Opening Reception of my "True Beauty" Art Exhibition

On January 30th 2015 I opened my very First Solo Art Exhibition at Ben Navaee Gallery in Toronto! My new "True Beauty" series looked lovely and it was incredible to have a gallery filled with my work. That alone would have been satisfying, but the amount of people who walked through the show that night makes me burst with gratitude. Local friends surprised me, many from the art community had my back, family and friends traveled hours to make my day extra special, and new admirers stopped by. Well over a hundred people saw my art that night ... it boggles my mind! I want to sincerely thank each and every one of you for making this one of the most amazing nights of my entire life. I am still overwhelmed. I could not have asked for more. :)

A special thank you to Alexandria Karakis of FotoFlares for capturing the night in an awesome video! Also thank you to Frank McKinney from SNAP for photographing and doing a piece on the event. :)

Watch the VIDEO

See ALL 221 PHOTOS

HERE

See the SNAP Coverage

HERE

Before the big night! Feeling very cute in my custom made Liliann Dress 

by LA Designer Letty Tenant of Queen of Heartz!

Myself with the beautiful Jenny Blackbird in the above "True Beauty" portrait.

These amazing people (My aunt and uncle, cousin and his wife (my muse)) traveled from London, Ontario to be there for my opening night! Love you guys! :) 

Darren said I'd cry when I saw these two and I definitely did! It was so awesome having our friends Carolyn and Freddy there. We hadn't seen them in a long while. :)

My beautiful muse for the center piece of my new series, Delena Providence, lives in Sudbury (my hometown) and though she had planned to attend, her Mom fell sick and she wasn't going to make it. I was so bummed. When she came in I was overwhelmed with emotions. She had driven four hours by herself in the dead of winter to make it to my show. I'm still so touched.

On top of the incredible surprise of seeing Delena, my "best" cousin Christiane SUPER surprised me all the way from Markstay, ON (4-5 hours away). I love all of my cousins but Christiane has been attached to me, and I her, since I was born. It was just the most amazing thing that could have happened. My heart is still bursting!

Christiane, her husband Calvin, and I! So so happy!

My support system, my loving family! 

Darren (my fiance), my Papa, and my Mom.

A little last minute touching up.

What a lovely crowd!

A lovely real estate agent I've been discussing custom work with, 

Angela Montgomery and her beautiful family.

A Lumaframe of my "Self Portrait" given to me as part of my prize for 

Technical Excellence at the ETA Awards this past November.

Just an amazing turn out! You guys rock!

Jenny Blackbird getting interviewed!

My parents and their amazingly supportive and kind friends. It was so nice to have them there.

Talented fellow artist Heather Cook and her beautiful daughter 

stopped in to see me too! Such a nice little visit. :)

My beautiful muse Tasha Rissling and I! :)

Speaking with SNAP Beaches. :)

Myself with my beautiful muse Vivian Bro!

Saying goodbye to these handsome men!

Group shot! It looks like I was almost in it! Haha :)

Darren and Tasha! Nice pic guys!

Danielle and I talking about how the piece is as tall as she is! Haha What a beauty!

Danielle and her beautiful friend Leah!

Being filmed and photographed at the same time ... so nerve racking! Haha 

Just a really amazing turn out! I'm so blessed to have so much support. Thank you all for coming!

My two beautiful muses! Actress/comedian Ashley Sirianni (with her portrait behind her) and Delena Providence!

Nici Shipway and I discussing my "True Beauty" portrait of her.

Love this pic! My Mom, Nici, and I!

My favourite abstract painter in the world, Katrina Schaman with her portrait behind her. 

It was such a pleasure capturing her beauty.

These two beautiful ladies are my old Secondary School students. Doris Cai 

was featured in one of my "True Beauty" artworks and Ingrid came to show her 

support and bring me that beautiful bottle of wine.

Another great surprise! Our friends Nadiya and Mark with Darren! 

Beautiful ladies! :)

My handsome Dad surrounded by beauty! Haha :)

My beautiful ex boss Tara Lupa! Thanks to her and my friend Katie I made my way to Toronto.

My cousin Jessica and her boyfriend Andrew who came all the way from Sudbury, ON!

My Mom, Patrick (Tara's husband), Tara, and Nici!

Gorgeous ladies! :D

Darren and I with our friends Adam and Andrea.

Holding hands and sharing in the love and excitement! 

Great group shot! The late night crowd! 

Delena and I being filmed!

HAHA! Love it! My Mom must have made them take a couple so they got silly! 

The beautiful Alexandria Karakis before her and Michael Darcy left for his gig!

Alexandria, Michael and I.

Super appreciate the support of these beautiful people! My "late night" crowd!

My muse, the stunningly gorgeous Danielle St-Laurent 

(see her modelling page here -> Severin Stargher)! 

Myself with my beautiful Muse, Tia Brazda! 

She is an incredible Jazz Singer - Check her out HERE!

I was so excited Nadiya and Mark came! Thanks guys!

Darren, Nadiya, Myself, my Dad, Mark, and my Mom. :) 

It was so cold outside, and there were so many warm people inside,
that the windows were completely fogged up!



What an incredible night!
A dream come true! :D

TRUE BEAUTY

"True Beauty"

January 2015

Mixed Media on Canvas

(Acrylic and Oil Paint)

Sizes Vary

I am very excited to release my new body of artwork, which includes 16 portraits of Canadian women, entitled "True Beauty: An Untouched Project". With my First Solo Art Exhibition booked at Ben Navaee Gallery in Toronto, I set out to create a series that would reflect my greatest message; that ALL women are beautiful. Using social media I sent out a call for un-retouched photos of everyday women. "Everyday women" meaning every single woman, whether they be a model or not, as long as their images were not edited. The number of responses I received, which was well over 100, is something I hold dear to my heart. When I began my career as a portrait artist it only made sense that women were not sure about my abilities to capture them and so I often resorted to models and actresses. The fact that so many women now trust in my skills and ability to capture them is a true indicator of how far my career has come and is so very exciting. Choosing at random from those who submitted a photo, my series soon began to take shape. With colour and symbolic iconic imagery I hoped to represent an aspect of each women's multifaceted spirit. In so doing, I wished that anyone viewing the series would not only see each woman as uniquely beautiful but also see the beauty within themselves. 

If you'd like to know my thought process behind each piece please continue viewing this blog. :) 

Detailed Shots of the Entire Series:

HERE

See the "True Beauty" Exhibition:

HERE

See the Opening Night Reception:

HERE

Watch the Opening Night Video:

HERE

"True Beauty" by Toronto Portrait Artist Malinda Prudhomme

'Delena Providence'

30" x 30"

BUY

PRINTS

SIGNED

This piece was created to be the focal point of the series and features the beautiful Delena Providence. Delena and I grew up in the same neighbourhood, thus it's no wonder she's been inspiring me with her beauty almost my entire life. When asked what her favourite colour was she answered, "When the sun paints the sky with all her majesty just to say good morning and goodnight, I love it so much". I thought that was really beautiful so I chose to depict this aspect of Delena's character with a bright red background and an iconic image of a sunset/sunrise. 

'Danielle St Laurent'

24" x 48"

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PRINTS

SIGNED

I met the beautiful Danielle St Laurent (A.K.A. Severin Stargher) through the Toronto Art community and, since adding her to Facebook, I have found her to be a daily dose of beauty inspiration and a true friend. To depict an aspect of her character I chose to paint the background turquoise, which is her favourite colour, and include the iconic symbol of crystals, which is something she likes to collect.   

'Jerica Wentzell'

24" x 36"

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PRINTS

SIGNED

Jerica Wentzell has also been inspiring me most of my life. Although she was a year younger than me she attended the same primary and secondary school. She always seemed so true to herself and sported the most stylish outfits. She is now a very talented and artistic hair stylist working in Ottawa. I chose to depict her passion for her profession with intricate hair scissors on a background of her favourite colour, mint. 

'Vivian Bro'

24" x 24"

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PRINTS

SIGNED

The first time I saw Vivian Bro she was applying for a teaching position at a private school I was teaching at. She popped in to check out my classroom and I was floored with how beautiful she was. I knew I would capture her beauty some day and am glad she is a part of this project. Using her favourite colour purple in the background, along with some Palestinian poppies to represent her heritage, I hoped to portray an aspect of her vibrant character. 

'Katrina Schaman'

18" x 18"

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PRINTS

SIGNED

The first time I met the incredibly talented abstract artist Katrina Schaman, I was visiting the Queen West Art Crawl and was so impressed with her work. I decide to follow her work online and eventually got in contact with her. Over the years Katrina has proven to be one of the most helpful and supportive people on my journey. She is an intelligent kindhearted person and I was so honoured to capture her for this series. I was hoping to express an aspect of her personality by using her favourite colour Peach in the background as well as globes to symbolize her love of travel. 

'Jenny Blackbird'

18" x 24"

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PRINTS

SIGNED

I was fortunate to meet Jenny Blackbird and her fiance Mike Ormsby at an outdoor art show that Mike and I were a part of.  After the weekend I added them both to Facebook and have been inspired by their love for their culture ever since. Jenny is a very strong and passionate Plains Cree woman and it was my hope to capture this using a natural yellow background along with a beading pattern similar to that of her culture. 

'Nici Shipway'

16" x 20"

BUY

PRINTS

SIGNED

Nici Shipway contacted me a few years ago through Etsy asking if I'd like to take part in a craft show she was hosting in my neighbourhood. I'm so glad I took part, not only because her shows were great, but because I've gotten to know this inspirational woman and she honestly adds light to my life everyday. She's a passionate Doula and an incredible Mom. There are many aspects of her personality that inspire me but I often think back to a conversation we had about her custom hair fascinators she makes for brides and so I wanted to include her own designs in the background as well as her favourite colour, magenta. 

'Tia Brazda'

16" x 16"

BUY

PRINTS

SIGNED

This artwork features the beautiful Jazz Singer Tia Brazda. I first saw Tia preform at a Swing event at the Gladstone Hotel. Of course, given her incredibly beautiful voice, I was hooked and like a "fan girl" added her to Facebook. I don't know her personally but from the interactions I've had with her she seems to be absolutely lovely! Using a bright blue background and a symbol of an antique microphone I hoped to represent her passion for her career and her natural talent. 

'Alisha Gauvreau'

16" x 16"

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PRINTS
SIGNED

I met Alisha Gauvreau when I was 12 and was visiting my grandmother in my parents' hometown of Markstay, ON. We had some mutual friends in the community and though we hung out rarely, I always admired her. We also attended the same secondary school but weren't really in each others social circles. I've always felt like she was a friend I missed out on. I'm fortunate to have her as a Facebook friend and get to see her really amazing life unfold. From where I'm looking she seems to be at peace and very connected to the earth. She is an Archaeologist who collects artifacts which is why I chose two nautilus' and a green background to symbolize that aspect of her spirit. 

  

'Doris Cai'

12" x 24"

BUY

PRINTS

SIGNED

Doris Cai was my secondary school student a few years ago. I was fortunate enough to teach many courses to this brilliant woman and watch her progress towards University. She was always quiet, kind, and studious; and just a delight to be around. I've always felt Doris was beautiful inside and out so I was thrilled to include her in this series. To balance her favourite colour blue, I chose a bright red background and decided to add a Chinese lucky coin in the background, not only to represent her heritage, but also to express my best wishes for her future. 

'Trish Lubbe'

11" x 14"

BUY

PRINTS

SIGNED

A friend on Facebook had expressed a desire to take part in the project and asked that I look through her photos to see if any would work. While searching I came across Trish Lubbe and was blown away by her natural beauty. Though I do not know her personally I was glad to have pulled her name because her beauty inspires me very much. As I did not know her personally I chose to hint at her South African Cape heritage with a textile inspired pattern. I also included one of her favourite colours green in the background.

'Natashia Heald'

12" x 12"

BUY

PRINTS

SIGNED

I was very happy to pull out Natashia Heald's name when doing the random draw. Though I do not know her personally she has been supporting me on Facebook for quite some time and in that way I have grown very fond of her. Not to mention her mother-in-law commissioned me to do two portraits of her daughter and another of her son. It was a beautiful experience being able to capture their mother in paint too. In order to express an aspect of Natashia's character I choose her favourite colour purple for the background and a symbol of soft opened flowers to show her love for her family. 

'Dana McCool'

12" x 12"

BUY

PRINTS

SIGNED

I met Dana McCool briefly at a group show we were doing at Moniker Gallery. I was fascinated with her work and thought she had such a strong and unique beauty. It is always an honour when a fellow artist allows you to capture them so I was thrilled to capture her and always found this image particularly inspiring. Using one of her two favourite colours green (the other is blue) in the background I hoped to show an aspect of her personality. I also found it very inspiring that she is interested in time travel so I choose to depict this with a swirl of roman numerals. 

'Sheba Devonish'

9" x 12"

BUY

PRINTS

SIGNED

I went out one day to shop down Queen West in Toronto hoping to find a microphone and some comfy foot wear. I walked in and out of Steve's pretty quickly, new mic in hand, and eventually made my way over to "Walking On A Cloud" to find some shoes. I was out of luck with the shoes but instead I met an amazing person, Sheba Devonish. We discussed how I never sing in front of anyone and just do it for fun when I'm alone. She, being the kind gal she is, asked me to hang out and jam with her friends some time. I was smitten! I mean look at that smile! I was very glad to pull Sheba's name and capture her beauty. I chose an image of her announcing her engagement; pure joy showing on her face; and included a guitar in the background to represent her love of singing and playing guitar. 

'Tasha Rissling'

9" x 12"

PRINTS

SIGNED

Tasha Rissling is my cousin Dan's beautiful wife! Dan and I have some special childhood moments together including a pretend wedding to each other and the time he gave me one of his precious teddy bears. So you can imagine I might feel connected to his wife. I always loved Tasha. She is so kind and down-to-earth and is truly an amazing Mom and Wife. It was such an honour capturing her beauty, especially since she was so excited and supportive throughout the whole process. To depict her kind nature I used her favourite colour pink and hearts. I'm so glad the piece is now hanging in their home where it will be appreciated. I hope it reminds Tasha just how truly beautiful she is. :) 

'Lisa Boros'

9" x 12"

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PRINTS

SIGNED

Though I have never met Lisa Boros in person I still feel I can truly call her a friend. She is a fellow Ontario Portrait Artist yet neither of us feels the need to compete, in fact we like to help each other whenever we can. She's one of the very few people I go to to talk about the negative things in life knowing she will be supportive. Since I've come to know her I've wanted to paint her so it was very exciting for me to include her in this series. To represent an aspect of her spirit I chose blue, her ultimate favourite colour, and cameras (to depict her love of photography) for the background. 

My Princess Hair ...

A sneak peek of my "True Beauty" piece featuring 

Delena Providence not yet released on my blog!

Since I posted my new Facebook profile picture on Monday (March 09 2015) I've had quite a few questions and comments about my hair! Haha! You guys have really made me feel like a star, let me tell you! :P

What do I do to my hair?

Pretty much nothing! I wash it 1-2 times a week. I know some people are thinking that's gross. Some are like, ya ok. And some are aware of the new "no wash" thingy that's being talked about. Is my hair oily at the roots? Ya, some days. Does it stink? No. It's super long and thick, hard to wash, stays wet forever, is impossible to brush when wet, and it's cold! That's why. But that being said, I do think less use of chemically shampoo is better for it. That's my experience, anyways. Other than that, I brush it everyday and usually put it in a braid or bun, keeping it safe from the elements. I style it once in a blue moon with hot curlers and spritz a bit of hair spray if it needs to stay for a while, if not, then I don't. That's it! I'm a no fuss kinda gal. :) 

It was really nice to hear some kind comments about my hair because I feel like I'm often told it's too long or old fashioned. It doesn't bother me because I kinda like the thought of being old fashioned. I grew it because it reminds me of princess hair or elvish hair. I'm a nerd when it comes to stuff like that and personally don't follow what's "in style" (I have no idea what's "in" right now! lol). It's nice to know some ladies feel the same. What or who inspired your hair-do? 

/*|*\ Self Portrait /*|*\

"Self Portrait"

December 2014

Mixed Media on Canvas

(Acrylic and Oil Paint)

12" x 12"

Original:

$1000.00 CAD

BUY

8" x 10" Print:

$30.00 CAD

BUY

Larger Prints:

BUY

When you create portraits for a living you often get asked, "Is this you?". My answer was always, "No". I began to worry that perhaps people saw my lack of self portraits as a sign of insecurity. It wasn't that I felt I wasn't beautiful, it was simply that I didn't find my face as interesting to capture since I see it everyday! I created this portrait because I wanted to show my audience that I am confident in my own unique beauty in hopes of encouraging all women to feel the same. We are all unique beings and that makes us all beautiful!   

Bryan's Beautiful Baby Girls

"Bryan's Beautiful Baby Girls"

December 2014

Mixed Media on Canvas

(Watercolour Paint and Pencil)

8" x 10"/each

COMMISSION

With my First Solo Exhibition finally finished I get a chance to share some projects I managed to complete during all of the hustle and bustle! Bryan contacted me before the holidays to ask if I had time to squeeze in a custom portrait series he would be giving to his wife for Christmas. With little time on my hands, having already decided I needed to skip my holidays with my family to work on my new "True Beauty" series (made especially for the exhibition), I offered to create these little mixed media pieces using watercolour and pencil. Bryan expressed that he liked the look of old black and white photos and wanted the artworks to match his wive's black picture frames. So I decided to use washes of black, grey, sepia, and brown watercolour and varying tones of pencil to capture their beautiful baby girls. I also finished off the sides with black paint so that the 8" x 10" canvases would match the frames already up in their home. I've since heard from Bryan and he tells me his wife really loved them! Creating cherished custom artworks such as these makes my work so rewarding. :) 

This style is very affordable! Contact me at Info@MalindaPrudhomme.com for a quote on your own custom mixed media portraits! :)