Artists in the Spotlight
MANDY STOBO
Mandy Stobo is a Calgary-based artist that has been in the professional world for a decade now. Stobo was born and raised in Calgary, with brief glimpses of the bigger world. Travel became one of the largest influences in Stobo's work. Along with her son and the never-ending hunt for beauty, bravery and understanding in the world.
Stobo has a genuine need for play, and her constant thread throughout her work stems from this. Her joy for the process, color, flashy images, good mustaches, skateboards, Tom Robbins, Mary Poppins and the here-right-now allows her to explore her technique, her perception and her work to the farthest degree. Stobo will forever continue to discover new moments-wonderfully good and terribly bad-within her life and her life's work.
She is extremely curious in achieving a balance of humor, tragedy and joy in her work.
Stobo has been keeping herself busy with The Bad Portrait Project- an international project to connect the viewer with the artist. She wanted to utilize social media and connectivity in a project and Bad Portraits came to life. She asks people to send her a picture of themselves and then she creates a poor rendering of them in watercolor. Such portraits are now seen in 9 countries and will be featured in the city of Calgary with the support of The City of Calgary Public Arts Program.
Films such as "Hiding", “Love Me”, "Not Far from the Abattoir" (CIFF, SXSW, Cannes), "The Wire", "Angels Crest" (Tribeca, CIFF, TIFF) , CBC’s “Comedy Extraordinaire” and “Diary od a Haunting” have commissioned Stobo's work for their projects. Each project broadens Stobo's work in many ways.
Stobo dreams of providing a solid world for her son through her art, and will never stop the search for great color.
NEIL ZELLER
Calgarian at heart, Saskatchewan in the blood.
Moody and insecure, I want to show you what see, the way I see it. I’ll wonder what you think and sometimes take it the wrong way.
I am a family man first. My talented wife of 15 years and incredible 5 year old son are my world and the source of my greatest pride in life.
Photography is where I cleanse my spirit, nourish my soul and am truly happy. I see the world around me in 4x6 boxes. My eyes capture wide angles, interesting corners, beams of light and faraway things. My goal is to capture in my camera, the story my eyes could never tell you.
JO LUKE GILES
British. 32. Urban designer/ Illustrator by day.
I prefer to use mediums and techniques that will stretch my skills & imagination.
Lately, I have been using a few new styles. For some reason they all are very labor intensive... perhaps I’m thinking a lot about time these days.
