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20 Artscene Sign up now for guitar, bass, drums, and piano OAKVILLE'S MUSIC STORE · WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2009 NIKKI WESLEY / OAKVILLE BEAVER AUTUMN GLORY: Oakville artist Azhar Shemdin is presenting a collection of her latest acrylic paintings in the current show at CJ's Café in Bronte. The show is called Autumn Glory and includes a series of paintings on trees, which are one of the Shemdin's favourite subjects. She says each tree is unique and has its own personality -- which she loves to capture on canvas. Glory of autumn on display in artist's latest show in Bronte By Tina Depko OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Azhar Shemdin is exploring the rich palette of fall colours in her latest exhibition, Autumn Glory, on now until Dec. 1 at CJ's Café in Bronte. The Oakville artist has selected 10 of her latest works for the show. Several pieces will feature acrylic portrayals of one of her favourite subjects, trees. Abstract works are also featured. "I paint many trees and I somehow understand them," she said. "Every tree is different and they all have their own personality. With abstract, I just have fun with colours and experimenting." Shemdin has called Oakville home for more than 21 years. She spends her winters in her Kurdish homeland of northern Iraq. Both locations are sources of artistic inspiration, with Shemdin dividing her time between her patio and basement studio in Oakville, and indoor and outdoor locations at her family home in Zakho. "I have been painting in my basement for 21 years and it is full of paintings and it is so crowded and hard to work there, so I need to After various jobs, such as working as a find myself some space to paint," she said. "I clerk in the housing department at the also have 27 paintings at my home in Iraq. By University of Toronto and serving as a partnow I have easels, paints and canvases there, time teacher in Halton, she is now devoted and so I can just paint. Whatever I paint there, full-time to her art. stays there." "All I want to do is paint," she said. "When Art has always been a passion of Shemdin's. I paint, I forget everything and I feel happy. It She started creating masterpieces from a is not an external way of looking at myself -- young age, but in a family being an artist -- it is an of business people and "This is what I do and who I internal thing. This is what engineers, was expected I do and who I am. am. Everything else is not that to follow in those footEverything else is not that important." important." steps. Shemdin shares her "When I was very artistic gift by teaching young, I'd spend my sum- Azhar Shemdin Oakville artist courses and workshops at mer holidays painting, Sheridan College, Royal but my family wasn't oriBotanical Gardens and the ented towards art," she Burlington Art Centre. said. Acrylics is her preferred medium. She said She earned a business degree and a master's degree in modern European history in it gives her more versatility on her canvases. "It dries fast and I like the immediacy of it," Iraq, but had a secret longing to study art. She finally had a chance to take art classes she said. Shemdin said she is inspired by everything after coming to Canada in 1974. She took night courses at the Ontario College of Art around her, specifically nature. She has a pas(now the Ontario College of Art and Design) sion for vivid colours and bold images. "Whatever I want to paint, I paint," she for 10 years, honing her craft. said. Her mantra of painting for herself transcends even her toughest critics. "What people think about my art is not that important to me," she said. "As long as I am happy painting whatever I want and I think it is good, that is what matters." After viewing her online portfolio, it is not surprising to find out she admires Matisse, Chagall, Piccaso, Raoul Dufy and Hans Hoffman. Bright colours and bold images are front and centre in a large portion of her work publicly displayed online. She said she encourages people to come see her artwork at CJ's Café to help get in the mood of the fall season. The warm colours will hopefully make up for the cooler temperatures, she said. "If people like colour and the season, they'll like the show," she said. "It is also a very artistic atmosphere at CJ's. There is too much sadness in the world. I want them to be happy." For information on the show, contact CJ's at 905-465-0411. To view works by the artist, visit http://www.absolutearts.com/shemdin or go to www.azharhshemdin.blogspot.com.