Englehart Area Artists' Member Biographies
Lionel Venne
Lionel is self taught in the arts: works in collage / mixed media, watercolours, acrylics, and tapestry.His works are included in private and corporate collections in Canada, the United States, England, Scotland, Germany, Belgium, Norway, Australia, France and Italy.
Artist Statement
Found objects, no matter how humble they may be, are not created or destroyed by my hand - only transformed into a work - thus becoming in a state of constant transformation and therefore permanent. They keep their inner life. Other hands have formed them - if wood then probably the original sap of life flows still within. The physical process by which I create each work involves that of transformation, which is the theme I am attempting to address subjectively - using form and line found in the landscape - that in turn influences my approach to the subject, incorporating a sense of the spiritual and the abstract, producing works that I trust are simultaneously meditative and energetic. The resulting works combine elements of landscape, impasto textures, and geometric forms. I want to make the landscape my own - stripped of its accumulated associations.
Vicki Leroux
Vicki and her award winning painting.
I was born and raised in Northern Ontario and have always been interested in Art . I took art in High School, then I continued to self-teach myself through various art magazines and books. Later on, I took various workshops in different medias: watercolour, oil, chalk pastels, pencil crayons, acrylics and mixed media. I have attended the Cobalt Artists Colony where I have received instruction in these various media. I have also received instruction in Folk Art painting and have taught classes for a number of years.
As a member of the Englehart Area artists, I have held the positions of President, Secretary, Northern Ontario Artists Association rep, and am presently treasurer for the Club. As a member of the NOAA I have held the position of Treasurer for four years, Director for two years and Tour Scheduling Convenor for six years.
I have exhibited and have had art selected for Northern Impressions at Timmins Museum, NOAA juried exhibition ,Temiskaming Art Gallery calendar and also Day Planner, WKP Kennedy Gallery, North Bay, Northern Telephone Art Contest, Classic Theatre, Cobalt, Northern History, Sir Harry Oakes Chateau, Kirkland Lake, and with Englehart Area Artists at the Englehart Museum. In the past I have had four Folk Art Shows at the Englehart Museum. For three years I have entered the Dryden Miniature Contest and have had work selected.
I find painting is a great way to relieve stress, trying to capture the many changing colours of the season, whether it is abstract or realism with nature’s elements. Art is an adventure whether you paint florals, abstracts, or landscapes, leading one through a lifelong learning process.
Vicki Leroux
As a member of the Englehart Area artists, I have held the positions of President, Secretary, Northern Ontario Artists Association rep, and am presently treasurer for the Club. As a member of the NOAA I have held the position of Treasurer for four years, Director for two years and Tour Scheduling Convenor for six years.
I have exhibited and have had art selected for Northern Impressions at Timmins Museum, NOAA juried exhibition ,Temiskaming Art Gallery calendar and also Day Planner, WKP Kennedy Gallery, North Bay, Northern Telephone Art Contest, Classic Theatre, Cobalt, Northern History, Sir Harry Oakes Chateau, Kirkland Lake, and with Englehart Area Artists at the Englehart Museum. In the past I have had four Folk Art Shows at the Englehart Museum. For three years I have entered the Dryden Miniature Contest and have had work selected.
I find painting is a great way to relieve stress, trying to capture the many changing colours of the season, whether it is abstract or realism with nature’s elements. Art is an adventure whether you paint florals, abstracts, or landscapes, leading one through a lifelong learning process.
Vicki Leroux
Linda Mustard
Linda Mustard was born and raised in Southern Ontario. Her love of drawing and painting compelled her to study Fine Art at the University of Guelph and subsequently led her to enroll in teacher’s college at the University of Toronto. Linda’s education would allow her to share her passion creative expression with aspiring young artists, and later,
with her peers at the Englehart Art Club.
Her first teaching job, at KLCVI in Kirkland Lake, brought Linda and her husband to Northern Ontario. They soon put down deep roots in the area. After taking several years off to have two children, Linda accepted the art teacher position at Englehart High School. Here she taught art for twenty years, until her retirement in 2007.
She now works in her home studio, in Savard Township. Painting in acrylic, watercolour, pastel and mixed media; lino-cut and wood-cut printmaking; sculpture using found materials, papier-mache and plaster. Linda likes to explore and innovate, striving for powerful expression and visual appeal. She joined the Englehart Art Club in 2007 and has been serving as their president for the past several years.
Throughout her career Linda has presented several solo exhibits and has participated in numerous group exhibitions. Her work is represented in many private collections and regularly appears in the Timiskaming Art Gallery Day Planners.
with her peers at the Englehart Art Club.
Her first teaching job, at KLCVI in Kirkland Lake, brought Linda and her husband to Northern Ontario. They soon put down deep roots in the area. After taking several years off to have two children, Linda accepted the art teacher position at Englehart High School. Here she taught art for twenty years, until her retirement in 2007.
She now works in her home studio, in Savard Township. Painting in acrylic, watercolour, pastel and mixed media; lino-cut and wood-cut printmaking; sculpture using found materials, papier-mache and plaster. Linda likes to explore and innovate, striving for powerful expression and visual appeal. She joined the Englehart Art Club in 2007 and has been serving as their president for the past several years.
Throughout her career Linda has presented several solo exhibits and has participated in numerous group exhibitions. Her work is represented in many private collections and regularly appears in the Timiskaming Art Gallery Day Planners.
Past Members
Margaret Ham
Margaret has been interested in art since she was a child, and she remembers painting at the Eatons Store in Kirkland Lake. She started to paint in earnest about 1960, and is a member of long standing in the EAA and the NOAA, and is just one painting away from earning her NOAA letters. Marg has had art work accepted and shown in many shows, communities, and contests throughout the north. She has also enjoyed participating in the Cobalt Artist Colony, taking part in workshops, having a show at the Englehart Museum, and has taught still life painting at E.H.S.
Marg works in a variety of media, including oil paints,, pastels, acrylics, and ink, and enjoys working outdoors. She also is pleased to be able to paint more since retiring from nursing, pursuing her ‘artfulness’. Marg feels that her art is spiritual, coming from within. She has generously donated her paintings to a variety of worthy causes, including the Englehart Library.
Joe-Ann Cleroux
Born in Kapuskasing, Joe-Ann Cleroux moved to the Tri-Towns in 1978. She now resides in Coleman Township on the beautiful Montreal river. Joe-Ann completed her art studies with the ICS Canada in 2010. Working predominately in watercolour, Joe-Anne also enjoys various types of media for her projects. Her skills include woodcraft, sculptures, and graphite portraits. Even though Joe-Ann is relatively new to the art world, her artwork has won numerous awards in a variety of mediums. Her artwork is exhibited in various homes throughout Temiskaming area, as well as the United States and the Caribbean.
Born in Kapuskasing, Joe-Ann Cleroux moved to the Tri-Towns in 1978. She now resides in Coleman Township on the beautiful Montreal river. Joe-Ann completed her art studies with the ICS Canada in 2010. Working predominately in watercolour, Joe-Anne also enjoys various types of media for her projects. Her skills include woodcraft, sculptures, and graphite portraits. Even though Joe-Ann is relatively new to the art world, her artwork has won numerous awards in a variety of mediums. Her artwork is exhibited in various homes throughout Temiskaming area, as well as the United States and the Caribbean.
Robert Ritchie
Robert works in oil, acrylics, watercolours, and pencil. Using the yin yang theory, he paints mainly landscapes but also does portraits and still lifes. Painting in his spare time, Robert is seeking a unique expressional painting technique to add to the richness of art in Northern Ontario. Robert had a 7th place in the 2015 Englehart Area Artists’ Juried Show, had a painting accepted in the EAA’s 2016 Juried Show, won the Juror's Choice award in the 'A Celebration of Canada - A Visual Journey’ in 2017, and two of his painting were chosen for the 8th annual EAA Juried Show. Robert lives with his wife in Haileybury and works full time as a maintenance person. He also has a page on Facebook called ‘Robert Ritchie Canadian Landscape Painter and invites you to check it out. What I paint is caught in a moment in time. It could be the way light is reflects off subjects or the way the subject illuminates itself. I believe all things have merit to be painted if seen in the right light.
Robert works in oil, acrylics, watercolours, and pencil. Using the yin yang theory, he paints mainly landscapes but also does portraits and still lifes. Painting in his spare time, Robert is seeking a unique expressional painting technique to add to the richness of art in Northern Ontario. Robert had a 7th place in the 2015 Englehart Area Artists’ Juried Show, had a painting accepted in the EAA’s 2016 Juried Show, won the Juror's Choice award in the 'A Celebration of Canada - A Visual Journey’ in 2017, and two of his painting were chosen for the 8th annual EAA Juried Show. Robert lives with his wife in Haileybury and works full time as a maintenance person. He also has a page on Facebook called ‘Robert Ritchie Canadian Landscape Painter and invites you to check it out. What I paint is caught in a moment in time. It could be the way light is reflects off subjects or the way the subject illuminates itself. I believe all things have merit to be painted if seen in the right light.