Carlo Allion

Enriching King Township through arts and culture for all spring 2020 ArtsSocietyKing.ca Ansnorveldt | Kettleby | King City | Laskay | Lloydtown | Nobleton Pottageville | Schomberg | Snowball | Strange | and surrounding area Canadian Welcome to Made DREAMWOOD Ltd. We Appreciate Your Business Quality Solid Wood Furniture Thank You! Come Again!! Pine, Oak, Maple, Cherry, Ash, Walnut Here at Hwy 9 Farmers Market our WANT SOMETHING UNIQUE? number one priority is to offer our customers the best quality of locally grown fruit, vegetables, farm fresh eggs and honey. Our garden centre offer’s huge selection of annuals, perennials, hanging baskets, tropical shrubs, flowering shrubs and fruit trees to choose from. New pottery and garden centre supplies Maple Barn Door Wall Unit, Custom sizes 3890 Hwy 9 1.5km west of 400 on Hwy 9 13785 Hwy. 27, Nobleton. 905-859-7033 905-775-8605 www.dreamwood.ca VOTED BEST # It Starts Here... PRIVATE SCHOOL IN KING GR ADES 4-12 CO-ED • KING CITY, ON • Grades 4-12 Co-Ed • STEM & AP Programs • University Preparatory • Tuition Assistance • Catholic Tradition of Academic Excellence • Entrance Scholarships Available SPRING OPEN HOUSE MAY 1 - 9:30am OR CALL TO ARRANGE YOUR PERSONAL TOUR 905-833-1909 • [email protected] • www.villanovacollege.org • King City, ON 2 MOSAiC spring 2020 FEATURED CONTRIBUTOR: King MOSAIC is produced KALLI and edited by Arts Society King SECORD OUR COVER CARLO ALLION Artist Carlo Allion spent a decade experimenting withArtist mixed Carlo media Allion inspent a decade experimenting creating his fantasy workswith mixedof art. mediaBordering in creating his fantasy works of Editor LIDIA ALGHOUL on surrealism, he sharesart. Borderingan eccentric on surrealism,and he shares an eccentric exaggerated perspectiveand with exaggerated floating perspectiveobjects with floating objects and [email protected] and disproportionate disproportionatefigures that embrace figures that embrace symbolism symbolism and metaphorsand metaphorsrelated torelated his to his fondness for wildlife Art Director SARAH DIDYCZ fondness for wildlife andand mother mother nature nature as asthe the protector. Allion’s diverse protector. Allion’s diverse experience since Graphic Designer experience since college graduation has finally led him JOHN SPEZIALI college graduation has finallyto a led place him into hisa placecareer in doing what he loves most – his career doing what he loves most – exploring his For all advertising inquiries exploring his creativity, creating meaning and evoking creativity, creating meaningpersonal and evoking connections personal through his visual works of art, please contact 416-803-9940 connections through his visualfrom works abstract of art,and fromfantasy to most recently, landscape. Kalli has her Masters of Information and abstract and fantasy to most recently, landscape. Published by Library Science degree from University Read more about Carlo Allion on page 4. College Dublin and loved the time she Read more about Carlo Allion on page 4. got to spend in Ireland while studying. She has worked for the King Township Public Library for over 3 years now, doing a variety of children’s programming CONTRIBUTING as well as being a part of the marketing team. She is pleased to be working in WRITERS AND ARTISTS King Township and getting to be a part of the community through the Library and Carlo Allion writing the quarterly MOSAiC articles for the Library. Irene Bayer She is also part of the Ontario Library Association’s selection committee for the Meline Beach Forest of Reading, which promotes the reading of Canadian books to Ontarians Marianne Broome of all ages! In her spare time, Kalli loves King City Lions singing Christmas carols for residents of the King City reading, as most librarians do, and she Lodge Nursing Home Brett Davis loves to spend time with family and 9 21 friends while enjoying the outdoors. Read Julia Galt the library article by Kalli on page 21. LIVING BY THE MOTTO: “WE SERVE” EXPLORE 3D PRINTING Brigitte Granton Summer Blooms by Brigitte Granton Tracy Lee Green THE ARTS: Teri Hastings Isobel 4 Carlo Allion - Back on Track Deborah Jolly 5 The Peace of Wild Things Louise Di lorio 6 Word has it… Nowhere Dorita Peer 11 The Art of Volunteering Elsa-Ann Pickard HERITAGE: Kathleen Rodgers 17 Treasures in The Archives Kalli Secord Patti Skrypek NATURE: Arlene Stephenson 19 Biologist at the Table: Cheryl Uhrig Why is Red Meat Red? Arthur Weis AROUND THE NEIGHBOURHOOD: ArtsSocietyKing.ca 9 Living by the Motto: “We Serve” 21 Explore 3D Printing King MOSAiC is produced by Arts Society King four times a year (March, June, September, and December), by a dedicated committee of volunteers. The 23 Less is More! magazine is distributed by London Publishing Corp. to all households in King as well as libraries, businesses, restaurants, offices, and other public places. WHAT’S HAPPENING IN KING: Editorial content is protected by copyright law. Unauthorized use or reproduction of the contents 13 Ar ts Society King of this publication without consent is prohibited. We welcome your feedback and suggestions. 13 14-15 Events in and around King Township…just ASK! Write to us at contents LET ME ASK YOU... [email protected] MOSAiC spring 2020 3 THE ARTS THE Carlo AllionBACK ON TRACK A journey of self discovery by Meline Beach Destination Unknown “And why not?” is a question Artist Carlo Allion would often ask himself when embarking on a new project. “That’s the joy of painting fantasy,” says Allion. moulding paste with trowels and knives to build Centennial College, it took 25 years for Allion “I can expose my imagination, explore my out what starts off as a single idea or concept to realize his true passion and transition to creativity and see how far it can go.” on canvas or panel before painting it with acrylic. life as a visual artist. Like many students who Allion is referring to his artwork that portrays While he considers his fantasy art form to be strive to find their career path after graduation, whimsical, fun and playful images of fairy tale very time consuming, it was an important period Allion pursued a variety of jobs, from sales and figures and animals with exaggerated limbs and in his development as an artist that allowed him retail management to small company start-ups other elements, like larger-than-life headpieces, to build a solid collector base. in landscaping, renovations and architectural disproportionate wheels and stilt-like legs on “I take subconscious-derived imagery, and finishing. While he was successful in all of his elephants and horses. like a little kid, I apply a more playful approach endeavours, it was the latter that enabled him to Tutelae # 1 “If I wanted to put an elephant in a tree or on to take my work in any direction,” says Allion. carve a niche and create a name for himself. His a floating carpet, I’d just do it,” says Allion, who Bordering on surrealism, Allion’s fantasy work specialized skills in high-end architectural finishes even includes images of his dog, an outgoing can take on multiple meanings and evoke a earned him a reputation as a top painter, texturist inspiration, mood and a playlist of easy listening Yorkie, in many of his paintings – seen leaping unique emotional connection with each piece. and faux finisher in Toronto, which served as a music in his basement studio to get him or sitting on a floating piece of land with a tree. The meaning of surrealism is, after all, related launchpad and secured his commitment to the through each project. He prides himself on having a vivid imagination to the subconscious – a movement or message visual arts. “My favourite piece is always my last piece,” says from an early age that he expressed through about an altered reality. Influenced by the works Before transitioning to a full-time visual Allion. “However, I’m always driven to do better years of doodling. of Alberto Giacometti and Salvador Dali, for artist, he spent two years taking workshops and feel the need to push my work and explore Using a unique mixed media sculpting their eccentric and exaggerated perspective and studying with seasoned artists in order new directions in order to grow as an artist.” technique, Allion applies multiple layers of with distorted objects and visual puns, Allion to further develop his skills. His first genre of And that’s a good thing. Had Allion not been admits there is symbolism and metaphors in his artwork was abstract, which he exhibited for the driven to explore the potential of his creative fantasy works of art that may not necessarily first time at the Toronto Art Expo in 2008. After side, the arts community would be void of be related to politics but rather to what is a few showings and sales of his work, Allion his talent. While it took him 25 years to finally happening in society at the time. A devout vegan, gained the confidence to pursue his passion pursue his passion, Allion is back on track and Allion condemns animal cruelty and through his and earn a living from his art. He now considers happy where he is and doing what he loves. fantasy art expresses a fondness for wildlife himself a mid-career full-time artist, whose work “Pursuing a career in fine arts is not only and mother nature as a protector. It is for this has evolved from abstract to fantasy to most about skills and ability,” says Allion. “It’s a leap of reason that he says his fantasy work can also be recently, landscape. faith and a strong dose of confidence to trust mentally draining. Allion lives in Kawartha Lakes where his your strengths, know how to market your work While art in any form is subjective and natural surroundings inspire his current work.

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