Josh Tiessen poses for a photo with Art and Design Foundation students following a painting demonstration and guest lecture.
The state of the arts is strong at NC.
Art and Design Foundation students and the Niagara College community had a chance to meet with prodigy artist Josh Tiessen when he visited the Welland Campus on October 19.
Tiessen had his latest works on display in the AHI foyer and was a guest speaker at Gail Taylor’s Art and Design Foundation. In class, he gave a painting demonstration, shared his story, showed examples of his work and provided advice to students on how to market their work.
Taylor said the day was a resounding success. “Bringing in an artist so close in age to most of my students was very relatable and inspiring for them,” she said.
She noted that the painting demonstration was a highlight for the class. “He unveiled a work in progress, showed students how he picks his palette and mixes colours and proceeded to paint the hyena in the foreground of the painting while students watched on,” she said. “Many students stayed after class to speak to him about his work and his process.”
Tiessen was juried in as the youngest member of International Guild of Realism (IGOR) ranked among foremost realist artists from around the world, and Artists for Conservation (AFC) an elite group of the top 500 wildlife and nature artists worldwide.
Mentored by masters such as acclaimed wildlife artist Robert Bateman, Tiessen has exhibited his work for nine years in 50 exhibitions including the National Gallery of Canada and now exhibits internationally.
