Floral Inspirations: Women in Bloom

Floral Inspirations: Women in Bloom

September 18 – 22, 2024

Open Daily 11 am – 8 pm

Experience the fusion of art, culture, and nature in a setting that is both picturesque and historically rich.

Immerse yourself in an art exhibition celebrating the intertwined beauty of flowers and women. Held at the historic McKay Art Centre, this show promises to captivate with its vibrant and expressive depictions of floral themes and feminine grace.

Visit the historic McKay Art Centre, on Main Street in Unionville, Markham from September 18th to 22nd and experience the fusion of art.

There was a remarkable person in my life, my grandmother Taisia ​​Afanasyeva. All her life, she surrounded herself with flowers which always grew abundantly in her garden. She drew them on the walls, weaved them into her kilims, and embroidered them on traditional Ukrainian towels. I vividly remember the first time she gave me felt-tip pens and showed me how to draw daffodils with simple lines — it felt like magic to me.

In her youth, she wanted to study at an art school in Kyiv, but the Second World War prevented her from doing so. Many years later, I studied at this same college, where my years were transformative for my creative spirit. Besides painting still life in class, I enjoyed drawing flowers at a nearby botanical garden which had  extensive floral collections. It made my studies even more enjoyable.

Through flowers, I express my vision of the surrounding world. They are bright and have various shapes, lines, dots, and strokes. I like to arrange coloured spots on a sheet of paper and then use lines to reveal the shape and volume. When I paint, I can sense them and strive to capture their attractiveness.

Flowers and women are alike in their beauty. Every woman has her personality, like a rose, a lily, or a daisy. In the spring, the first blooms are delicate, followed by the lush blossom of the steppes or the gardens near the houses with myriad colours and smells; then comes autumn with its tranquil colours, followed by winter with its dry grasses that remind us of that summer exuberance.

Similarly, when I draw women, I capture their personalities, from the simplicity of a cornflower to the complexity of a capricious rose. The emotional connection between its look, colour, shape, and essence is enchanting, much like the bond I shared with my grandmother.