One of a Kind Spring Show & Sale

I am so excited to announced that I will be at the One of a Kind Spring Show this week! Come to the Rising Stars section to say hello! I am at Booth O-20. You can find more information by visiting my artisan profile here. As a treat, you can visit here to purchase online tickets at a discounted price. Happy Spring! 

If Walls Could Talk

Tomorrow evening is the opening of If Walls Could Talk, a juried exhibition of experiential illustration curated by the lovely Leila Courey. The show features work by Beata Kruszynski, Betty Zhang, Jen Spinner & Hazel Eckert, Jennifer Ilett, Kat Gomboc & Rebecca Ladds, Kerry Zentner, Mike Ellis, Min Gyo (Daniel) Chung, Nat Janin, P.K. (Adam Hilborn), Rachael Ashe, Sawhorse Design Co. with Adrian Forrow & Tyler John, and myself. 

"Discover how artists and designers use illustration and related art forms to transform the hotel's 2nd Floor Gallery and public spaces in dramatic, conceptual and experimental ways."

IWCT will be up at the Gladstone Hotel from March 6 - 30, 2014.

Opening Reception: Thursday March 6, 7 - 10 PM

Exhibition hours: 12 - 5 PM Daily

The Jury: 
Ari Elkouby: creative director, Zulu Alpha Kilo
Diti Katona: partner, creative director, Concrete Design
Gary Taxali: fine artist, illustrator
Jason Logan: creative director, Rogers Publishing
Mikey Richardson: partner, creative director, Jacknife Design
Paul Dallas: Chair of Illustration, OCAD University
Virginia Johnson: illustrator, textile designer, and founder, Virginia Johnson Lifestyle

Hope you can all make it! 

City of Craft!

The holidays are just around the corner, come to City of Craft this weekend to get something handmade by your favourite local artisans! As this year's designer for City of Craft, I created the above winter poster and I am so delighted that it will be screen printed by Kid Icarus! The same arctic foxy will also be available on a tote bag screen printed by the one and only Shannon Gerard (plus amazing volunteers). If you are one of the first 100 brave souls that line up to walk through the doors on Saturday morning of the show, you will be rewarded with a free tote bag (for the icy weather you must endure). See you next weekend and don't forget to bundle up! 

Now it's time for me to get back to crafting! 

Bunfest 2013!

Bunnies and bunny lovers unite! Bunfest is happening this Sunday! 

I revisited some of my childhood photographs last night and noticed the many bunny outfits I had on. I knew I was destined to celebrate and fond over these long eared and fluffy friends. 

See you there!     

Global Talent Search Round Two

Below is my submission for the second round of Lilla Rogers' Global Talent Search. Our assignment was to create an Autumn theme tote bag that would be sold at the farmer's market. I had so much fun painting delicious apples being drizzled with caramel and sprinkled with flower petals. You will have a chance to vote for your favourite illustrated piece here starting tomorrow September 3rd until Monday, September 9th. Your votes will allow a sixth finalist to advance into the final round of the Talent Search!  

I'm a Semi-Finalist!

I just returned home to Toronto from a colourful and favourful trip in Montréal. One of the finest moments of the trip was receiving the news that I have been selected as one of the fifty semi-finalists for Lilla Rogers' Global Talent Search. Below is my entry for the first round and you can view all chosen work here. Please stay tuned regarding the second round of the contest as your voting might advance me to the final round!  

OOAK Spring Show

Hello! I will be at the One of a Kind Spring show starting today until Sunday! Please check my artisan profile for details, I will be in section L-04, table 31!

Special delivery for ARTBOMB

I am so eager to announce that the original illustration created for the Jan/Feb 2011 issue of The Walrus will be featured on ARTBOMB tomorrow. ARTBOMB is a daily online art auction site where subscribers can submit bids from 6 am to 11 pm EST. Visit www.artbombdaily.com to subscribe and look out for The Tracks!  

The Tracks, 2010

Gouache and Watercolour on Paper

7 5/8" x 10 3/4"

Welcoming 2013

To kick start an exciting new year, I would like to share with you my latest piece in The Walrus' Special Winter Double Issue for January and February 2013! I illustrated for "Seal", a story written by Kathryn Kuitenbrouwer, you can read the piece here. 

I want to thank art director, Brian Morgan and senior graphic designer, Paul Kim for this opportunity. Also, a special shout out to art intern and great friend, Hanna Barczyk!

Happy New Year! 

COC 2012!

I am at 1093 Queen Street West, table 40, be sure to come say hello! 

Below: Latest item, The Playground Owl Brooch

Heartbeats: The IZZAT Project

(Cover Illustration by Somya Singh)

It is with great pleasure that I invite you to Heartbeats: The IZZAT Project Comic Book Launch at the Art Gallery of Ontario this Tuesday, December 4th. The book is written by South Asian young women in Toronto about resiliency in the face of family violence. 

There will be a showcase of visual arts, dance, theatre, and poetry which include: 

~ The IZZAT Collective “A Open Letter” (theatre)
~ Kumari (dance)
~ Aisha & Fatima (spoken word)
~ N. Gitanjali Lena (poetry)
~ Rosina Kazi http://lalforest.bandcamp.com/ (music)
~ Somya Sigh visual art www.somyasingh.ca (visual art)
~ Subtle Vigilance Collective - The Besetting of Reena Virk, a theatrical exploration of the murder of 14 year-old Reena Virk and this crime’s haunting implications about life in our peaceable land.https://www.facebook.com/SubtleVigilance (theatre)
and more!

I am incredibly honoured to have been involved in The IZZAT Project. My illustrations will be published alongside six incredible stories created by seven young South Asian women as will as the many beautiful illustrations by artist Somya Singh. 

Thus on December 4th, we will begin the afternoon with a hands on illustration workshop which I will be a part of (4:00PM to 5:30PM), immediately followed by the exciting book launch and many anticipated performances (5:30PM to 7:00PM). 

"The IZZAT Project: Young South Asian women’s bodies and hearts are often the battleground of patriarchs, media and governments. Tired of our voices being left out of the dialogue about violence in our lives, we formed the IZZAT project. The project uses the word “izzat”, which refers to the honor or reputation of a person, family or institution. We want to challenge the way in which “honor” has been used against women to rationalize control, abuse, violence against us and instead focus on ways we can honour our right to safety. Throughout 2012, we collectively wrote six stories which were illustrated by artist Somya Singh and Selena Wong into a graphic novella, Heartbeats: the IZZAT project."

For more information or to order a copy of the book, email pomegranatetreegroup@gmail.com

Month of many events

First and foremost, I want to thank all of our friends and families who came out to Black Math's opening night. I cherish the support and love from each and everyone of you, thank you so much! For those who didn't make it out to the opening, the last day of the exhibition will be the 26th of October, which means you still have a week to check out our artwork, go, go now! 

Above: progressive shots of my painting in the show.

The next event I must share with you is the tenth year anniversary of SCARYGIRL presented by Nathan Jurevicius. Over 100 artists have been invited to interpret the seven main characters in Natha's creation: Scarygirl. Below is a close-up of my version for the show; I have chosen Bunniguru, of course. Scarygirl opens excitingly on Halloween night at Toytokyo/Underground Gallery in New York City. I will soon reveal the full drawing to you! 

Lastly, are you all ready for Canzine 2012? I certainly am! Some finalized table display images below. Canzine happens tomorrow Sunday, October 21 at 918 Bathurst Centre from 1PM to 7PM. See you there! 

Black Math

Next Wednesday evening is the opening of Black Math, a group exhibition with fellow artists: Vicki Nerino, Britt Wilson, Hyein Lee, Ty Dunitz, Ilichna Morasky, Alexei Vella, Roben Nieuwland, Ale Diaz, and I. We are so thrilled to have this opportunity to present to you our latest masterpieces at the Steam Whistle Brewery Gallery. We will be there from 7 PM to 11 PM, I hope you can join us. If for any reason you can't make the opening, the show will be up for the entire month of October! 

Below: our beautiful event poster by Alexei Vella! 

To recap, I had the best time at Bunfest this past Sunday, I met so many lovely bunny owners. Thank you for everyone who dropped by my table! Below is a photo of me holding Dizzy, whom I spent some quality time with at the event. She's La La's doppelgänger and much more willing to snuggle. 

BUNFEST!

I have been so eager to introduce Bunfest to you, a day specifically created for pet rabbits and their owners by Rabbit Rescue Inc., but of course everyone is welcome! I will be a special guest at the event equipped with everything to celebrate my La La, the unpredictable Netherland Dwarf rabbit. You can find everything you need to know about bunfest on the poster above as well as on their webpage, bunfest.ca.    

To conclude this exciting post, I leave you with a chinese newspaper clipping of La La from last week. The topic reads, "Sitting Still". The writers at Ming Pao Newspaper have also written a caption for him, to describe that he is "looking from afar".  

New Print!

Shop here! 

Unworldly Reunited

Many thanks to Harvey for an artful and friends-filled night. 

Above is our collaboration! The blue bunny line traveling portal-style via the red tracks Harvey strategically laid down. 

Unworldly Reunion

Unworldly Reunion opens this evening and it is going to be a fantastic show! This is a very special exhibition between Harvey Chan and his artistic friends. I feel so honoured to get the opportunity to collaborate with Harvey, my former instructor at OCAD. 

Location: 

DanZon Art & Dance Centre

2480 Dundas Street West, Unit 104

Date & Time:

August 9  7PM - 12AM

You will be able to view the list of participating artists and more information about the show on the event page. I will share some close up shots of the piece with you for now! 

       

Already August

The Reading Nook opens tomorrow evening at Narwhal Art Projects. You will find my latest 'Rabbit Studies' zine among the many treasures created by a wide and great selection of artists. Below is the promotional poster designed by Steph Davidson. 

Boujour Paris!

Above: Package filled with zines for Papier Gaché. They will be exhibited along other fanzines and self-published books from around the world at Fanzines! Festival in the Marguerite Duras Public Library in Paris from October 17th to November 4th. After the exhibition, the zines will become apart of the Public Library's Collection.

Thank you to Emily Taylor for bringing my attention to this festival! 

Super Birthday

Photo by Jeff Hayward, Design Edge

I am so happy to share with you that I won my first National Magazine Awards this past Friday. I am so honoured to receive a gold for illustration in The Walrus: Meet You at the Door. 

A special charming fellow extended my birthday celebration to an outdoor adventure weekend. This really was the best birthday ever, 

thank you. ♥