WHO (Maya Gohill)
Born in Calgary, Maya Gohill completed an undergraduate degree in Fine Arts with a painting emphasis from the University of Calgary, and a MFA in Illustration at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. She has many years of teaching experience both here in Calgary at ACAD (now AUArts). Glenbow is thrilled to have her facilitate the Drawn to Art workshop series coming up in April 2019.
WHAT (Awesome Art)
Gohill says that her painting practice has “morphed” from a kind of hyper realism to something more abstract, colourful and, occasionally, satirical. Chances are if you’ve been out and about town lately, you’ve seen her work, which includes whimsical and wonderful murals on the walls of the Simon’s building downtown and the award-winning interior design of Calcutta Cricket Club. Her “Wookie Family Portrait” is featured alongside works by internationally acclaimed artists like H.R. Giger and Moebius in the book Star Wars Art: Visions (George Lucas reportedly handpicked the artists himself).
WHERE (Calgary)
Although Gohill admits that there have been challenges in establishing herself as an artist in Calgary, she says the bumps in the road are largely in the rearview mirror now.
“Compared to a city like Los Angeles or Vancouver, Calgary’s audience is smaller so your reach as also a bit smaller. What I do appreciate is how much Calgary’s culture and appreciation for art has grown over the years. There wasn’t the breadth of styles that there is today, and art wasn’t commonly thought of as a possible way to invest one’s money. But things are changing.”
WHEN (She realized
art was a viable career option)
Teaching was always a part of her game plan, so while a career in art seemed doable to Gohill from the start, Gohill says that’s it’s only been in the last four to five years, as her commissions have increasingly picked up, that’s she’s been able to focus exclusively on her practice.
WHY (Painting)
Simply put, when it comes to expressing herself, painting
feels most natural to Gohill. “Deep down
maybe I’m a bit traditional in that way,” she laughs.
HOW (Does she teach creativity?)
“It’s just the act of moving out of your world to try something that’s a little bit different,” says Gohill. “Also, to play a little bit the way kids do: they’re free to create stuff and they don’t judge or second guess what they’re doing. There are a lot of tools that make that process more fun, like painting, collage, stamps and just using colour and pattern. I feel that when you lay those things out it almost paints a picture of what you’re going to do with them. Glenbow is thrilled to be offering Drawn to Art, a series of four art workshops suitable for all skill levels. Participants will be introduced to a variety of media and materials and will ultimately create a unique piece of fashion-inspired art in homage to our feature exhibition, Christian Dior.
Participants in the Drawn to Art workshop series will be introduced to a variety of media and materials and will ultimately create a unique piece of fashion-inspired art in homage to our feature exhibition, Christian Dior. Drawn to Art is suitable for all skill levels – from beginners to seasoned practitioners. More information and tickets to the workshop series available HERE.
