Member Profile of the Month

Carol Matsuyama: Moving in the Right Direction

by Lauren Walker, December 2025

Carol Matsuyama : In Bloom

Carol Matsuyama is a friend and whom I greatly admire as an artist. Her love of art started at seven-years-old, “I got a new box of 64 Crayola crayons and fell in love with the exotic (to a seven-year-old) colours: periwinkle, turquoise, salmon. It was so exciting!” Influenced by her father who was a very talented watercolour artist, you could say being an artist is in her blood. It was an arts and science program at her high school, “I took an elective art class where my art teacher was very influential. He introduced me to Art History and the study of other artists.” As a mature student she studied art in University as well. 

Moving in the Right Direction 

Carol mostly uses acrylic paint and as some regard it as quite forgiving,   “I think it is quite a difficult medium. The colours are so transparent that it requires many layers of paint to get an opaque effect, which is what I want in my paintings.” Carol was able to showcase her pieces at her gallery show in July 2025 at the Kent Farndale Gallery. “The response and reviews were overwhelmingly positive. This was affirming and validating because my art has undergone a transformation over the last five years and now I know I’m moving in the right direction.” It goes to show you that your work is constantly evolving and growing as an artist. Her piece, “In bloom” was the People’s Choice winner at the 2025 OAA Juried show at the McLaughlin Gallery. It’s clear that whatever direction she goes, she’s proven to be a winner. 

Follow Your Art

A wonderful piece of advice came from her grade six teacher, “Good, better, best, Never let them rest, When the good is better, Make the better best.” This resonates with Carol as it is a reminder to keep pushing forward. It is also an excellent reminder to all beginner artists to strive for improvement in their work. “Don’t worry about selling or what other people think, just make art that you would want to keep for yourself and not part with. Then people will see your passion and feel more from your art.” Art is about painting from your soul and that will allow people to connect with it. 

Future Goals 

“I just want to keep growing with my art and keep exploring new ways to paint still life. It’s my dream to have a painting hanging in a museum or gallery. A girl can dream!” It’s obvious that Carol aims high and challenges herself. I reiterate the words of a wise grade 6 teacher and remind you, 

“When the good is better,
Make the better best.”

https://www.carolmatsuyama.com
facebook.com/artbycarolmatsuyama

Happy Painting!

Vidhya Srijesh: The Perfect Mix to Make You Smile

by Olivia Morin, November 2025

1. What is your art medium of choice and why?
I love working with acrylics! They’re so versatile and let me play with bold colors and textures. But I also enjoy bringing unexpected materials into my art, especially things that are usually thrown away, like sawdust. It’s fascinating how something so ordinary can transform into a beautiful texture on a canvas. I think that challenge keeps me inspired. I’m always curious to see how different materials can add new stories and depth to my work, and I’d love to experiment with even more unconventional mediums in the future.
 

2. Your piece “Rainbow Reflections” received an Award of Excellence at the RMG juried show. How did this piece come about, and what inspired it?
Rainbow Reflections was born after I watched a documentary about coral reefs and how they’re bleaching due to pollution and climate change. Seeing those once-colorful ecosystems fade to white really moved me. I wanted to capture both their vibrancy and their vulnerability, the beauty and the heartbreak that exist together. Using sawdust gave the piece a raw, tactile feel, almost like the corals themselves. It became the perfect way to express that delicate balance of life under the sea, reminding us how fragile and precious these worlds are.
 

3. You take part in so many OAA events! What’s been your favorite part of being a member of the Oshawa Art Association?
OAA will always be special to me! It’s the very first art association I joined after moving to Canada! So many of my “firsts” happened here: my first in-person gallery show, my first art show, and even my first paint battle. Every experience has been so memorable. But what I love most is the community itself. The OAA is full of kind, talented, and encouraging artists who genuinely support each other. It’s such a great way to connect with local creatives, learn new things, and feel part of something bigger. I’ve grown so much as an artist thanks to this group.
 

Bio 
Vidhya Srijesh is an Oshawa-based artist whose work celebrates the beauty and energy of nature and wildlife. Ever since she was a child, Vidhya has been fascinated by the natural world, spending hours watching National Geographic and Animal Planet, and dreaming of the vibrant creatures and ecosystems they showcased.
Her art brings that sense of wonder to life through bold colors, layered textures, and a playful mix of materials. While she mainly works with acrylics, Vidhya loves experimenting with unconventional elements like sawdust to create her signature textured surfaces that mimic coral reefs, sand, and other natural formations.
Balancing life as a full-time professional, wife, and mom, she pours her passion into every painting, infusing it with joy, emotion, and purpose. Her goal is to inspire people to see the beauty around them and to care for it. Collectors often say her work “makes them smile,” which to her is the best compliment possible. Through her art, Vidhya hopes to bring a little more color, happiness, and appreciation for the world we share.
 

Vidhya Srijesh
https://vidhyasrijesh.art/
The Perfect Mix to Make You Smile