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Thompson Rivers University, B.C., Canada:
Bachelor of Arts, Psychology Degree (2022)
Douglas College B.C., Canada:
Early Childhood Education, Special Needs Diploma, Dean's List, 2013)
Performing and Fine Arts Certificate (2014)
Martial Arts:
Shodan (1st degree black belt) Yoshinkan Aikido (May 27, 2023)
Volunteer:
Assistant Instructor Kids' Classes AIKIDOBC. Children are taught traditional Yoshinkan Aikido. (2020 September - present)
Kathleen Tonnesen (14 July, 1963) is a Canadian self-taught painter (signed as Katon), sculptor, author, poet, and inventor. She was born in Cape Town, South Africa (Kathleen Peers), and immigrated to Canada in 1998. Kathleen holds a Bachelor of Arts, Psychology degree from Thompson Rivers University, British Columbia, Canada. She has carved a professional career as a working artist since 1990 and is a respected international artist dedicated to the enhancement of public spaces with meaningful and thought provoking art.
Kathleen is a Shodan (1st degree black belt) in Yoshinkan Aikido who has trained with several leading Aikido teachers in British Columbia. She volunteers her time as an assistant AIKIDOBC instructor for kids' classes. With a background in early childhood education special needs, psychology, acting, musical concepts, lyrics, and poetry, she strives to connect families and communities together through the language of art and martial arts. Her passion is children and unleashing the child within the adult, thereby encouraging personal growth. Kathleen is dedicated to inspiring the human spirit and is a frequent guest speaker and art and magic tricks workshop instructor. She is very diplomatic, organized, schedule and budget orientated, and has a high degree of excellence in her persona which is reflected in her work. She is the author of How to Draw: Step-By-Step Charcoal Portraits for Beginners and the children's book Matteo's Frightening Bone.
Upcoming Exhibit:
You Are Invited! Opening Reception at The Mole Gallery Friday 02 August, 2024 Time: 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
2024 August 02 - August 30. Solo exhibit. Petal Tranquility - Large botanicals celebrating colour, scent, upliftment, and healing. Curator: Quentin Wright. At the Pop-Up Mole Gallery, located at the rear of 1157 Pendrell Street, Vancouver, B.C., Canada. Access from Jepson-Young Lane. Times: Open Fridays 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
2025/26 Tour Dates TBD, Seeing Beyond the Light - The Soul Family Collection
Upcoming Artist Talks:
2024 November 07 - SAGA TAT Surrey Art Gallery Association Thursday Artist Talks. Event open to all public. Time: 7:30 pm. Surrey Art Gallery - program room. Surrey Art Gallery Association @ Surrey Art Gallery, 13750-88 Avenue, Surrey, B.C., Canada V3W3L1
2024 November 22 - West End Seniors’ Network, Barclay Manor 1447 Barclay St, Vancouver, B.C., Canada V6G 1J6. West End Living Library. Time: 10:30 am - 11:30 am. Kathleen Tonnesen: PART TWO - Learning to adapt to vision loss with the help of martial arts - an artistic miracle! RSVP: 604-669-5051 INFO@WESN.CA
2023 Exhibit:
2023, July 07 - July 28, Seeing Beyond the Light - The Soul Family Collection at the Mole Gallery, located at the rear of 1157 Pendrell Street, Vancouver, B.C., Canada. Access from Jepson-Young Lane.
Art Review by Ms. Cindy Hops, B.Sc., B.S.W., M.Ed., Maple Ridge, British Columbia, Canada, (June 20, 2023).
"Kathleen Katon Tonnesen has spent her life savouring the warmth of the light and attempting to capture its beauty through her paintings. Despite the fact that Kathleen was born without sight in her left eye, or perhaps because of it, she became enchanted with the dance by which light ignites matter.
In an unfortunate twist of fate, the sight in Kathleen's right eye began to dim due to a genetic condition. Determined not to forfeit her relationship with light and form, Kathleen embarked upon a journey to find creative ways to overcome life's obstacles and to capture the world through the unseen energy that vibrates between souls.
This exhibit marks Kathleen's triumphant return to the world of art. After years of emotionally adjusting to vision loss, Kathleen succeeded in rehabilitating herself through her commitment to the intensely focused martial art discipline of Yoshinkan Aikido. This discipline has empowered her to better understand her body, its relationship to space and the abstract understanding of how her mind and spirit move through it. The year of 2023 marks a triumphant one in which her decade-long journey back to empowerment was commemorated with the completion of her Bachelor of Arts, Psychology degree from Thompson Rivers University, British Columbia, Canada, and the receipt of her black belt (Shodan) in Yoshinkan Aikido, and the opening of this exhibit that celebrates the unseen energy that unites us all."
Interviews:
2023, July. ARTISTS AMONG US The West End Journal
2020, January. "Run With It" TV/online Novus (TELUS) TV & YouTube & social media posts, interview by host Christine Blanchette with guest artist and author Kathleen Tonnesen.
Podcast - Full interview (24 min) on Apple, Spotify and Listen Notes.
2020 TV interview Part 2: Vancouver artist, Kathleen Tonnesen, shares her inspiration for the painting "Seawall Ascension" with host Christine Blanchette. Produced by "Run With It" TV Christine Blanchette; Camera, Ezra Wood @ezra_wood; Hair and Makeup, Sammy Tomita @snoww.whyte
2019, January 01. Self-Discovery Radio Youtube and C19-01 Sound Cloud interview by Sara Troy. TO SEE BEYOND SIGHT! with Kathleen Tonnesen.