Artists' Biographies

Anna Kozub

Posted by Lawrence House Centre For The Arts Sarnia on

Anna was born in the city of Dimipro Ukraine. She studied professionally at the Kharkiv College of architecture for 3 months her goal being to teach painting basics to children. 'I paint my paintings with a palette knife and brushes using strong fast stokes with which I can fully express thoughts and feelings".


Nataliya Nikolenko

Posted by Lawrence House Centre For The Arts Sarnia on

Nataliya Nikolenko

Nataliya was born in the Ukrainian City Of Dinipro. She was orphaned at birth because of her disability and placed in a special orphanage for disabled children. She was there for the first 12 years of her life. She was then moved to a nursing home where she stayed for the next 18 years of her life. During this time she had a desire to draw and a good teacher helped her start painting by teaching her the art of Petrykivka Art which is Ukrainian Folk Art. Nataliya was determined to perfect her skill as a mouth painter. Her work slowly became know and her unique skill of mouth painting became very admired. This year 2022 Nataliya had the opportunity to leave her war torn Ukraine and come to Canada to live in Sarnia with her personal care worker Anya. She is continuing to paint and draw.


Sheila Tiernay

Posted by Karen Schaw on

Sheila Tiernay

Sheila was born and raised in rural Lambton County, Ontario...her passion is nature and all that is natural – and so her inclination to attempt humble creations of artwork reflecting this. Sheila has always preferred drawing as her chosen form of expression; but works in many media forms to express herself through many genres of art.
As a child, her preference was to 'doodle' or draw her time away rather than concentrate on lessons. As a mother, she would draw her children pictures to colour or to tell stories about. When she became a student of the Art Fundamentals Program at Lambton College, she studied with Ray Robinson, Bill Arnold and David Moore; and since has studied with Ariel Lyons, who has become her friend and mentor and online with internationally know artists.
Sheila has taught children the basics of drawing; directed a childrens' Art Camp; painted murals, designed costumes, and designed and managed set décor.
Today, Sheila continues to challenge herself, learning new and unusual creative techniques while developing more experiences in art.


Natasha Adams

Posted by Karen Schaw on

Natasha Adams is an abstract expressionist, sculptor, and web comix creator from Aamjiwnaang First Nation. She studied art under the tutelage of Kim Yuhasz during her time at SCITS.


Donna Powers - Garner

Posted by Lawrence House Centre For The Arts Sarnia on

Donna Powers - Garner

Donna was always very artistically inclined from the early age of five. She always enjoyed drawing and painting in her spare time throughout her elementary and secondary schooling. She took art from Jane Freeman during her secondary education at Lambton Central Collegiate Vocational Institute in Petrolia, Ontario. She graduated from Humber College in Rexdale, Ontario in 1976 from the Registered Practical Nursing program. In 2003 she graduated from the University of Western Ontario/ Kings College, London Ontario from the Grief and Bereavement Studies.

In her 20’s and 30’s Donna travelled to many different countries and had the opportunity to see the Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci and much of Michelangelo’s work such as the statue of the prisoners in the Louvre in Paris France, and many others in Rome, Venice and Florence, Italy. Michelangelo being her favourite of all the great masters.

Donna took lessons from Judy Betts from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Rick Garner, as well as Ariel Lyons from Petrolia, Ontario. Cathy Earl from Sarnia, Ontario.
She never realised back in her youth how much art would become a large part of her life in later years. She has often used it as a catharsis throughout her life.
Donna has been a member of Lawrence House Centre of the Arts since 2017 and is a volunteer there. She shows her work 5 times a year in the Lawrence House Memberships shows.

Her specialty is painting on Ostrich, Emu and Rhea eggs. She has been teaching acrylic painting, water colours, drawing and coloured pencils for 6 years at Michaels Arts and Crafts. Since 2019 she teaches these classes in her own home to children, youth and adults.

Visit her collection in our store:
https://shop.lawrencehouse.ca/collections/vendors?q=Donna%20Powers%20-%20Garner&sort_by=price-ascending

Visit her web site:
https://www.facebook.com/donna.p.garner.3/