Instructors of the Anna Templeton Centre are experienced craft and arts professionals. They are chosen for their knowledge, skill and enthusiasm.

We are always looking for new and interesting skills and ideas for art and craft classes and workshops. If you would like to introduce us to a new or old technique, which could be a great addition to our roster, drop us a line or come by the 1st Floor office.

More Details & Bios Coming Shortly!

Anita Singh

Anita Singh was born in Guyana, South America with a Russian and Indian bloodline. She grew up in Montreal and Toronto where she studied graphic design and printmaking. Singh lived in British Columbia for 10 years, where she worked as a graphic designer and visual artist. In 1997 she was in upstate New York for one year, where she did an internship in bookarts, papermaking and printmaking. She also spent a year in England, where she did an apprenticeship in letterpress printing and various binding techniques. Singh has travelled extensively through Canada and the USA. During a cross Canada trip in 1999, Anita discovered and fell in love with Newfoundland. She now lives with her husband and son in downtown St. John’s and works as a printmaker, papermaker, bookartist and art instructor.

Chris Driedzic

Chris Driedzic is a multi-disciplinary artist working with sound, performance and theatre in St. John’s, Newfoundland. In 2000 he opened the doors to Sutolian Studios, a rehearsal, recording and teaching facility dedicated to the creation and instruction of new music. Driedzic is currently playing with surf rock trio, The Kremlin, experimental noise duo NW and super-ska band The Zazou. As the Artistic Director of the youth theatre troupe The Kids Players, he instructs performance techniques and constructs theatre that centers on methods of performance creation. As an art instructor, he is currently running workshops for young people in the creation of soundscapes, play building and pop music.
www.sutolianstudios.ca

Di Dabinett

I am having a busy year with 2 small group fibre shows, “Contours” in March and “Migration” in September, a solo show “Shorelines” in oils and watercolours in May and several bigger group shows in Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.  Rediscovering oils on canvas has been very stimulating.  New challenges are always good to refresh and excite your creative self although the vibrancy and freshness of watercolour is an excitment in itself!  Di Dabinett
www.dianadabinett.ca

Jessica Waterman

Jessica is a passionate fiber artist with an enthusiastic personality. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Nova Scotia College of Art and Design with a major in textiles, a Diploma in costume studies from Dalhousie, and a Diploma in Carpentry. Jessica just returned from a year working in Toronto as a Wardrobe Assistant for the Canadian Opera Company, SoulPepper Theatre, and Flash Design a danceware company.

Laura D’Arcy Buchholz

Laura has loved art and has doodled and sketched since she could hold a crayon. Her formal art training began at an early age with enrichment art programs and at age 13 placed third in the Provincial Arts Competition. As an adult Laura attended the College of the North Atlantic’s Textile Program where she graduated in 2005. She has taught art since that time. Her professional training also includes advanced art history, art studio program and training under many well known local artists including Julia Picard and Diana Dabinett. While all mediums are of interest to Laura her true loves are working with clay, ink drawing and silk painting.

In 2004 Laura branched out with “D’Arcy Design’s” a jewelry making business. Through her consignment and specialty orders, her jewelry has adorned many woman.

Laura’s latest endeavors saw her expand her teaching. She established a childrens art program at a city daycare where she taught children ages 2 to 9 years old, developing their creativity through art exploration.

Recently Laura became art coordinator and instructor for the Mount Pearl Seniors Independent Group where her creativity and passion helped increase the program enrollment by 50%.

Laura’s lifelong love of art, her talent for teaching, and her passion for sharing the two has brought her success and fulfillment both personally and professionally.

Peter Duchemin

An artist, magician, and circus performer who has played in numerous productions in Newfoundland, and has showcased his talent abroad. His company, Abracadabra Magic Theatre provides entertainment for children and adults via both private and public shows. He has practiced sleight of hand, his specialty, since he was 12. Visit www.abramagic.ca for more information. He holds a Masters in Humanities at MUN and researches the history of magic, circus, and the juggling arts.

Sheila Ford

Quilts are both comfortable and comforting. At once they are works of art while performing a utilitarian function.

I have spent most of my adult life working as a substitute teacher in communities throughout the province from St. John’s to Mud Lake. All the while I continued to pursue courses in differing fields using various media. I continue to be drawn back to my sewing machine and, especially, to quilting.

As a member of the Newfoundland and Labrador Women’s Institute for the past 29 years I have had the opportunity to enter provincial craft competitions and have won eight awards for embroidery and quilting. During “Quilting on the Edge” in St. John’s in June, 2008 I had 4 large quilts and 4 wall quilts on display in various venues.

In my quilts I use a multi-colored pallet to highlight pattern and design. I use shape to create interest both within the quilt itself or along the external edges. These shapes could be one or two dimensional. Lines enable the viewer to follow the shapes in the quilt, either real or illusionary. Straight lines meet and intersect giving the illusion of curves or waves. Texture is real or imaginary. The texture of the fibres are experienced when touched. Other textures are implied through the use of shades and tints, creating highlights and shadows.

Jane Dingle

Jane Dingle began her professional career in St. John’s, Nfld. with the Newfoundland Travelling Theatre Company with Dudley Cox, amidst the heartbeat of the newly arising Newfoundland Collective Theater Groups of the 1970’s.

Pursuing her passion of the theatre led her to further develop her talents through study, training and working as a professional actress in London, England and Toronto, Ontario. She has performed and collaborated with other actors in theater, film, television and radio.

Jane has recently extended her theatre arts teaching skills through outreach community programs for inner city youth within the city of Toronto. As founder and director of the Blake Boultbee Theatre Group, her focus allowed her to develop and implement workshops using improvisation as a tool to give youth a voice for their issues and concerns. Jane has started a similar introductory program in St. John’s and hopes it will grow. She is currently living and working in St. John’s, Newfoundland. Jane has offered workshops at The Senior’s Resource Centre & The Anna Templeton Centre.

Susan E. Furneaux

Susan’s studio practice focuses on for the use of natural dyes with nontoxic mordants and her passion for traditional hand embroidery techniques for contemporary artistic expression. She is devoted to the extensive time commitment of both techniques. The time taken to gather dye material, apply layers of dye and the hand stitching of each piece allows for thorough contemplation of the design and ideas to be expressed.

Susan instructs Natural Dye Techniques, Embroidery Study for the community programming classes of the Anna Templeton Centre for Craft Art and Design. She also is an instructor for the Textile Studies Program of the College of the North Atlantic, which is housed in the Anna Templeton Centre. A regular contributor to the international dye magazine the Turkey Red Journal, Susan’s work has also appeared in the Surface Design Journal, A Needle Pulling Thread and Embroidery Canada. Susan also brings her workshops to Community Groups and Professional Organizations across Canada and the United States. Susan’s award winning work is held in many private and corporate collections.