Three designers turn to painting
From Dec. 11, 2025 to Jan. 11, 2026, we were pleased to have paintings by three designers on our studio walls. Architect David Dennis, landscape architect James Roche and former carpet designer Carol Sebert showcased work that ranged from freighters to workers laying walkways in Toronto’s Portlands to landscapes north of Toronto. The opening on Dec. 11 was a huge success. We hope they’ll be back with more work soon!
Art Show Opened Friday, Nov. 7, 2025
The Artists:
Kaz Kobielski
After majoring in sculpture and supporting his family for decades as a special effects designer in the film industry, Kaz Kobielski is now working in oils. Follow his journey from skillful representational realism to symbolist art and to surrealist imagery.
Kaz’s first rendition of a pear was inspired by the famous apples of surrealist painter René Magritte. It has grown into “Pearspective”, a series showcasing both his technical skill and quirky humour. Featured above is “Preaching to the Pearish”. Note how the fading perspective of the tree branches mimic the flying buttresses on a cathedral that once might have been….
Skyler Hagen
A registered psychotherapist, Skyler has been exploring and expressing life with ink in abstract ways for many years. His skillful line drawings provoke curiosity and mirror his commitment to supporting others as they take steps towards a life that that is more aligned with their goals and desires.
This skillful work in pen and ink by Skyler, above, is one of several that will be featured in the show. With powerful symbolism, it expresses his commitment to recognizing and understanding the complex layers of life.
West Toronto Artists Art Tour, May 31-June 1, 2025
Five artists are showing their work at our studio, Saturday, May 31 and Sunday, June 1, from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. The exhibit is part of the West Toronto Artists art tour. Admission is free.
Nadine Dennis, Bernie Hunt, Christine Jermyn, Lilian O’Meara and Marilyn Scott are showing their work, which includes watercolours, oils and acrylics and collage. Lilian O’Meara also incorporates beading in her images.
We welcome them to Back Lane Studios. Please drop by this weekend to enjoy the show! Below are two early visitors, armchair Fred and Cece.
Past Events:
Guarichas: Anna Raquel, May 8-25, 2025
Photo artist Ana Raquel exhibited her work as part of Contact Photography Festival. Originally from El Salvador, Ana combines photography, painting and traditional needlework in her images, which honour her Latin American heritage and the power of women. The title “Guarichas” means warrior women; Raquel’s body of work reclaims the term, which was turned into an insult by colonizers of Latin America, and pays homage to these agents of resistance.
Opening Nov. 22, 2024:
Holiday Art Market: Nine Artists
Looking for unique gifts for friends, family or yourslf? Drop by our studios from Nov. 22-24 for an exhibit that brings nine artists together. Join us for an opening party, Friday, Nov. 22, from 6:00 – 9:00 om, Saturday, Nov. 23, 11:00 am – 6:00 pm, and Sunday, Nov. 24, 12:00 – 5:00 pm. Meet the artists, and find some inspired holiday gifts. The artists are showdcasing paintings, photographs, sculptures, drawings, illustrations, collages and greeting cards!
Making the Ordinary Extraordinary, Nov. 1-17
Local artist and photographer Gwen Zezulka opened her show “Reframed” at our studio on Nov. 1 (photo below). The show continues weekends until Nov. 17 (weekdays by appointment only). Gwen will be using old window frames to showcase her stunning photos, which reveal beauty she finds in the most mundane of objects. As she says, “The ordinary things in life inspire my extraordinary pictures, and I hope that by telling their stories in unique ways the viewer will reconsider the appeal of everyday objects.”
Gwen, who lives in the Roncesvalles-High Park neighbourhood, is also a web developer, a writer and a professional organizer. She has two children and a very cute dog!
Matices: Three Artists
Opening: Saturday, Oct. 19, 6:30-9:00 pm
Hours: 4:00-8:00 pm. Closed Tuesday, Thursday. Continues to Sunday, Oct. 27.
Matices is a visual celebration where three artists immerse themselves in a creative journey, intuitively exploring a vast range of media, forms, processes, and emotions. Through abstract art, collage, and mixed media techniques, each piece becomes a portal that invites viewers to discover the richness and diversity of the nuances that emerge from artistic creation, capturing the essence of deep and subtle emotions.
Jacqueline, Constanza, and Carmen, united by their Chilean roots, bring with them a combination of personalities that feel an imperative need to share their personal visions. With an intuitive sensitivity, they guide us to explore the intangible and the ephemeral in their creative process.
Artist Statements:
Jacqueline
Jacqueline Berton’s artwork emerges from a deep-seated desire to engage in the creative process as a form of introspection. Her practice channels inner energy, allowing her to express herself intuitively. This exhibition features a vibrant collection of abstract paintings and collages, where she explores the possibilities of diverse mediums such as acrylics, inks, and cold wax, creating layered and dynamic compositions.
Constanza:
Constanza Durán Vidal is a poet and visual artist who weaves together deep emotions with vivid imagery. Her poetry evokes powerful feelings, while her “magical realism”paintings bring those emotions to life with vibrant colours and enchanting scenes. She says words, images and colours are her own way of expressing emotions.
Carmen:
As a graphic designer, Carmen Reyes is used to structure and logic in their work. In contrast, their recent floral paintings embrace freedom and spontaneity. The abstract forms reflect the artist’s emotional state during creation—ranging from calm to anxious to hopeful—capturing a deeply personal journey through unrestrained expression.
Jennifer Joiner: T(r)opical in Thailand
Opening: Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024, 1:00 pm at Back Lane Studios
Hours: Saturdays and Sundays, 1:00-4:00pm to Sept. 29.
Bangkok River Boat, 30×24 in., oil on birch board, 2024.
For her second show at Back Lane Studios, artist Jennifer Joiner explores the experiences and visual imagery she encountered during a three-week trip to Thailand last November.
Here’s what she says:
“As a tourist last fall in Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Pai in the north, I spent my very first time in a tropical environment. It was sensational. November is not too hot, not rainy, and in the mountain elevations, just right. My experiences in Pai, in the hills, among hot springs, inspired the watercolours in this exhibit. Through my oil paintings, I’ve attempted to explore the imagery of street graffiti and medieval temple art.
“I’ve only the bare beginnings of an understanding of Thai and Lanna culture, starting with seeing Thailand as a highly decorated place with flowers, garlands, lanterns, decorative tiling, and immense amounts of imagery in religious and secular spaces. The Thai pay homage to the elephant and to many spirits, entities, and gods in an ancient blend of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Animism.
“A Western tourist like me will see these images for a brief moment without a lot of understanding. Even with studying and painting these images, one just has to step back and let them resonate.”
Jennifer will be showing a dozen watercolours and a half dozen larger oil paintings, based on Thai scenes and cultural themes. The exhibit will also include a floral-styled installation, intended to convey the atmosphere of that remarkable country.
A painter who studied at York University’s fine art department and other art schools in Toronto, Jennifer first exhibited in the mid-1990s. With the decades of earning a living behind her, she now has time for more frequent exhibits, such as “T(r)opical Thailand” at Back Lane Studios.
The show opening coincides with the Roncy Polish Festival on the Sept. 14-15 weekend. Jennifer’s show will offer a quiet retreat!
Jennifer’s exhibit will continue weekends to Sunday, Sept. 29.
Rob Gill: Opening April 12, 6:00-10:00 pm
Artist Rob Gill has been experimenting and making art for almost three decades. For his first exhibit in Toronto, he will be showing his digital work, paintings and prints. He combines all three media in his new series High Park Branches. He’s been collecting branches in the park in recent months and creating 3D models of them. He then activates the models in a virtual space, and when the digital branches come to rest, he uses the images as inspiration for paintings and prints.
Join us for the opening of his show Friday, April 12 at Back Lane Studios from 6:00 to 10:00 pm. He will explain what’s behind his art in a presentation on Friday. The show continues Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from the opening to April 28.
You can also visit by appointment. Email Rob Gill at robgillthings@gmail.com
About the Gallery:
The studio was used as a gallery for the first time when former judge Kevin Whitaker had his inaugural exhibit about five years ago. This past November, he had his 10th show at the studio.
Kevin took up painting as a new profession after being diagnosed with Lewy Body Dementia, a particularly virulent form of Parkinson’s. Since that first exhibit, with the help of his partner in life and love, Marie Moliner, he has raised some $200,000 for research into Parkinson’s and dementia through the sale of his paintings and through donations.
It has been an honour to host Kevin’s shows over the years. Now, Marie is working on another project, a graphic autobiography, The Accidental Caregiver, about their lives before and after Kevin’s diagnosis. Her aim is to share their experiences and highlight resources for others living with dementia.
To view photos from more of our past shows, click here.
Call us at 647-313-1654 or email ellen@backlanestudios.ca if you or someone you know may be interested in having an exhibit.