has shaped his understanding of composition and planning a painting, and he loves sharing his insights through teaching and workshops.

We are excited to welcome Reha to the 2025 Vernon Arts Summer School, where he will inspire our community with his expertise and enthusiasm for watercolour.

"I enjoy the challenge of working with clay as a medium. I am constantly experimenting with clay, searching for interesting textures, new glaze interactions, and little bits of energy within the pots I make.

The great thing about making functional ceramics is that this dialogue of making continues past the last firing. It's through using that I find successes or failures, or am inspired to try something new. These interactions with my pots inspires me to continue making, to keep finding new ways to reflect life and nature.

We all use pots everyday. Why not use a pot with character."

Sue is a Stained Glass Artisan with my own studio in Vernon, B.C. She has been doing this as a business since April 2020, thanks to Covid. Prior to becoming a business, stained glass was a hobby she's dabbled at since 2002.

"I has pushed myself to learn new techniques and get out of my comfort zone. The fun part was realizing people wanted my work and were happy to pay for it. I’ve been asked many times to create a memorial piece for a loved one whether it be a special heart design or a lantern. Those have meant a lot to me, to be entrusted with this task. I am always looking for new and current designs to create."

Sue loves to teach the “lost art” of stained glass to others, and have them enjoy this art form. For her, this craft has added some sanity to her life when the world was just a little crazy at times.

Sue ahs been retired for 20 years. Before retirement she worked in the dental profession as an office manager for 25 years. Sue is married, and between her and her husband, they have 6 children, 13 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild to keep them busy. She also has a small business making fascinators for the women’s organization she belongs to, Crown Jewels of Canada Society. Sue loves to read when she has the time, as well cook for family and friends.

Svetlana is a Russian-born visual artist living and creating in Vernon, BC. Trained as a philologist and an English teacher, she has always been passionate about art and art history, and learnt to draw and paint through books and self-instruction. After moving to Canada, Svetlana took workshops and courses in photography and filmmaking in Halifax, drawing in Quebec, and painting and illustration in Vernon. Photography being her principal way of self-expression, she enjoys the expermental and educational process of blurring the line between different forms of visual art.

Svetlana’s photographic work has been exhibited in local galleries as well as at the Okanagan Artisan Guild Show and Lake Country ArtWalk.

Svetlana loves sharing her passion for art through teaching. She is convinced that art skills are as important as reading and writing, and can be acquired by anyone, just like reading and writing.

Terry’s stained glass journey began as a hobby and in 1989 her passion for glass evolved into a full time career as the co-owner of TJ Homecrafts Stained Glass, a stained glass supply store in Armstrong B.C.

Terry has been dedicated to the promotion and development of glass as an expressive art form. Stained glass is her forte and her finely executed pieces attest to her skill as a true artisan. Terry incorporates crystals and semi precious stones into many of her designs. Additionally, Terry also enjoys glass fusing as another area where she can explore her creativity.

She has spent years honing her skills through experimentation and study and now passes on her expertise in well-planned classes, which she conducts at TJ Homecrafts Stained Glass and at the Vernon Community Arts Center.

Trained as a Graphic Designer, my artistic journey has been that of an explorer. Often enjoying an "explosion" of colours, I find working with a limited palette equally thrilling. Multidimensional aspect of the human form continuously fascinates me hence my relentless quest to represent it in the various mediums I work in. Deconstruction of forms as I built up my collages is totally consuming as I work my way through composition, colour, form and light.

Portraits, figurative art and landscapes are the themes I am currently painting.
Since 1976 I have exhibited in group and solo shows in United Kingdom, USA, Canada, Pakistan and Dubai and awarded for portraiture and abstract paintings, namely 2003 Open International Portrait Competition in Toronto.

In 2004 I moved to Kelowna after a 13 year stay in Dubai. As an art educator for over 25 years, I had the honour of receiving the Art Educator Award for the Okanagan Arts Awards 2009.
Member of several art associations, currently I am serving as the president of Livessence, Figurative Art Society, Kelowna, BC.

Wendy’s interest in natural dyeing was borne from her life-long knitting passion. Keen to delve deeper into the world of fibre, she embarked on a fascinating journey to explore how yarn was both produced and dyed.

Through a combination of courses, workshops, and self-study, Wendy continues to expand her natural dyeing skill and knowledge base. The science and history behind creating beautiful colours from plant species “in our own backyard” never ceases to amaze her and to know that she is creating something organic and environmentally safe, is very satisfying. Wendy’s primary medium for dyeing are protein fibres, and she has created beautifully coloured yarn and botanical prints from locally foraged plants and roots, invasive weeds, bark, wood, lichen, and mushrooms.

Aside from natural dyeing, Wendy spends time learning new dye processes through courses, spinning yarn on her spinning wheel, knitting, and with the Blackfalds Fibre Arts Collective, a group she started when she moved to Central Alberta in 2021. It is comprised of skilled fibre artists who are committed to sharing knowledge, teaching and keeping traditional fibre arts alive.

We are excited to welcome Wendy back to the the VCAC for our 2025 Vernon Arts Summer School workshops! Her unique approach to natural dyeing and dedication to sustainability will inspire participants and enrich our community with her knowledge and expertise.