Opera House Artists Art Show - June 19/20, 2024
Admission to the two-evening exhibition in June 2024 was held at the Orillia Opera House and was free as usual. The exhibition featured over 100 artworks and included watercolour and acrylic paintings, multimedia artworks, and several ARTIVm cubes. As usual a silent auction of selected items was conducted and a portion of the proceeds was donated to the Mariposa House Hospice.
Mike Howell stands at the Mariposa House Hospice information table beside Kandas Bartlett, who represented the Mariposa House Hospice.
To view photos of the art show setup, click on the left or right arrows in the slide gallery at the left.
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To view all of the artworks individually,
please go to the Art Gallery webpage.
The Franklin Carmichael Print Tree
As we were studying the life and work of Franklin Carmichael, we discovered that in his later years he did less painting with oils and water colours and more work illustrating books of fiction: Thorn-apple Tree, The Higher Hill (woodcuts), The Incomplete Anglers, and The Forges of Freedom (pen and ink).
In order to understand Carmichael better we undertook to try to do a group linocut excercise in which both classes were given the same sized pieces of printing material and asked to create a tree image in a solid colour of their own choosing. Then, both classes' designs were combined on a large sheet of water colour paper to produce a tree made up of a forest.
In the Franklin Carmichael Project Part 2 course we took the printmaking to the next level by using the Glowforge in the Orillia Public Library Makerspace to make actual woodcuts from Carmichael originals and drawings by class members. We appreciate the guidance of Tiffany Kwok in our woodcut printing exercises.
Opera House Artists Art Show -June 12/13, 2023
As in previous art shows, admission to the two-evening exhibition in June 2023 was free. Portraits, landscapes and ARTIVm cubes were on display at the Orillia Opera House. As usual a silent auction of selected items was conducted and a portion of the proceeds was donated to the Mariposa House Hospice.
Click on the play button in the box below to hear the June 12, 2023 interview of Instructor Mike Howell on Ontario Morning radio 91.5 FM. in which he describes why he recently decided to offer portrait painting classes for the first time.
To view the artworks, please go to the Art Gallery webpage.
Click on the following link to the June 5th Orillia Matters article:
To view photos in the slide gallery,
click on the left or right arrows.
To watch the YouTube video created by Tim Howell, click on the image above.
Mike Howell stands at the Mariposa House Hospice information table beside Lynn Thomas (Donor Relations Coordinator at the Hospice), and Robin Sanders (fundraising volunteer at the Hospice).
Mike Howell, with the assistance of his students and others, set up all of the artworks in the foyer (large paintings), the Green Room (smaller paintings), the Studio Theatre (cubes), the Market Room (half-cubes) and the Rogues Gallery (who are these people?).
Shown in this photo are, left to right:
Margie Sider, Vyvyenne Ritchie, Betty Wells, Barb Tudhope, Nigel Lindsey-King, Kirsten Walli, Joy Leslie, Mike Howell, Laurie Herd, Anne-Marie Gracey-George, Nereda Rehm, Heather Laing (at back), Beatrice Collins (at front).
Photo courtesy of Mark Sattolo
Opera House Artists Art Show - August 19, 2022
"ARTIVm Movement at the ORC"
ARTIVm cubes created by Mike Howell and his students were on display at the special grand opening event for the Orillia Recreation Centre (ORC) on August 19, 2022.
The cube shown below was specially created by Mike Howell to mark the occasion with the letters O, R and C and the date numbers 8, 19 and 22. It now hangs over the registration desk.
Opera House Artists Art Show - June 13/14, 2022
"Debut of the ARTIVm Movement"
ARTIVm (pronounced art-form) is a painting style developed by Mike Howell in 2021. It seeks to break free from the flat and framed world of modern painting. The ArtIVm style is so called because its works exist in four dimensions: three spatial and one temporal.
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Students in the inaugural 8-week "Join the Art Movement" course in the fall of 2021 used acrylics to create amazing artworks on wooden cubes and half cubes built by Mike. The cubes were hung from the ceiling in the Orillia Opera House in the Studio Theatre and other artworks from other courses were on display in the adjoining Green Room.
As in previous art shows, admission to the two-evening exhibition in June 2022 was free. A number of artworks were sold in this fundraising event with proceeds again going to support the Lighthouse Shelter.
Click on the link below to read an article by Tyler Evens in the the June 10, 2022 edition of Orillia Matters.
To view the video from this Art Show, please go to the Art Gallery webpage.
Mike's students transform the cubes built by him into
art that moves.
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The cube shown here was created by Mike.
Opera House Artists Art Show - November 25, 2019
"In Search of the Group of Seven"
Students in an 8-week art course used watercolours, oils and acrylics to create paintings inspired by the Group of Seven and in honour of Franklin Carmichael. Their work was showcased in a free exhibition on the evening of November 25, 2019 at the Orillia Opera House. It was again a successful fundraising event, with the proceeds from many of the artworks sold in the silent auction going to assist the Lighthouse Building Hope Capital Campaign.
To view the artworks, please go to the Art Gallery webpage.
Art Instructor Mike Howell, with the Building Hope Development Coordinator, Lynn Thomas.
To view photos from the evening, click on the left or right arrows below.
Photos courtesy of Alda McMahon
Welcome to the Streetscapes
classes art show.
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This is a new course offered by Orillia Parks and Recreation and there were two spring classes. Our focus was on the streets of Orillia. When the weather permitted we sketched and painted in all parts of the city and discovered a rich world of art and history. We also saw firsthand that there are people living on our streets.
That is why we have dedicated this show and a portion of the proceeds from art sales to the Building Hope campaign. We are pleased to welcome representatives from the Lighthouse to be with us tonight. Please drop by their display to learn more about their efforts to help vulnerable members of our community.
Thanks for supporting art in Orillia.
Mike Howell, Instructor
Orillia Spirit of Hope Art Show - June 10, 2019
"Streetscapes"
Students in an 8-week art course exhibited their work in a free exhibition on the evening of June 10, 2019 at the Orillia Opera House. Watercolours, oils and acrylics were used to create streetscapes, with a focus on the buildings on Mississaga Street. Half the proceeds from the silent auction of selected works were donated to the Lighthouse Building Hope Capital Campaign, approximately $800.
To view the artworks, please go to the Art Gallery webpage.
To view photos from the evening, click on the left or right arrows below.
Photos courtesy of Alda McMahon and Tim Howell
A Tribute to the Group of Seven
To view photos from the evening, click on the left or right arrows below.
Describe your image
Describe your image
Describe your image
Students in an 8-week art course exhibited their work in a free exhibition on the evening of November 19, 2018 at the Orillia Opera House. Watercolours, oils and acrylics were used to create pieces in the style of the Group of Seven. The show was dedicated to the memory of Orillia-born Franklin Carmichael.
Photos courtesy of Tim Howell