Featured Edmontonian: Rudy Smith
Artist Rudy Smith during Art Walk, back in July.
Here’s an easter egg for all you superfans; if you’ve been with us from the beginning, you may remember that Jeff and I went to Art Walk back in July. Among the people we met was tremendously talented Sherwood Park artist Rudy Smith, whose work you can currently see featured in the flash player at the top of our main page (…and we’re going to blame our not having a proper picture of Rudy on his work – it’s just so dang compelling we couldn’t look away).
Only 21 years old and largely self-taught, Rudy’s work is vibrant and clever, features a multitude of hilarious pop culture references in its titles (“I suck at making up my own,” he says) and stars awesome and unexpected subjects like robots in love, cowboys, and teddy bears destroying cities with their laser eyes (I know, right?!).
“Anything and everything can influence my work,” says Rudy. “Music, movies, books, quotes, conversations, nature, relationships, other people’s art, etc. …Painting landscapes or bowls of fruit never appealed to me. I always wanted my art to be fun and action-packed, the kind of stuff I was excited to read in comics or see on Saturday morning cartoons when I was a kid.”
“I suppose I’ve tried to capture some of that childhood excitement and awe in my paintings, or at least create some kind of escapism from the seriousness in life we often encounter as “grown-ups”.” (more…)
Featured Edmontonian: Helen Fester
By Lorraine Poulsen
The Highlands, located in northeast Edmonton and just blocks from the North Saskatchewan river valley, can be said to have had a golden start.
The subdivision was developed by the real estate entrepreneur group Magrath, Holgate and Co. It was that company which offered $50 in gold to the person who could come up with the winning name for the area.
The offer was made in 1910 and by 1911, a total of 28 residential building permits were taken out by Margrath, Holgate and Co. for the Highlands district.
Today the area boasts a unique commercial strip in the heart of the residential district. Minutes away from the city’s centre, the one-of-a-kind businesses offer a unique shopping and eating experience.
Among the shops on 112 Avenue is the famed French restaurant LaBoheme which was built as a luxury apartment block in 1912. The restaurant opened in 1982. The street is also home to a wool shop (Wool Revival), Catfish Coffee and Culina Highlands, a unique neighbourhood cafe, to name just a few.
And, of course, there is Chickies.
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If you have a few free hours and you are wondering how to spend them, do yourself a favour and go to 112 Avenue and 65 Street and visit with Helen at Chickies. The shop is opened Wednesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and a visit to this spot will just make you feel good.
Being part of the antique selling world is a “glorious” place to be according to Helen Fester, the owner of one of the city’s most unique antique stores.
And, if Chickies compelling atmosphere does not totally captivate and entice you, the rippling laughter of the former Army and Navy sales girl will surely make you want to step inside and have a closer look. (more…)
Featured Edmontonian: Ted Flower
Okay, so, if you went to the Art Walk this year, you probably came across Ted Flower. He was the quiet, affable guy next to the CIBC who was displaying (among other things) a pair of giant panel cityscapes of Edmonton and Calgary, done entirely in ballpoint pen. I was totally taken with his artwork, which, from a distance, looks like it must’ve been generated by a computer; but when you get up close, you see that it is, in fact, an incredibly detailed, hand drawn depiction of both cities.
Ted is a tremendously interesting guy. He turned 50 just this week, and has had a few different careers; he ran a chainsaw for a long time, until he got hurt too badly to continue; he moved to Edmonton in 1989 and took up demolition and asbestos abatement. In the early to mid 2000s he was involved in a couple of different business opportunities; and he has just recently decided to chuck it all and pursue art on a full-time basis – a pretty bold step for a guy with no formal training. He says he would love to see his version of Edmonton’s skyline hanging in City Hall.
Anyway, I made arrangements to stop by Ted’s studio, in the basement of his North Edmonton home, and watch him at work. Holy crap, Edmonton. Not only can the man draw;
he’s also completing a giant replica of a bridge out of TOOTHPICKS. Hundreds of thousands of them. The pieces he’s finished to date take up large parts of his house, and he hopes when completed, it will set a world record. When I ask him why he’s building the bridge, which he figures should be done by the time he’s 60, he says, “Because I need a challenge.” WHAT?! That’s so badass!
Check out the story above, and if you dig Ted’s work, or even if you just want to shake his hand, he’s going to have his cityscapes on display at the upcoming East meets West Festival, on Saturday, August 22.
Our first award winning contributor!
the edmontonian's own top chef!
Alright, maybe that headline’s a bit misleading. But our good friend and chief parade correspondant Ryan from GrandeFullBody (who is a heckuva chef) did win this contest, sponsored by NAIT, with this picture of one of his delicious creations. His prize? Cactus Club food concept architect (look, wikipedia says it, I just re-type it) Rob Feenie’s new cookbook
Nice work, you award-winning chef/photographer/blogger! When can we all come to your house for dinner?
Featured Edmontonian: Katie Lee, Obleek Design
F.Y.I., internets: I’ve discovered thing #18648 that I really, really want: a custom strap for my rock band guitar.
Genius! Genius I say! Who would make such a brilliant product? Lo and behold, she’s from Edmonton. Katie Lee is 27 years old, a graphic designer and an artisan; she and her mom run the Obleek etsy shop, selling
purses, totes, re-usable snack bags and the aforementioned guitar straps.
We recently had a little chat about her business, her background, and what inspires her work:
Q: How long have you been a designer (both web/graphic and fashion)?
A: I have been a graphic designer for 6 years. I attended Grant MacEwan’s Visual Communication and Design program from 2000 – 2003, and I worked at 2 different companies before deciding to freelance on my own in 2007 at www.obleek.net. I design pretty much everything you can think of,
but my specialties lie with web design and branding/identities.
Katie stitches up a storm on Big Bertha, the industrial sewing machine
As for bag design, I’ve been drawn to sewing ever since my grandma let me play on her old machine when I was very little. My grandma was an avid sewer, as is my mom, so it runs in my blood. This past Christmas my husband and I were really trying to keep down the money spent on gifts, so I decided I would make bags and other gifts for virtually everyone on my Christmas list. This is also when I discovered all the cool fabrics I could order on Etsy, which started my huge obsession with bold and funky fabrics. Everyone loved the bags and straps I had made, and people kept telling me I should try selling them. I was already very intrigued by Etsy and what it had to offer, so I set up a store. At first, I only sold to my close family and friends, but soon it picked up from word of mouth and people randomly finding us on Etsy. It got to the point where I could no longer keep up (more…)
Featured Edmontonian: The Cinnamon Girl!
Michelle Champis, Edmonton's Cinnamon Girl, sets up shop at the Beverly Farmers' Market
(contributed by Lorraine Poulsen)
The crowds, music and noise pinpoint the Beverly summer Farmers’ Market, but it’s the enticing smell of cinnamon that makes visitors know the seasonal market is open for business once again.
Located in Old Towne Beverly, on 40 St and 118 Ave., just south of the Cenotaph Park, the Market is once again open for the summer and fall season every Tuesday, from 4 to 8 p.m.
Booths sell a wide variety of products ranging from fresh fruit to popcorn. At the sound of the start bell, vendors open their booths and offer spring vegetables like radish and rhubarb and bedding plants and flowers of all varieties. Shoppers can buy jewelry, (more…)
