Tanya Fenkell
Tanya Fenkell is a Canadian artist and writer. She holds a BA in English Literature from McGill University, an MA in English and an MIS from the University of Toronto. She spent many years raising three sons, prior to which she worked as a Photo Librarian at The Globe and Mail and later as co-owner/designer of Cloud Cashmere, a line of ethically-made knits. Tanya’s creative development includes study and practice of various arts and fibre-related crafts, such as knitting, drawing, sewing, embroidery and bookbinding; she is also occasionally an instructor. The solitude and isolation specific to raising small children allowed her to delve deeply into watercolour (so portable and quick-drying), her favourite medium for moody landscapes and figures. Tanya exhibits her art regularly in Ontario and her poetry has been published in various small journals. Tanya lives in Toronto with her family and also spends as much time as she can on Baptiste Lake, a main source of inspiration for her.
Tanya Fenkell’s work is on permanent display in the gallery. To see more of her work, please visit our online shop.
“constel:lichen 3: bloom:
Pieces of found bark on the forest floor often explode with new growth after their first life on the tree is over. Mosses and lichens appear, creating unique palettes of colour new to the bark. In this piece, new stitched and painted forms bloom on the birch, creating a map of unforseen places and incarnations. A reminder that we can all bloom wherever we find ourselves, that all possibilities exist within us and are endless.
constel:lichen 7: ignite:
‘Ignite’ signifies potential. Organic shapes in knitted silk/metal curl up the last white, flame-like remnant of a rotted birch tree, while embroidered growths seem to burst forth along its edges. We are burning up the earth at an irreparable and unforgivable rate. Our interaction with nature needs tempering and the painted blues on this birch flame are cold embers of possibility. Ignite is about those moments in which we burst into life: we are lit up by our passions and enthusiasms if we allow them, and within that incipient space there is unlimited power.
constel:lichen 14: smoulder:
In the same way a campfire often continues to burn after it appears to be extinguished, power may be present without an obvious sign. This small piece is a consideration of this quiet burning that can be present even without a visible flame. What appears to be dark may have a hidden light to it and the gold in this piece suggests that spark. Smoulder implies potential for fire under the right conditions and that something new is always possible.”