Bar-None Painting

BiographyNeema Lakin-Dainow is an educator, painter, printmaker, animator and mixed media artist who draws inspiration for her work from her multicultural background, artistic and academic training and her interest in folk art and crafts.Neema was born in Chicago, lived in North Carolina and went to university in Wisconsin before arriving in Vancouver, Canada. She currently resides in Toronto. She graduated with a BA in Art History and Film and obtained an M.A. in Communication Studies from Simon Fraser University, where she also studied animation and drawing. As a secondary school teacher in Toronto, Neema used visual art strategies as a method for teaching both academic and hard to reach students. Neemas work has been and continues to be influenced by studies in various art forms -- painting, printmaking, lithography, mixed media/collage, digital art, fabric design and photography.Since Neema has been able to practice her art full-time, she has exhibited her work in numerous shows and won prizes. Her work is in private and corporate collections in Canada and the U.S.I have always been passionate about art. For me, artistic expression provides meaning, opportunities for communication and a sense of joy. In the act of creating, I am able to truly engage life on a deeper spiritual level, to learn from others as well as to teach them, and to enrich my life experience.I find my inspiration from all kinds of sources, travel, photography, painting, printmaking, digital work, film, and animation and graphic novels. In my work I often combine and collage multiple layers of various types of art media such as printmaking, drawing, painting, my own photographic images and found objects. In particular my art has been influenced by painters such as Joan Mitchell, Nicholas de Stael, printmakers such as Judy Pfaff, and collage artists such as Romare Bearden and Gerald Brommer as well as my own experiences studying ceramics and fabric design. My art is often a spontaneous reaction to the music of all kinds to which I listen while I create.My art is an invitation to a visual conversation through my work. I hope you will join me in this dialogue.