Toni Mendina

Exhibiting through March 2010

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Four images from Toni Mendina's exhibition.

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first sign

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flutterby

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one headlight

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pear of jacks

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Biography

Fine artist Toni Mendina grew up in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and demonstrated an interest in drawing from an early age.  She was always doing something creative- from drawing and painting portraits, designing T-shirts and jackets, to painting windows and signs.

Mendina received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Kendall College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids, Michigan, majoring in Illustration and Graphic Design.  She continued her freelance art business all through college and even through her employment as a Graphic designer.  She eventually quit her “day job,” moved to the Iron Mountain area and pursued her freelance business full-time.  After 20 years of doing art for others, she decided she needed a change of direction and began to create art for herself.

Because of its portability and uncomplicatedness, Mendina’s favorite medium is colored pencil. It is also the perfect medium to showcase her technical abilities. When she works, she slowly builds her values from lightest to darkest by applying the colored pencil in layers. This layer upon layer method creates great depth and richness to her pieces.  Many mistake her colored pencil drawings for paintings.  A single drawing can take over 100 hours to complete using this technique -- like painting a picture using the tip of a pencil.

Mendina has received numerous awards in regional and national competitions.  She and 15 other local artists own and operate ArtWorks Gallery & Gifts, 111 North Stephenson Avenue in downtown Iron Mountain. It is the area's largest collection of original art created by local artists. You can also see her work online at www.artworksup.com.

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Artist's Statement

I’ve always been into details -- it has to do with my personality.  The realistic style of my art communicates this.  When I begin a new piece of artwork, it is already completed in my mind, down to the smallest details. Like an architect and his set of plans, I wouldn’t attempt to construct a colored pencil drawing without a clear idea of what I want to achieve.

I also work tirelessly in perfecting composition.  The need to show my variety of subject matter in an interesting and clever way is challenging and rewarding for me.

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