Let’s have a Blast Together!

Our second “Art Blast" will be held the evening of May 22nd at the Five Points Theatre.

Artists, look here for your invitation to paint live, to music, under lights. We're expecting a crowd of approximately 180 people. Enjoy three exciting rounds of painting, 20 minutes in the first two, where 16 artists compete in two groups of eight. Artists choose any subject to paint. All attendees are invited to vote by the end of each session. The top two artists from each round paint off in a final 30 minute Art Blast. That’s 10 extra minutes! Final voting determines the overall winners and runners up.

All finalists receive cash prizes and can sell their paintings by silent auction. Artists keep 50% of the auction proceeds. The balance goes to the Barrie Art Club. With your help, we can build on the success of the Barrie Art Club’s first Art Blast.

Tickets $34.50 | Students (Highschool - Uni) ID. $29.50

GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY!

Our 2025 Art Blasters!

Carolyn M. Boyd is a Canadian landscape artist brushing with passion and enthusiasm from the magnificent shores of Kempenfelt Bay, Georgian Bay, Muskoka and beyond. She studied fine art at Georgian College and North Light Art School, and has a certificate in the Fundamentals of Fine Art.

“In my paintings, I convey a message about the beauty of nature and my belief in its power and grandeur.”

@CarolynmBoydart | https://CarolynMBoydArt.com

Enrique Bravo is a fine artist who has lived in Canada since 2018. His work is divided into almost all facets of artistic expression. Enrique has won live painting tournaments and exhibited in events and galleries in Ontario. He works in acrylic and mixed media for a variety of expressive results.

“I love playing with crowds, space, volume and perspective in my paintings.”

@EnriqueBravoArt | https://www.EnriqueBravoArt.com

Debra Bridgman is excited to be part of her second ArtBlast! She blends impressionism and realism in acrylic, watercolour, and ink. Inspired by outdoor scenes, sports, and nostalgic architecture, her paintings tell emotional stories. A former educator, she’s now a Barrie Art Club volunteer and resident artist at Shanty Bay Golf Club.

@Debridgman | https://www.DebraBridgmanArt.com/

Sophie Bruton

Sophie Bruton is a grade 11 honours student from Barrie North. She’s utilized mediums such as stained glass, clay, acrylics, oils, gouache and watercolour. Sophie has loved art since childhood, and is excited to challenge her abilities at Art Blast. She aims to make an Impressionism that lasts.

Emma Lee Fleury is a multidisciplinary artist and musician in Muskoka, Ontario. Her work explores Earth, the Universe, and climate change through love and mixed media. From landscapes to installations, she uses recycled materials and diverse art forms to raise environmental awareness and inspire change through creative activism.

“Emma Lee Fleury’s creations are an ethereal merge of realism and expressionism with the hovering conceptualization of the human connection to the natural world.”

@EmmaLeeFleury | https://www.EmmaLeeFleury.com/

Sheila Romard, a Barrie-based artist, works in acrylic, watercolour, and oil with a contemporary impressionistic style. Influenced by Monet, Sargent, and the Group of Seven, she embraces Plein Air painting and artistic exploration. Since 2015, her award-winning work has been exhibited widely and collected in Canada and internationally.

@SheilaRomard | https://www.sheilaromard.com/

Stephen Romphf is a born and raised Barrie citizen, and the father of two daughters. He served in the CAF for over eleven years, having been medically retired since 2003. During recovery for an amputation, he took art therapy, taking an instant liking to the program and continues to paint to date.

“Art for me is like taking a relaxing trip to a new and unknown destination, each is a new adventure.”

@RomphfStephen

Linda Kearney, a Concordia Fine Arts graduate and Visual Art teacher at Cardinal Carter Academy, focuses on multimedia landscape painting. She teaches privately and hosts studio paint nights. A lifelong creative, Linda has exhibited widely in the GTA. Her artistic journey, though turbulent, always leads her to love.

@LindaKearney20

Alimatu (Atswei) Koney is a multidisciplinary artist, who began young, leaving design school seeking freedom. She explored culinary arts, served in the Armed Forces, became an aesthetician, then returned to art—her true passion. For her, art is therapy, freedom, and self-expression—a sacred space without rules where emotion guides creation and Yahweh inspires.

Award-winning portrait and caricature artist Linda Laforge, last year’s Art Blast Winner, creates live digital art and commissions in her studio with Winston, her furry studio manager. Passionate about social and ecological issues, her work has been exhibited in Barrie, Durham, and Toronto.

@LindaLaforgeArt | wwwLlindaLaforge.com

Maria Levadnia is an artist and co-owner of The Arts House, a Barrie studio combining different visual art, music, theater and dance. She is focused on making and teaching art. Originally from Ukraine, she received a classical art education, permeating her art with traditional motifs from her country. She continues to explore deeper art experiences and experiments with new techniques and materials.

@mariazu841 | https://theartshouse.ca/

Lorraine Maher, a skilled portrait and figure artist, transitioned from graphic design to fine art in 1988. Specializing in watercolour, her work captures light, shadow, and nature. Exhibited locally and abroad, Lorraine is a member of several art organizations. Our club’s Club Past President’s paintings hang in collections across Canada and internationally.

@LorraineWatercolours

Terri Elvald is a self-taught artist known for whimsical fantasy and heartfelt pet portraits—like dogs reimagined as battle mages. She resists stylistic labels, fueled by tea, guesswork, and chaos. Whether magical or “abstract,” she paints on, determined to put smug blank canvases in their place.

Last year's fun! Check it out.

Melanie Case is a dynamic force in the world of event hosting and entrepreneurship, blending small-town warmth with big-city flair. Melanie is a highly sought-after speaker and master of ceremonies, having had the privilege of interviewing a diverse range of notable figures, including Prime Ministers, rock stars, and celebrated authors. Presenting on stages for decades, a successful entrepreneur with a charming, animated personality, and armed with captivating anecdotes.

This year, she returns to dazzle as our Master of Ceremony, ready to energize and to be inspired by the incredible talent vying for the win.

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winners of the first annual Art Blast Event below

The night showcased an incredible array of talentand creativity.

1ST PLACE:
Linda LaForge
Her fabulous portrait of David Suzuki amazed all who watched it appear before our eyes.

2ND PLACE:
Sheila Romard
Sheila created a beautiful moody landscape that drew the viewer into the serenity of the scene.

3RD PLACE:
Enrique Bravo
Enrique’s significant style incorporates beautiful surreal crowd scenes showcased in his outstanding final piece.

4TH PLACE:
Liz Lasky
Liz’s beautiful landscape was full of energy and colour change.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to these outstanding artists and express our gratitude to all participants for making this competition a resounding success. Your passion and creativity have truly inspired us all.