Alex Bowron

Alex Bowron is a student at the Ontario College of Art and Design. Current projects include shoe trees and wearable sculpture. In the future, Alex hopes to use her creative skills to improve liveability and encourage play in urban spaces around the world.

Brooke Ducharme

Born and raised in the Hammer, my home away from home is outside in the fresh mountain air. This inspiration is sure to be seen in any work or craft that I do. If I had to categorize my work I would call it multi-media because of my use of anything I can get my hands on from paint to magazine cuttings, wall paper and photoshop. I love colour and busy designs, but love the romanticism of smoky black and white photography.

Brooks Reynolds

Brookes Reynolds doesn’t like to fit into a mold. his diverse portfolio covers professional athletes to children playing with sticks. If a subject captivates him he’ll find a way to document the image in a fascinating manner. This attitude has taken him from eye surgeries deep in Malawi’s jungle to the middle of uncontrollable audiences at a metal show, all while not losing touch with the subtle art of portraiture and studio work.

Carolin von Harsdorf

Carolin is a philosophy student at McMaster University and paints with acrylics and oils in her spare time.

Gordon Leverton

When not outside looking for inspiration in back alleys, factory grounds and industrial spaces, Gordon Leverton finds time to pursue his art career and enjoy family life. A self-taught artist, Gordon’s previous incarnations - as picture framer, writer, retailer and entrepreneur - have helped form his art direction; that of urban decay and architectural design. Born in Chatham, Ontario, his formative years spent in the rural southwest farm belt gives him a unique perspective on the body of this work.

Gordon is a member of several guilds and artist groups including: Burlington Art Centre, Art Gallery of Hamilton, Hamilton Artists Inc., Sunrise Gallery (Hamilton), and is an elected member of The Society of Canadian Artists. His artwork has shown in the Art Gallery of Hamilton, Todmorden Mills Museum in Toronto, Montreal’s Ogilvy Hall and the Tom Thomson Memorial Gallery. Many various private and corporate collections are home to his work, including the City of Toronto fine art collection in St. Lawrence Market.

The year 2008 has been a successful one for Gordon, having taken first place awards in the Junction Juried Art Exhibition and the Riverdale Art Walk in Toronto. He makes his home in Hamilton, Ontario with his wife Nancy and two children. 

Graeme Hmiel

Born June 26th 1984.

Joe Girard

Stewed in Hamilton’s bile ducts for 25 years Joe Girard is an aspiring artist of several time-consuming varieties. Most recently, he’s dedicated himself to a life of highly lucrative sand garden design work. Second only to his other lucrative hobbies, like writing poetry, and stand-up comedy.

Quintin Hewlett

Quintin Hewlett is an educator who likes to play with word, sound, and image. Much of his work examines the relocation of subjectivity by means of technological mediation. He has exhibited work at Loose Canon Gallery and Hamilton Artists Inc.

Rafael Ferreira

Professor at Mohawk College of Applied Arts in the Advertising Program. Also a freelance Art Director and now a hobbyist photographer. Rafael is a brazilian/canadian designer who loves typography and vernacular imaging.

Sara Morris

Originally from Dunnville, I now live in the City of Hamilton. I am a graduate of the Sheridan Illustration program, and have worked as both an illustrator and fine artist. My work is largely comprised of oil and acrylic paintings on canvas. 

Stephanie Bell

Stephanie Bell graduated from the graphic design program at Fanshawe College (London, ON) in 2002. She moved back to her birth city in Hamilton and started her artistic career in the music industry with an in-house graphic design position at Sonic Unyon Records. After dedicating 5 years to Sonic Unyon (as of September 2007) Stephanie decided it was time to break free from her 9 to 5 chains and focus more energy on her infatuation with photography and go full force with her own company, Emerging Design & Photography.

Stephanie’s sometimes dark yet vibrant photographic style verges on “hyper-realistic” with a small touch of surreal.

She is also responsible for this website & all Absorb imagery. Special thanks to Ginger St. James for being our lovely Absorb Girl this year!

Take the Cake

We (Amber, Amy, Casey and Melissa) are a bunch of foxy chiquitas who like to make awesome cakes!  We like to experiment with new tricks and love to think outside the cake box in regards to design and decoration.  Always made with love and affection, these are cakes to personify the person that is receiving them.