Bio - Gail Penner
Gail Penner has lived a varied life, from earth moving and road building, to scientific research with her PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. She returned to Manitoba in 2007, having worked as a research scientist in Cincinnati, to be a companion to her aging mother. Her new life was based on her passion for creativity. Today she is an artist working in photography, and jewelry, as well as other art forms. In her photography, Gail leans toward rustic and rural scenes, especially during the moodiness of winter storms.
Gail upcycles a variety of otherwise discarded items, but primarily cutlery to make beautiful and nostalgic jewelry and novelty items. She invites clients into her workshop to watch their heirloom cutlery being made into wearable treasures.
She loves the challenge of gaining skill in creating beautiful and well designed pieces and is mostly self educated in learning how to bend cutlery. She designed several of her tools.
Since 2008, she has had a full schedule of farmers markets and shows that she attends yearly. She vends at St Norbert farmers market, and the Matiowski farmers market in Kenora, both for about 15 years. Summer festivals include being a street vendor at the Icelandic Festival in Gimli, and Morden Corn and Apple Festival.
Fall craft shows include Scattered Seeds and out of province shows. Gail is represented by Inspire Studio in Minnedosa, Lagasse's Studio of Fine Art in Souris, Gwen Fox Gallery in Selkirk, and Tiger Hills Arts in Holland.
This Facebook post on her business page, "Through Glass Images" of a Winnipeg Free Press article is about Gail's life and art:
Artist statement
Gail Penner is a photographer with a particular love of winter light. She prefers capturing the moodiness found when the winter sun is low in the sky and its light bounces off snow, creating a bright atmosphere. When this is combined with the falling and blowing snowflakes of a storm or blizzard that obscure the distant horizon, magic happens. Rustic and rural locations are perfect for photography during these conditions. Most of her work, creating images during storms, is done close to her home at Landmark, southeast of Winnipeg. Travels alongside the Seine River provide scenes with farm buildings, trees, bridges, and water. In addition, there is a collection of farm machinery, located at "Pete's Center Canada Heritage", just a few hundred feet west of the "Centre of Canada Park", on the trans Canada Highway that provide subject material.
BIO - Laurie Kentner
Laurie Kentner lives in Lorette, Manitoba, where she enjoys small town life with her husband.
Laurie is an artist in different mediums but finds her heart in painting with acrylics. She derives her inspiration from the fine details of nature and uses her camera to capture her subjects. She translates the photos to what she feels on canvas. Her passion is in the challenge of bringing those subjects to life.
Laurie has sold her paintings from Ontario to Alberta, in New York, and in a few local auctions in Winnipeg.