VALERIE KENT, B.Ed., B.F.A.,M.F.A.,O.C.T.
Visual Artist and Workshop Facilitator

Valerie Kent is an experienced artist and teacher who paints en plein air and in the studio. She studied in Montreal at Ecole des Beaux Arts and Concordia University, in Toronto at York University, University of Toronto, Ryerson University and Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, in Nova Scotia at St. Francis Xavier University and at the University of Iowa.

Valerie paints in watercolours, acrylics, oils and mixed media. She enjoys diverse subject matter, experimenting with mixed and multi-media and incorporating found environmentally friendly materials. She regularly offers workshops and courses to school boards, art societies and at art schools and colleges:  Loyalist College, Haliburton School of the Arts, Southampton Art School and others throughout Ontario. She leads art river cruises in France and land trips to Italy in the summers.

She is currently Past President of the Richmond Hill Group of Artists, is an active member of the Federation of Canadian Artists, and member of the Society of York Region Artists.

Her work is in collections worldwide and she is represented in Ontario by Artplus Gallery, Belleville.  She writes articles for the Watercolour Gazette, Good News Toronto, OnRichmondhill.com, and is a Canadian Regional Editor of Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine.  She has frequently appeared on television shows doing art demonstrations.


 Artist Valerie Kent's oil painting being presented to the former head of the liberal party of Canada by the Richmond Hill Federal Liberal Association. Left to right Bryon Wilfret, M.P., Susan Kadis, Stephane Dion, Genevieve Dion, Valerie Kent.

Artist's Statement

A new twist to my repertoire of painting is a theme of elegant florals in black and white.  The concept grew out of a dream I had. My professor, Roy Kiyooka painted and taught hard edge in the 60s. In the dream he asked me if I had considered trying hardedge again after many, many years.  In the dream he suggested black and white as the ultimate contrast of values.  My dream continued with me trying it, but superimposing a floral image on the hardedge of gracefulness and movement that has been the direction of my own work over time.  The creativity of the concept called to me.

The media that I selected for this series was fluid acrylics and  water media, which still had the flow and ease to create the motion.  I carefully paint the hardedge and then to execute the flowing elements, I do not draw, but spontaneously paint directly on the canvas, dark against light and light against dark.  Very important elements in this work are the transitions as the image eases from the white to the black and back again.  Each of the elements, the hard edge and the soft gentleness of gesture is somewhat traditional individually, but when combined, becomes unique and striking.  The ying and yang of the stark contrasts create a notion of a fine balance.

Stephane Dion, Bryon Wilfret, M.P. Parliamentary Secretary, Michael Jolliffe, Past President of the Oak Ridges Moraine Liberal Association, Valerie Kent, Artist, Norma McCullough, and Kelly at the presentation of the Kent painting of Port Severn to Stephane Dion, when Minister of the Environment.

Art Education
 
Ecole des Beaux Arts Montreal, Quebec 1966-67
Concordia University Montreal, Quebec B.F.A. 1965-70
University of Iowa Iowa City, Iowa M.F.A. 1970-72
University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario B.Ed. 1991-92
AQ Law, Spec Ed., Media, Honours English
St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia Training for Trainers
Ryerson University, Magazine Writing, Toronto, ON
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education Principals’ Certification Toronto, ON
York University AQ Guidance Qualifications,
Queen’s University,  Junior/Intermediate Education, Kingston, ON

 Dr. Reza Moridi, M.P.P. honouring the renowned inventor of the artificial heart by presenting a Valerie Kent painting of Lake Leonard to Professer Tofigh Mousivand,  specialist in heart surgery and master of spatial medicine at Ottawa University, Canada.

Awards

Graduate School Scholarship
Ministry of Education, Quebec, 1970-72
Percy H. Tacon Arts Bursary, University of Toronto 1991-92
Canada Council Awards (2)
Toronto Arts Award (1)

Professional Memberships

Scarborough Arts Council
Society of York Region Artists
Richmond Hill Group of Artists (Past President)
Federation of Canadian Artists

Art Publications Regional Editor

Plein Air Magazine,Canada Regional Editor 2005 
FineArtConnoisseur, Canada Regional Editor 2006  to present(www.fineartconnoisseur.com, VKent@fineartconnoisseur.com )