Moose Javians who missed out on Antonis Tzanidakis’ first visit to teach his innovative mixed-media art techniques will soon have another chance, as Tzanidakis is returning in May for six more of his popular workshops.
Tzanidakis will be in the city from May 18 to 21 — one workshop on Thursday, two each on Friday and Saturday, and one more on Sunday.
Each workshop is $125 and lasts five hours. Students should bring basic tools such as a paint brush, scissors, and glue.
Denise Helland is the contact for the classes and organizes them with the help of Teresa Fellinger, owner of scrapbooking store Scrappin’ with T.
Tickets can be purchased from Helland at 306-691-0238.
Helland is a local hobbyist and artist who took her first class from Tzanidakis in Manitoba. She immediately fell in love with mixed-media art because, in her words, there are no mistakes — only creations. Helland and Tzanidakis stayed in contact and became good friends, which is how he came to teach in Moose Jaw.
“Denise is for sure one of my best friends since I started nine years ago,” Tzanidakis told MooseJawToday.com. “Once upon a time, (she) came to my class in Winnipeg and asked me if I would like to visit her town and organize some classes with her. And I immediately said yes.
“I’m very interested in new adventures and different places to teach, meeting new people, making new friends.”
Tzanidakis hasn’t always been an artist. On paper, he laughed, he is a captain in the Greek Navy. He’s also been a professional basketball player, but in his early 30s a new opportunity appeared.
“I never had an artistic background,” he explained, “but when I was 31 years old, a craft shop opened by the house I used to live in, and I went to a class. Since then, I’ve started crafting on my own and never stopped.
“And from crafting on my kitchen table, now I have my own brand name products with Stamperia, one of the biggest companies in the world, and I teach in more than 50 countries and 300 cities around the world.”
Tzanidakis’ art collections can be viewed on Facebook and Instagram. He has a layered style, mixing a vintage feel and palette with steampunk designs and aesthetic. He frequently incorporates themes of fantasy and nature into his work. His kits are on Stamperiab2b.com, and he also has online workshops at stamperia-e-academy.teachable.com.
“Antonis has a new release on a new design called Magical Forest, which was inspired by touring in Canada,” Helland said. “It’s gone off the charts, it’s absolutely beautiful and includes paper packs of different sizes, moulds, and stamps.
“It’s all about education and learning new techniques. Being able to learn from Antonis, who is in the industry and teaches around the world, is amazing. He makes learning fun and has a lot of energy and positivity while teaching.”
Tzanidakis said his class participants don’t need any artistic background whatsoever — he is an experienced teacher who keeps his classes full of laughter and good vibes. He can tell who is doing well enough on their own versus those who have more questions and need more help.
“I love teaching because I feel that I came in this world for that reason,” he said. “To get involved with people, make them feel comfortable with themselves, and give them inspiration.
“I love the fact that everyone has their own problems and through the classes I teach they can forget about those problems for a few hours!”
