Meet Kristine!

What’s your background?
My background is in health and physical activity, but I have always had a love of art and creativity.  I actually think art and physical activity are two of the best things we can do to keep a healthy  mind and body – I just have to find ways to combine them together (paint splatter party, anyone?)

How did you first hear about 4Cats?
I read a blog post about someone’s best birthday party ever – and it was at a 4Cats.  Intrigued, I looked into it further and thought “Wow, I want to be a part of something so fun!”

Why 4Cats?
A bright studio to get messy in, laughing and having fun learning cool things about famous artists – what is not to love.

Favourite colour?
Beautiful blue – all shades.

Favourite art quote?
“Painting is silent poetry” – Plutarch, Moralia

Who is your favourite artist and why?
This is a tough one – I like many things about many different artists – but I am really in awe of the work of Chuck Close.

What is your favourite art medium, and why?
Right now painting is my favourite, but who knows tomorrow…

So…any other interesting facts we should know about you?
I have the most amazing husband and three daughters – they help make every day fun!

Meet Madonna Mikhail!

What’s your background?
I have a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Design Degree from the University of Alberta.

Why 4Cats?
I found that 4Cats combines my two favorite things in life: Art and Children/Youth. I have had a passion for art ever since I was a young girl and because I have no siblings, working with children I think psychologically fills that gap. I worked at a daycare here in Edmonton for almost 8 years and I loved it.

What is your favourite colour and why??
My Favorite color is Cadmium Yellow. It’s my favorite because its a warm, sunny and bright color. They are also the color of my favorite flower – the sunflower; just like Vincent Van Gogh. The most special reason I love the color yellow because it reminds me of my late dad, not because that was his favorite color but because that was the color of the shirt I was wearing on his final day on earth.

Who is your favourite artist and why?
I have more than one favorite.
1. Wayne Theibaud – because I love his painting style and his use of colors and subject matter.
2. Will Cotton – I like how realistic he can paint. He paints mostly candy landscapes and portraits and they look like photographs.
3. Vincent Van Gogh – because we share a favorite color and flower and I really like his quick impressionist painting style.

What is your favourite art medium, and why?
I love oil painting on a large canvas because I love blending colors. However, sculpture has really grown on me the past year and my most recent work is a 7ft’ sculpture made from clay and plaster.

So…any other interesting facts we should know about you?
a) I’m a really sentimental kind of person, love to laugh and joke around and most importantly enjoy the company of family and friends.
b) Although my first love is both traditional and modern fine art, I find fashion/textile design and interior design very intriguing and it is something I was and still am thinking of pursuing in the long term future.
c) Another interesting fact is that I have never been without a pet. In the past I have owned: Siamese cats, hamsters, guinea pigs that mated and brought 5 more guinea pigs, a dog, birds, baby chicks, and a turtle. At one point in my life, my house was a zoo because we had 4 different kinds of pets all at the same time. Currently I have a black cat named Lucky and a 33 gallon aquarium with fish of course.

Meet Alexandra Ghecevici!

What’s your background
I have Art Teacher Training and a Bachelor of Fine Arts and Design degree. I also hold a Master of Arts, Art Education Program within Curriculum Studies Department, from The University of British Columbia.

How did you first hear about 4Cats?
I walked by a 4Cats studio one day in Vancouver. The artsy window lured me in and I immediately fell in love with the place!

Why 4Cats?
My love for art and the joy of working with children always leads me to educational contexts and family orientated communities. 4Cats provides all that. 4Cats is not a job, it is passion and excitement!

What is your favourite colour and why?
Pink is my favorite because it is the happiest of colours!

Who is your favourite artist and why?
Gustav Klimt is my favorite artist. He had an incredibly powerful personal style and was a prolific artist. What I admire the most are his flattened compositions. The single plan is so well conceived that it revokes any visual need for spatial suggestions on his canvases. It is the same image quality that I aim to achieve in my own paintings.

What is your favourite art medium, and why?
Painting is my medium and my own individual language. It fulfills my desire to communicate thoughts and emotions that I could not capture or express in any other way other than through colours and brush strokes.

So…any other interesting facts we should know about you?
I love all animals, especially dogs. I always enjoy being out in nature, whether I’m walking, doing sports or photographing different landscapes. Trees make the constant subject matter in my paintings. I find the pattern of their branches to suggest the organic growth of all things and the natural complexity of human thought. Nature, in all its forms, continues to inspire me every day.