The Art Guild of Scarborough

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The Art Guild of Scarborough

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The Art Guild of Scarborough is a non-profit membership organization, formed in 1962 to bring together people with a mutual interest in the fine arts

Sometimes it's hard to believe that the Art Guild has been in existence for 58 years as of 2020 and is still going strong. We always seem to have a waiting list of artists who would like to join and, of course, we'd love to be able to accept everyone right away but over the years we've discovered that the optimum number of members should not exceed 175 if at all possible. Meetings always take place at the Cedarbrook Community Centre on Eastpark Boulevard in Scarborough starting after Labour Day and ending at the end of May in the following year. In order to avoid very bad weather The Guild takes a break from mid-December to the beginning of February. We usually can't wait for meetings to start again as there is always an interesting program of demonstrations by professional artists, jury nights, critiques and occasional in-house workshops. They all get our creative juices flowing freely and provide us with new ideas. Of course life changed for all of us during the COVID-19 pandemic but we battled on as best we could with ZOOM meetings so we could attend them without leaving our homes. We also had two virtual shows and our annual Arthur Show during 2020. The 2021 may well be the same. We're staying safe and that's important.

10/05/2026

Art at the Zoo
This past weekend, 11 of our club's artists were in an art show at the Toronto Zoo. It was the first time the Zoo invited local artist to participate in an exhibit. Hopefully there will be another show next year and more members will join in.
Thank you Ramona for the photos as I wasn’t able to go.
Our participating members were: Carol McConnell, Gillian Morris, Anne Erickson, Mariana Ines Padilla, Joan van Kralingen, Janet Kobayashi, Kim Stone, Angela Wong, Mina Daya, Doris Sweeney, and Ramona Ricken.
Thank you all for representing our club.
I feel the more we can share our love of are and the works we have created it will motivate others to explore their creative side.

10/03/2026

Andrew Sookrah’s Critique
Last week Andrew Sookrah judged our paintings and last night some of us brought requested Special Merit paintings, paintings that were turned down and pieces we are working on. It promised to be a busy evening with 26 paintings lined up!
Andrew opened his critique by sharing his feeling of pain of not being accepted when submitting paintings to a show and then how he realized he had to get over it and to move on. It’s a lesson that all of us have learned. Andrew sharing his insights on how he felt a painting could be improved was a learning opportunity.
Please note I have given each painting a name which I hope will allow you to match the painting to the attached photos.
The first three painting received Special Merits.
1-Fire Bush- is a painting with an underlying narrative. This type of painting reaches out to Andrew with the burning bush, its exposed roots, honey comb and earth’s fragility.
Any painting with social commentary is worth viewing!
2-Bold Rock Face and Old Tree -
Andrew noted the balance between the high and low key colours. He liked the way the angles lead the viewer with confidence.
3-Walking Woman- Andrew felt the woman represents those who are abreast with pain and suffering from within. She is heading off into the distance and wondered what she was caring behind her. Obviously this painting holds story.
4-Scarlett Lily-Andrew liked the bold colours and the broken lines. He suggested the light green and dark green stems need more work.
5-Moody Ocean- Andrew liked the way the Rule of Thirds was adhered to and the dramatic sky. The waves
on the left side of the painting were good but they are not well depicted on the right side. He suggested the parallel lines need to be more random and to add shadows and shapes at the bottom of the waves.
6-Contented Man- Andrew noted the proportions in this dramatic portrait are beautifully rendered. He thought the forehead and under the chin needed a little more attention. Another hint he had was the hat in the painting and paint the underside of the hat.
7-Impressionistic Orange and Green - This impasto painting had lovely movement with a fresh application of paint . Andrew pointed out pure paint out of the tube does not work with mixed colours.
8-Northern Shore-This painting’s soft representation and bold application brings you back to the Impressionists . You are guided through the painting from the boat, to the people on the beach. He liked the cool mauve shadows. This lovely painting has the delicate feel of a day at the beach.
9-Pointillism Landscape- Andrew’s insight Light in your painting is only there if there is a dark next to it. This painting shows wonderful control of the movement in the sky and the path.
10-Figure with a Red Bag-This is a work in progress and Andrew said the one foot which didn’t get into the painting bothered him. He suggested that when working on a full figure drawing you mark where the foot ends and the top of the head then work within these parameters. He also shared years ago he learned it was important to paint in a woman ‘s face.
11-The Channel - This tiny Plein air painting with the light in the background moving forward between the rocky channel is very effective. Andrew suggested breaking the strong curve of the shoreline and to blend some of the colours. It looks graphic so darken where the cliff touches the water on the right side.
12-Seal- This seal is represented effectively by hinting at the shapes in the face. The random brush strokes need more work. When curves meet at an object it causes problems. It’s best to indicate them on the other side… imagining the curve passing through the object.
13-Woman with Glasses- This is Andrew’s painting ! He said since the hands are a distance from the face they should be larger.
14-Rocky Water’s Edge with Shrub in the Water-This is a lovely depiction but the rock shape and shore line are not clear. He suggested the artist depict the rocks, waves going over them. He felt the trees and sky were proficiently painted.
15-Edward’s Garden watercolour/
Andrew liked how the rocks had shape and form with the submerged rocks depicted differently. He suggested the halo could continue as it suggests the rock is on the same field. He gave this a well done!
16-Poppies- First Andrew addressed the brick which he felt needed more work. He suggested studying walls, touching them and imagining the amount of skill it took the brick layer to create the wall so put the same effort into your wall. He also suggested correction was needed where 3 lines meet.
17-Swan- The light in this situation creates an Iconic religious feeling. The treatment of the water wasn’t painted with the same care and the feet are not quite right.
18-Leaning Tree- The foliage is well done. As for the trunk … it needed to be grounded into the land. Give it a wide base and roots. Break up the branches with some negative painting.
19-Owl-Wild life painting is a challenge. The skill is to think about the light source and avoid using lines. Shape and shadow are more effective.
20-Water Lilies- Andrew that the artist made a lovely decision of the design and an effective use of colour. He commented there was a lot of sameness of shapes also he suggested the image reflections and roots should extend to the bottom if the painting.
21-Northern Lake Under Dramatic Skies- Andrew commented it was well presented with a painterly style and liked the brushwork but was concerned about the drooping shore line. He suggested a light blue glaze painted in a swirl to create surface light on the water in the foreground.
22-Sparrow vs Bird Bath Bird- Andrew found the confrontation between the birds delightful. He thought it was well painted.
23-Green Landscape-Andrew liked the placement of the building, wall and rocks. He felt it needed some tension. He suggested that blueing down the trees etc in the background and using warmer colours in the foreground. In the mid ground use some blue and create shadows. He did like the colour temperature of the trees.
24-Scarborough Bluffs- Andrew liked the beautiful colours in the foreground and the Bluffs. His suggestion was to blue down the path as it went into the distance and break it up with vertical lines.
25-Midnight Owl- Andrew’s comments with the previous owl could be applied to this one plus softening the edges of this bird. He concentrated on the branches and suggested using finer brushes to create variety with negative painting.
26-Close-Up Portrait- When painting a portrait you have to perfect painting eyes, lips and hair. Andrew suggested the artist soften the lips and eye shadow with a soft tone shade. The treatment of the hair needed to be refinement. Clumps of hair have relationship with each other. The upper lines need a curve and a ridge that are perpendicular to the curve of the hair which will give it a shine.
27-Rays on Water- This watercolour was painted from a photo. Andrew suggested the artist create softness in the edges of the light in the water and lift some of the colour in the tree line in three places with a damp paper towel.
Well Andrew what an evening filled with your insights on our work and the surprise addition of one of your paintings.
We all thank you and hope your Final Final Exhibit that runs from Oct 9-Nov 22 at the Georgina Art Gallery on the High Street in Sutton goes well.

09/25/2026

Our First Jury Night

The room was humming with excitement as members came in laden with the works of art and their great expectations that we will part of our Fall Show.

Andrew Sookrah who is an old friend of the Guild was our juror. I’m sure 267 paintings submitted was a daunting task. He turned down 59 paintings and gave
18 works “Special Merit”.

Thank you Andrew. We look forward to your critique next week where you can share your thoughts on our paintings.
Also a big thanks to Vanaja and her team who made jury night flow easily for the rest of us.

The 1st 18 photos are if Special Merit
Paintings

09/22/2026

Re engagement!
Plein Air Painting wit the Teams at Scarborough Museum at Thompson Park
We were invited back to the Scarborough Museum to paint with their young volunteers. So on Saturday we donned our sweaters and spent a “cool” afternoon with an enthusiastic group of teenagers. Thank you Derreck, Mariana, Pam and Jacquie for being part of the day.
I’m showing their artwork but I can’t post photos of the young people without parental consent.
As you can see these young people really used their imagination and drawing skills.
Thank you Devon, Maricris and Tajaun for extending the invitation to share our art. The hot tea in your beautiful cups was a treat.
I hope the young people will continue exploring nature and expressing their experiences in their art.
Cheers Susan

09/21/2026

Nichole Moss’s Collage Demo
Over the last few years, a few of her members have been experimenting with collage.
This week, Nichole Moss showed us how to take collage to new Heights.
Nichole is an OCAD graduate who was studying Fine art when the medium of collage chose her. She feels a connects you to your inner child.
Nichole has just returned from a stay in Paris, where she frequently antique markets and old bookshops where she found old photos, postcards and books with beautiful illustrations. Now she’s creating her Paris collection!
In her art, Nichole uses pictures from magazines . Her favourites are Life, National Geographic, travel, magazines, and old books.
Her Supplies include a small X-Acto knife, Mod Podge glue, ruler, Gessoed hardboard, painters tape, brush for glueing, old crust card for smoothing the glued paper pieces and file folders colour coded to store her clippings.
When Nichole sees an image? She determines what colours will work with it? Collage is a hunt after she puts puts the image on a whiteboard to determine what colours would look best with it. she loves the white negative space that the gessoed board offers her.
For our demo, she chose a picture of a couple and she wants them to morph into each other. First, she carefully cuts out their faces and then searches for images and colours to fill the empty space. With her pencil, she makes the guide of what she wants to cut.
Next Nichole works with the chimney; she wants the couples energy to come out of it, so chooses a piece from her clipping folder. She cuts out the reef on the door and goes back to her offcut collection and finds butterfly wings which she thinks would be better than the window and little butterflies to crate interest in her piece
She found a piece paper with mountains to match the dress and use his painters tape to secure the pieces of paper before pasting. With every piece of the puzzle you have to check into the pieces you have already chosen to create the feeling you’re reaching for.
Now that she has her pieces assembled she started the glueing process. Nichole admitted the glueing makes her sweat!!
She uses matte Mon Podge to glue and then seal her art.
This is the time to think about the order that you’re going to glue your pieces down. First comes the colour for the inner faces. Glue the colour paper onto the back of the house and smooth out any bubbles with the credit card. Nichole uses a flat white pallet to lay the paper on to glue. Then she can wash the glue off of it.
Next, she will glue the house down. Nichole stressed that you have to be precise as she measured everything before glueing it to be sure it was in the right position. In this case she glued half the house and later she glue the other half down. She stressed you have to work quickly. It is now time to glue the energy coming out of the chimney.
Normally she would number each pice of paper before gluing but for our demo she kept it simple. Nichole stressed that you have to to wash your brush every 30 minutes before the glue hardens.
Now it’s what time to paste the cloud dress which she does in two sections like the house. The back of the first section she glues the butterfly wing, and then the rest of the cloud dress is wrapped around the edge of the board. The final touch are the six tiny butterflies glued three above the house and three under the house.
She warned dirty fingers and water are two things to avoid.
Nichole will let her Art dry for 24 hours before sealing it with three coats of Mon Podge with a roller.
Nichole feels like she’s in a flow state when she works in this medium and she is inspired to write a little story about it.
Tonight‘s story is…
Home is where you feel home is.
Home is where the heart is. Home sweet home.
Free, beautiful transformed love is the Energy is coming out of the chimney.
Butterflies in Chinese culture means, “Happy marriage.”
Her words of wisdom are, “ You can plan your work, but she allows it to take her in a completely different direction.”
Nichole thank you for a demo that took us to a world of sur realistic images which expands our imagination.

Sent from my iPhone

09/14/2026

We’re Back

We’re back after a wonderful and it feels great! We have 30 new members which means 30 more people are offering their artistic perspective in our shows. It is an excellent way to lead into our clubs 65th sapphire year!
Gary welcomed all and introduced the Executive before turning the floor to Jacintha Krish.

Jacintha Krish brought some of the vibrant landscapes for us to see when we arrived. She feels painting is an intrinsic part of her. Jacintha paintings captures the vivid world that surround her. She has lived in Ottawa, Calgary, China and Europe.
She studied art at Algonquin University and Ottawa School of Art. Jacintha shows in many countries and holds courses, workshops and demos like the one she’s about to give us tonight in acrylic.
In preparation for her demonstration this evening she she covered the surface of her 20”x24” gallery canvas ( she always paints on gallery canvases), with a rich rust colour under colour and then with chalk she had sketched out a spring/ autumn scene with sunflowers. She likes to start with a chalk sketch and then she can run with her idea. Jacintha’s style is bright , bold, impressionistic created with big, loose strokes. She likes acrlyic because she can create great texture and it dries quickly.
Pallet- consists of Liquidex, Golden and TriArt heavy body Paints. Her favourite colours are Ochre, White, Ultra Marine Blue, Burnt Sienna, Cadmium Medium Yellow , Payne’s grey, Cadmium Red, orange, Payne’s Blue, Quinacridone Crimson, Teal DeSerres is here art supply store of choice. Jacintha likes Zen angle brushes and paddle brushes. Jacintha always paints her focal point first so she applied a deep yellow colour and then a medium yellow to her yellow sunflowers. She worked on the first layer, creating shapes , values and adjusting the composition. A mix of Ultra Marine Blue and Cadmium Medium Yellow gave her a rich Green with which she painted the sunflower leaves . An Ocher , Cadmium Red and Cadmium orange gave a feel of more distant flowers. Diagonal lines in the fields created the feeling to distant Hills. Jacintha moved from one area to another and with a Burnt Sienna and Orangeville mix she painted the ground and between the flowers. The more distant fields were a White and Green mix with additions of ultramarine blue and then yellow to add interest. She painted a lighter yellow green on Fields that were even more distant. Jacintha pointed out the further away from the viewer the lighter objects become so with a mixture of light burnt sienna and a splash of orange she continued. The mid distant hills were mauve. She went back to the sun flowers with a slightly different shade of yellow and then crudely painted in the flower stems with a pallet knife and lady brush . Now she started painting on some happy stuff. The flower center with a dark colour. Her sunflowers with their ragged petals were looking in various directions which gave them a natural effect. Finally she could embellish her piece. Negative painting around distant flowers defined their shapes. Now with light Izzy and fast strokes, she worked on shadows, darks and lights. Negative painting and a little outlining on the foreground flowers, using brown and purple, which are complementary to the colour of orange she tweaked the sunflowers. To give her painting and overall consistency Jacintha’s colours ran throughout her piece. A yellow colour was painted throughout a painting. She painted busy areas and restful areas. Jacintha added an ultramarine blue and white mix to live up the flower centers, and she added some to the stems and leaves to create cohesiveness. It was now time for fine tuning and to purple eyes, the centre of the flowers, stems leaves and pedals. She added purple to the distant bushes, put it in the sky. A mix of Quinacridone crimson, ultramarine, blue and teal create a beautiful purple. A teal blue and white mix was added to the sky, bushes which she painted gliding dry brushes across the distant fields and in the near ground. Jacintha’s tips .1) S scrape all your leftover paint into a goop bottle and shake it. This can be used to paint the gallery edges of your paintings. 2) yellow is transparent colour so add opaque white and use great gobs of this lighter yellow to create depths of colour. 3) She glazes her paintings with Liquidex High Gloss or Satin Varnish. Matte Varnish does nothing to enhance a painting. 4) don’t be afraid of allowing under colours of paint to show through your painting.

08/27/2026

Plein Air Painting at the Scarborough Museum
Last week a number of us painted with the young volunteers at the Scarborough Museum. We were all impressed by the exuberance of the young people and the way they focused on their subjects of choice. They followed our suggestions on how to approach painting their works of art and as you can see we have some budding artists.
Of course we also enjoyed painting of such a lovely day surrounded by interesting subjects material.
Thank you Regan and everyone at the Museum. We loved the opportunity to share our love of art.
Thanks to our club members who volunteered the day was the perfect way celebrating summer’s waning days.

07/02/2026

May Schuller

Last week May Schuller passed away in her home which was her wish. Due to her declining health she has to leave the Guild but Bonnie Murdy always kept her up to date with our activities.
May travelled from Norway in Canada on her own when she was 20 years old and created a wonderful life with Fred. She loved to paint she shared that love with her grandchildren.
She was a spirited member of the Guild who volunteered whenever she could.

It was May and Bonnie who made me feel so welcome through out my early days in the club.

May’s beautiful landscapes painted in oils were the result of numerous courses and workshops through out the years. I’m sure many of you were there with her.
She will be missed. Thankfully her paintings that capture the soul of our Canadian landscapes are a reminder of her strong gentle nature.

06/25/2026

Tuovi has shared these photos of everyone enjoying yesterday’s visit to Fools Paradise. It was obviously a day filled with exhuberant feelings and relaxing moments.
Doris would be so pleased her home is still an inspiration to artists.

06/24/2026

June 24th was an ideal day for Plein Air painting at Fool’s Paradise, the Scarborough Bluffs home of Scarborough’s landscape artist Doris McCarthy.

Each of the 19 artists found an ideal location on the grounds for to begin painting.
Subjects included: the lake and the beautiful cloud formations; views of the house; the pond with bullrushes; the flower gardens and the various trees on the property. The pastoral atmosphere of the outdoors was punctuated by birdsong, loud croaking of frogs that had taken over the pond and distant sounds of lawnmowers.
As the group mixed and mingled, we were all delighted with the opportunity to chat with each other as well as share our love of painting and drawing in such a divine setting. Thank you Jennifer for arranging a fabulous day which included to tour of Doris McCarthy’s home.

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Scarborough, ON

Website

http://theartguildofscarborough.com/

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