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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Wednesday, November 20, 2013 | 16 Art a life-long passion for Oakville resident Lesha Kokosky's works to be featured in studio show and sale this Sunday by Abigail Cukier Special to the Beaver Artscene art at the University of Toronto and trained with Juanita LeBarre Symington, who had studied in England and followed the classical painting style of Joseph Turner and John Constable. Kokosky also worked with renowned Ottawa artist Joyce Devlin. As a secondary school teacher in North Bay, Ont., Kokosky taught English and art and then worked at one of the first secondary schools devoted to the arts in Ottawa. Immersed in art Though she loved teaching, Kokosky took time off to study at the Ontario College of Art and Design (OCA, at the time). "Those were the happiest days of my life," she said. "They had to kick me out of school at 2 a.m. I was just so immersed. I was doing glass blowing, painting, print making, drawing." After her mom suffered a major heart attack, Kokosky returned to teaching, this time at the Peel Board of Education, until her retirement. She has lived in Oakville for 25 years with her husband Bruce Donald. Her 27-year-old daughter often serves as her model. In 2011, artist and writer Jane Marshall described Kokosky's style as "largely realistic, bordering on "Connected to your Community" Lesha Kokosky started painting as a child and she has pretty much never stopped. "I was always painting or drawing, fashioning things," she said. "You'd go to the beach and dig out the clay. There'd be 16 pots by Lesha on the beach. It gives me great pleasure. It seems to be part of my entire personality, my make-up as a human." The Oakville resident is a classically-trained artist who has won many awards and been honoured at juried exhibits. Her work hangs in galleries and is in private collections. Kokosky works with watercolours, oils and mixed media. She also has a printing press and creates collagraphs, by applying materials to a rigid board. They are hand-painted, printed then modified so that each is an original. Full-time painter Since she retired from teaching five years ago, she paints full time. In fact, she paints so much she needs to make more space in her studio -- which is why she is holding a studio show and sale, Sunday (Nov. 24), from 2-6 p.m. "I need to make more space in my studio, so it is a good opportunity to pick up some pieces at a less expensive price than I would normally sell them for," she said. Kokosky was born in Germany in 1946. Her parents had escaped from the Ukraine. The family later immigrated to Canada, first to Winnipeg and then to Hamilton, when Kokosky was three. She studied English and fine Lesha Kokosky holds a acrylic piece entitled Trypillian Vase as Lily, a large oil painting, hangs in the background. The award-winning artist is opening the doors to her Oakville studio this weekend for a show and sale. | photo by Graham Paine ­ Oakville Beaver (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog) abstraction." She said it was "free and infused with a love of colour and form. EXCLUSIVE 3 DAYS ONLY! THURS.-SAT., NOV. 21-23 ...with everyday discounts on reg. priced merchandise, advance sale notice, exclusive Members' sales & more! · Falafel · Souvlaki · Shawarma · Taboule · Mediterranean Seafood. MEMBERS SAVE Membership Pays! Not a Member? 1 yr. membership (valid til Aug.31/14) only $25 + HST Seniors (65+), students & renewals, only $20 + HST 3 yr. membership (valid til Aug.31/16) only $50 + HST Join now & save more! Hours Monday - Thursday 11am - 10pm Friday & Saturday 11am - 11pm Sunday Closed AGABI KERR ST. 234 Kerr St., Oakville 905.338.1888 SPEERS RD. Offer valid November 21-23, 2013, on in-stock merchandise only, for valid Members only, excluding special purchases, promotional items and yarn. Not valid with any other discounts. off our reg. prices on almost EVERYTHING! www.agabi.ca REBECCA ST. MISSISSAUGA: 3015 WINSTON CHURCHILL BLVD. (N.W. side @ Dundas) 905-828-9966 BURLINGTON: 3515 FAIRVIEW ST. 905-639-2516 Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! Visit us at www.fabricland.ca "Lesha helps us to understand her subjects' true natures, enriched with colours, forms, patterns, textures, symbols and shapes in her masterful conceptualizations," said Marshall. Most recently, Kokosky was involved in an exhibit at Sovereign House in Bronte, where she regularly displays her work. She also did a show at St. Volodymyr Cultural Centre in Oakville and the KUMF Gallery in Toronto. Kokosky regularly exhibits her work at the Burlington Art Centre, as well. Her paintings have been shown at exhibits in Edmonton, Ottawa and Quebec. Kokosky won the distinguished Woolfitt's Award from the Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour, as well as multiple honours from the Oakville Arts Council and Oakville Arts Society. For more information on Kokosky's studio show and sale this weekend, email lesha_k@ sympatico.ca or visit http://kokosky.com.