Month: February 2018

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Holy Anne Pena

Art Assistant

Holy is a passionate, hard-working, and enthusiastic individual. Her love for art has pushed her to try new things and to step out of her comfort zone. She is currently a high school student at Father Michael McGivney Catholic Academy in Markham.

She enjoys singing, acting, and dancing. With these skills, she is able to bring a positive energy to the people she works with. As a co-operative education student, she was given the opportunity to teach children, model for students, and work alongside with other instructors. She finds it rewarding to see students grow and reach their full potential.

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Eric Ng

Supply Instructor

Eric is a passionate artist in traditional and media art. He is a graduate from Humber College for Multimedia 3D Animation and Game Design.

 

He started out as an Animator, Character Design, and 3D Artist and later transitioned into VFX for featured films. He has worked on projects such as Thor: Ragnorak, Spiderman: Homecoming, A Wrinkle in Time, and Pirates of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. He has helped many students express their creative side and shares knowledge and tips about how to approach the media arts industry.

 

Besides art, Eric enjoys going to the gym, watching featured films, reading articles, and learning new stuff everyday.

 

Teaches: Digital, Children

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Rachel Lee

Instructor

 

My name is Rachel Lee and here is a little about me. I love young children and Art! At the coming of age stages of my life, I once said: “If you could cut me in half, it would be art and children”. The only child from a large family, I adored all of my younger cousins. Some of my fondest childhood memories include being House Captain at my primary school, where I would arrive early each morning and greet the nursery children. 

 

This early passion for children has guided me throughout my life to volunteer, work in child-care settings, and eventually study Early Childhood Education at Seneca College. I currently work as an Early Childhood Educator with pre-school and school-aged children for Family Day. Early Childhood Education has exposed me to how competent young children are as painters and creators! I have seen many beautiful craft activities done by my peers and senior Educators. It is exciting and wonderful to be able to begin to explore art with young children. 

 

While I was completing my studies, I also took classes in watercolour painting. I was exploring Curry’s one faithful day when the cashier recommended Sylvia Chan as a unique and multi-faceted art teacher buzz-worthy of checking out. Sylvia has been wonderful, she is very talented and has an amazing, warm personality and passion that is so nice to be around. Creative Genius also has many wonderful art teachers, and I am now so grateful to join the team.

 

Teaches: Children

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Tommy Tso

Design Instructor

Tommy Tso is an Intern Architect at HOK. He believes design is about first looking and listening, understanding the practical and cultural needs of the community, and then working collaboratively to solve real-life problems with creative built solutions. He specializes in computation, simulations, and parametric design in Architecture. 

 

Currently, he is working on the Centre Block Rehabilitation Project in Ottawa, designing the new Visitor Welcome Center for the Parliament of Canada. He is also working on Pearson Airport Terminal 3 in Toronto. He has experience designing schools, low and high rise residential buildings, community centres, and institutional facilities. 

 

He believes the Earth is round and that the penultimate (second last) bite of your ice cream is the best!

 

Teaches: Teen

 

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Rachel Voong

Instructor

Rachel is a skilled artist from Markham who enjoys working with a variety of art mediums which include graphite, digital art, gouache, pen and ink, watercolour, acrylic, and traditional Chinese painting. She is most passionate about drawing portraits and studying human features. Her art style focuses on semi-realism while also being able to add a creative touch to her works. In her spare time, she also enjoys doing crafts, editing videos, and exploring animation. Rachel cares about working with young children to bring out their inner artist while making sure they are comfortable and working at their own pace. She believes that the most important part of creating an artwork is enjoying the process.

 

Teaches: Children

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Michael Chen

Supply Instructor

Michael is an aspiring artist currently studying in the Bachelor of Animation program at Sheridan College. At a very young age, he developed a passion for animation from watching Disney/Pixar films, and Japanese Anime. The fictional stories brought to life by the creative artists inspire him to create his own. Michael enjoys drawing characters while implementing his continuous study in anatomy and perspective. To enhance storytelling, he is also passionate in further improving his layout and environmental design for characters to interact in. 

 

Michael uses various traditional media and digital software to create art, hoping to inspire students to also explore new techniques. In his spare time, he enjoys studying artwork by online artists, watch documentaries, and travel.

 

Teaches: Teens

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Garbo Kwan

Marketing & Events Director

Garbo is a Toronto creative who comes from a marketing background and is a graduate of the Creative Industries program at Ryerson University specializing in story telling in the media and communication studies. She enjoys creating handmade crafts from sewing plushies to using digital media applications to create greeting cards. Her biggest creative inspiration is Walt Disney and she hopes to be able to move people with her art one day just like how Walt Disney changed the world with the way he told stories. 

 

Garbo hopes to one day work in the entertainment industry pursing her love for story telling. Artistic expression is encouraged and should be accessible to everyone. Art comes in many forms and everyone has an artist within them!

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Kathy Chen

Administrator & Supply Instructor

Kathy is a passionate artist who currently studies at York University in the Concurrent Education Program majoring in Visual Arts (Studio). She graduated from the Arts Unionville Visual Arts Program, where she had the opportunity to develop her artistic and creative skills. At York, she is continuing her studio practices. Kathy enjoys a variety of art forms including: Drawing, painting, sculpture and mixed media. In her free time, she likes to explore 3D modelling.

 

Kathy believes everything is a learning opportunity and that the processes of creating art should be fun and rewarding. She hopes to inspire students in all aspects of their lives and help them understand and appreciate the world in different perspectives.

Besides art, Kathy enjoys learning new languages, travelling and meeting new people.

 

Teaches: Children

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Grace Choi

Instructor

Grace is an emerging illustrator and artist from Markham. She enjoys working in a diverse range of mediums, including gouache, acrylic, watercolour, graphite, charcoal, and digital art. Since the age of six, she has been drawing and attending art classes, continually developing her passion and skillset in art. She most enjoys drawing people, as well as plants and landscapes. As she continues to create art pieces, she wants to refine her artistic creativity for a career in illustration and design.

 

Grace values dedication and hard work in order to mature as an artist and person.  In her free time, she also enjoys reading, listening to audiobooks, and journaling. She hopes to one day illustrate book covers as striking as those that she sees on her favourite novels – namely, the Harry Potter series.

 

Teaches: Children

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Sophie Feng

Instructor

Sophie is a passionate young artist who is skilled at multiple art forms including; acrylic/oil painting, drawing, visual design, mixed media, and sculpture.

 

She has been attending art classes since the age of 4. The knowledge she gained from both Chinese and Canadian art schools gives her a widened horizon in art and a unique sense of creativity, which combines features from both the East and the West. She is enthusiastic about still life, portraits, and landscape painting. Her art style is both realistic and dreamy, which received attention in several art exhibitions in Ontario.

 

For Sophie, art is something that gives her a sense of accomplishment and confidence. It is something that takes her breath away in a different kind of happiness.

 

Teaches: Children

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Libby St Jean

Instructor

Libby has extensive experience teaching in York Region public schools and summer sessions in Shanghai, Taipei and Tsingtao.

 

Her love of art in many forms has led to teaching senior students paper mache and Chinese brush painting sessions at Arts Camp. It was at Arts Camp that Libby met Sylvia Chan and eventually joined classes at Creative Genius Art Academy to refine her painting skills.

 

Libby believes that creating art should be relaxing, stimulating, and empowering at every age. Creating art allows her to try new techniques, build focus and communication skills, and gain pride in her own style while appreciating the styles of others.

 

Teaches: Children

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Ivy Lin

Instructor

Ivy is an Illustrator residing in the Markham/Toronto area. She is currently completing her studies with Sheridan College’s Honours Bachelor Illustration program, after successfully finishing the Arts Unionville program at Unionville High school. 

An enthusiastic creative, she has worked for an array of different organizations, an example would be a community artwork commission that was completed in harmony with her classmates for the City of Markham. Ivy as had many years of instructing students, ages ranging from 6 to 14. She has taught for Summer/Winter camps, tutor classes, and more. Having had these years of previous experience, the environment at Creative Genius Academy is like a home for her. During lessons, she focuses on relationship building with her pupils, as she believes that the mindsets of students are crucial to creating the best artworks.

 Ivy likes to work in mediums including but not limited to: acrylic, digital, watercolour, clay, gouache, graphite, oil pastel, etc.

Teaches: Children

Daniel Wedderburn

Instructor

Daniel Wedderburn is an artist as well as a future teacher, specializing in various mediums such as: sculpture, painting and photography.

He is a York University graduate in both the Fine Arts (Studio) and the Consecutive Education programs. He enjoys constructing and reconstructing the human figure in combination with and in connection to dreams, memories, colour and emotion. His work is influenced by realism, cubism, and surrealism as well as physical movement. His works will vary depending on which medium best suits the subject matter he is attempting to tackle. He is very approachable and always looking for ways he can improve as he considers himself a lifelong learner. He has also gained years of knowledge working at Curry’s Artist Materials and alongside many great artists. He is a firm believer that everyone has an ability to create, and that we all see the world through unique eyes.

In his spare time, he enjoys playing sports, watching movies, and exploring the city with his camera.

Teaches: Teens, Adults

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Patricia Claro

Instructor

Patricia is a Toronto-based illustrator specializing in Character Design and Digital Art, passionate in bringing out the best in individuals. She is a graduate of the Seneca College Independent Illustration program with an Honours Diploma and has a background in Interior Design.

She loves creating portraits and designing architectural pieces. Her works are heavily influenced by people of colour, culture, history, and the environment. Her art style ranges from stylized conceptual portraits to soft realism. She possesses a broad knowledge and produces high quality artwork in both Traditional and Digital media, relying heavily on thorough research and an iterative approach for precision. She welcomes constructive feedback and is mindful of clients’ ideas, visions, and deadlines.

Besides art, Patricia has a knack for reading, online gaming, blogging and going on food-trips.

 

Teaches: Digital, Teens

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Kevin Yung

Instructor

Kevin Yung is an interdisciplinary artist and maker. He graduated from York University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2013. During his time there, he developed his skills in printmaking, ceramics, castings, wood and metal work. He also has turned a lot of his skills into theatre production, including set and prop design, as well as dabbling in design and video production.

In 2014-2015, he was selected by the York Region Arts Council, in collaboration with the McMichael Gallery, as the apprentice in the Artist Mentorship Project under Bonnie Devine, then OCAD professor and Founding Chair of OCAD U’s Indigenous Visual Culture Program.

Currently, he is studying Community Mental Health at Seneca and hoping to bring his skills as an artist into art therapy.

Teaches: Children, Teens, Adults

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Sylvia Chan

Instructor

Sylvia is an Award Winning Artist and Ontario Certified Teacher who creates opportunities for people to get in touch with their inner artist.

She was selected as one of Canada’s Top 150 featured artists in the first Canadian-wide Art Catalogue in 2017. Owning and operating successful community art initiatives and events, Sylvia Chan is a professional artist and educator from Markham with over 10 years of painting and teaching experience.

Sylvia paints custom original commissions to beautify home and office spaces. She is also the founder of Paint A Smile, a non-profit committed to providing art workshops for kids with disabilities, building confidence and creativity. Her goal is to inspire youth to make a difference in the community with their creativity and imagination.

 

Teaches: Children, Teens, Adults

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Amanda Whyte

Instructor

Amanda Whyte attended the Unionville Arts program and went on to graduate from the Graphic Communications Management program at Ryerson University, where she learned about packaging and printing processes such as Lithography, Flexography and Digital printing. 

 

Constantly referencing the landscape around her, she is inspired by natural and man-made patterns found in the colours and forms of rocks, the movement of water and clouds, and the seasonally changing colours and texture of farmland found within the outskirts of the GTA. 

 

Amanda believes that appreciating moments of transition, unbound exploration, and embracing the creative process are key points to artistic success (however ‘success’ may be defined). She considers herself a student of the creative process.

 

Teaches: Children, Teens

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Iris Li

Administrator & Design Instructor

Iris is an artist and design student based in Markham and Toronto. After graduating from the Arts Unionville Visual Arts program, she continued to pursue her design studies in the York/Sheridan joint programme for Design, where she is currently studying. As a creative individual, she enjoys making digital art, interactive designs, and photography. She aspires to become a multi-disciplinary designer for both print and digital platforms. Driven by projects that blend art and technology together, Iris wishes to share her passion and knowledge with young artists in today’s digital age. She also believes that the artistic brainstorming process is just as crucial as the final product. She hopes to inspire not only emerging artists, but future thinkers and problem-solvers as well.  

 

 One day, she hopes to design her own unique typeface, illustrate a complete set of tarot cards, and master the French language.

 

Teaches: Children, Teens

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Jessica Ying

Supply Design Instructor

Jessica is in her thesis year for Master of Architecture at University of Toronto. She believes design is an art of translation – translating the culture, the surrounding context, the need of people into physical space. She is also passionate about creating beautiful architectural drawings and making physical models. 

 Jessica holds a Bachelor of Architectural studies (with distinction) from University of Toronto. She works at the University of Toronto as a Teaching Assistant, and collaborates with several professors. She has also worked at architectural and interior design firms in different cities – Toronto, Hong Kong, and Beijing.

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Isabel Manery

Instructor

Painting and creating has always been part of my life; I enjoy the process and watching my visions come to life particularly on canvas. To be able to combine two passions: painting with teaching is an ultimate goal for me. 

As an educator of young children I know how valuable art is and have seen children’s faces transform with such profound happiness as they paint or mold with clay or explore and create with other media. 

I’m thrilled to be a part of Creative Genius Academy and look forward to the opportunity to work together with your child to develop their skills and realize their own vision.

Teaches: Children

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Anton Wong

Instructor

Hi my name is Anton Wong and I’m a videographer in the Richmond Hill, York Region, and Greater Toronto Area. When I was a child, I “borrowed” my parents and family computer in an attempt to create my own versions of the short films and sketches I saw online. 

A few years and a few used-through cameras later, I graduated from Seneca College for Broadcasting Television, in 2017, with some freelance projects under my belt. I soon discovered my desire to create videos for the growing digital online audience and my desire to help get companies and people to where their audiences really were. Now, I help brands, entrepreneurs, and even other media professionals speak to online audiences through the power of video. 

Apart from helping my clients produce videos, I also spend my time learning more about my field, watching documentaries and sitcoms, developing my own creative film/video projects, and spending time with friends & family.

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Amelia Bowler

Behaviour Analyst

Amelia Bowler is a watercolour artist and illustrator, specializing in portraiture and animals.  Her work has been commissioned by families to commemorate special moments and memories, and by businesses to add a playful touch to their published materials and websites. 

Amelia studied art at the University of Manitoba, where she also earned a Bachelor of Education degree, followed by a Masters of Applied Disability Studies degree at Brock, and certification as a Board Certified Behaviour Analyst. Amelia puts her passions for art and teaching to work as a Behaviour Consultant for families, writing and illustrating educational materials for families, and designing creative ways to teach important information about how children learn best.

Teaches: Children, Teen