OUR TEACHERS

Catherine SGRO

FOUNDER, ARTIST

Founder of Woodbridge Art School, Catherine is an accomplished artist and teacher, who has been teaching fine arts to adults and children for over 23 years. Catherine, her staff and her students have been featured on City TV’s Breakfast television, Rogers Television, TLN and local Newspapers. Catherine was also honoured with York Regions 2004 “Woman of the Year” Award for Visual Artist & teacher.

Today, she has 22 of her works published and distributed in galleries and stores across Canada and the United States and is recognized as an exemplary artist for her accomplishments. Catherine strives to provide quality art instruction, opportunity and inspiration to all her students.

2012 Rave Award Ceremony at Vaughan City Hall
Catherine Sgro and Husband John and Councillor Ward 1, Marilyn Iafrate and Angela Palermo, Manager of Cultural Services for the City of Vaughan.

Nicole’s Hideaway

Sun KISSED

Sisters

Frosty SLEIGH Ride

ROGER FERNANDES

TEACHER, ARTIST

EDUCATION:

  • B.A Spec. Hons. University of Waterloo
  • Cert. Digital Media Conestoga College
  • B.Ed. University of Toronto OCT Certified (Ontario College of Teachers)

Roger is a graduate from University of Waterloo with Honours and a studio specialization and a Digital Media Certificate program from Conestoga College. His passion for the arts has flourished not only towards teaching but also into graphic design and illustration. He illustrated two children’s books titled: “Blackflies to Blueberries: Wally and Deanna’s Wetland Adventure” and “Wally and Deanna’s Quartz Crystal Adventure”. He is also a graduate from University of Toronto’s Education Program (Junior / Intermediate divisions). Roger teaches our Secondary & Intermediate Classes.

The foci in his classes are to build skills in painting and drawing. Roger also, spends his time in multiple schools across the Toronto Catholic District School Board Teaching Lego lunchtime enrichment program. Roger has the belief that fine arts encourages and promotes self-discovery and exploration of the world.

Daniela Basciano

TEACHER, ARTIST

EDUCATION:

  • Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCAD University), Majored in Drawing and Painting (BFA), Minored in Social Sciences •
  • York University, Bachelor of Education (BEd)
  • OCT Certified (Ontario College of Teachers)

Daniela’s parents knew she had a talent when they enrolled her in Woodbridge Art School when she was five years old. Her talent in art evolved into pure joy while creating throughout the years. Daniela’s love of art is evident in her accomplishments, which include many first-place honours from Woodbridge Art School and a Visual Arts Achievement Award from Holy Cross Catholic Academy. Daniela has done live painting and spent days making artworks that have been donated and auctioned off for charities such as SickKids.

Daniela earned her bachelor’s degree in drawing and painting from OCAD University, with a minor in social sciences. Daniela’s time at OCAD University led her to experiment with mediums other than painting, such as animation and printmaking, resulting in her becoming a more well-rounded artist. Daniela’s work has been featured in the ‘GradEx’ exhibition at OCAD University. Overall, she is eager to share what she has learned over her many years of working with various media. Daniela continues to stay active in the art world, creating artwork for commission in a variety of mediums. 

Daniela then decided to pursue her childhood ambition of becoming a teacher. She earned her Bachelor of Education (BEd) from York University, and she is currently an OCT (Ontario College of Teachers) certified teacher. Daniela currently spends her days as a teacher, where she then applies her skills and experiences to good use in the Woodbridge Art School’s programmes.

Olivia Bagnoli

TEACHER, ARTIST

EDUCATION:

  • BFA Spec. Hons. (York University)
  • York University, Bachelor of Education (BEd)
  • OCT Certified (Ontario College of Teachers)
  • Yorkville University, Bachelor of Interior Design

livia is an artist who started creating as soon as she could hold a pencil. Her passion started from the influence of her artistic family, who were very versed in the arts. She started as young as four years old and became familiar in many mediums by a young age. Most interested in acrylic painting, she spent most of her time painting, following her vision and passions. 

After taking lessons during her childhood, she decided to take her art classes a step further and audition for St. Elizabeth’s Regional Arts Program, with a specialized education tailored to young artists. Her time at St. Elizabeth helped guide her to potential career paths in the fine arts. This time was challenging for Olivia, as although she always knew she wanted a career in the arts, and was undecided which path to take. Ultimately, she decided to pursue a teaching career with a bachelors in fine arts. Olivia enjoyed her time at York University, as she was able to experiment with new mediums. After graduating, Olivia gained certification with the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT) and began working with the York Catholic District School board as an occasional and long-term assignment teacher. 

Although Olivia enjoys her position with the school board, she felt she needed to further her arts education and decided to pursue a second degree in Interior Design and Yorkville University. Now in her final year of the program, Olivia is exploring all her career options in teaching, freelance and interior design. 

Olivia is currently teaching adult painting and mixed media art classes and workshops for Woodbridge Art School. 

Eleni Tsatsanis

TEACHER, ARTIST

EDUCATION:

  • Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCAD University), Majored in Drawing and Painting (BFA), Minored in Social Sciences

Since a young age, art has always been Eleni’s passion and drive. She enjoys working in acrylic, watercolor, and mixed media mediums to create detailed animal and floral paintings. As well, Eleni explores movement and colour in an abstract style.The intention behind each piece of her work is to transform a blank canvas, into a piece of artwork that brings life and colour into an otherwise lifeless room.

Eleni has always had a passion for creating and teaching art. Her parents discovered her talent at a young age and enrolled her in at the Woodbridge Art School at the age of six. Eleni was inspired to discover her artistic style at the Woodbridge Art School and create a portfolio that she used to attend St. Elizabeth High School’s Regional Arts Program. Eventually, Eleni returned to the Woodbridge Art School as an art assistant, and later became an art teacher, where her love for teaching and creating art could co-exist. Eleni’s goal here at the Woodbridge Art School is to create a welcoming classroom environment, in which all students can practice artistic techniques and be inspired to create.

As well, Eleni is a recent graduate of Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCAD University) where she majored in Drawing and Painting (BFA), and minored in Social Sciences. She is currently enrolled at Lakehead University, where she plans to receive a Bachelor of Education (BEd). She is working towards her dream of becoming a high school art teacher where she can give back and inspire others the way past art teachers have inspired Eleni to push her creative boundaries.

Harneet Sihota 

TEACHER, ARTIST

From an early age, Harneet has been drawn to art as a means of self-expression. She works primarily in Realism, and her art is deeply personal and reflective of her unique perspective on the world. Her artistic talents are not limited to a single medium, as she has experience working with pottery, gouaches, watercolor, pressed pigment, and many more.

Throughout high school, Harneet consistently earned the highest average in Visual Arts each year in her entire school, demonstrating her exceptional skill and dedication to her craft. Her passion for teaching art stems from her own experiences with the transformative power of creativity. She finds great joy in inspiring others to explore their own artistic abilities and to use art as a means of personal expression and growth. Harneet is currently in her final year of studies at the prestigious OCAD University. Once complete, she is pursuing a Bachelor’s of Education degree. She has honed her teaching skills through a variety of experiences, including working with young children as an elementary summer camp counsellor and leading art workshops for teenagers in high school.

Harneet has also works as a Bhangra dance (a traditional Punjabi Folk Dance) coach, for the past 6 years! She is dedicated to creating a nurturing and supportive environment where students can explore their artistic interests and develop their skills. She brings a patient and encouraging approach to teaching, allowing students to grow and develop at their own pace. Harneet believes that art is a powerful tool for problem-solving and personal growth, and she is excited to share this perspective with her students. Harneet is thrilled to be a member of our teaching team, and looks forward to the many creative projects and experiences she will bring to our students.

Lauren Abhaypal

TEACHER, ARTIST

Lauren has been passionate about art since a young age. She was a student at Woodbridge Art School from age 5, where she expressed her talent and love for art. Throughout Lauren’s life, she has always found joy in visual art and has used it as a creative outlet through personal and school art projects. Lauren has also been involved in several extracurricular art projects at her school. She has had her artwork displayed in art shows and sold at auctions; including different mediums such as sculptures, paintings and digital art.

Lauren has also had experience in watercolour, pencil and figure drawing. Lauren’s favourite mediums are oil and acrylic paint and she uses these mediums to create vivid landscapes and still-life paintings. Her art style is bright and detailed and her favourite things to paint are flowers. Lauren incorporates art into her daily life by regularly drawing and sketching as well as taking on commissions projects with various clients. Lauren is currently completing her Bachelor of Arts in the Educational Studies program at York University, where she studies the educational process and various perspectives of teaching. Lauren has always had a passion for teaching and helping others. She demonstrates this through her program by leading class lectures, creating lesson plans, as well as participating in student association clubs. Her plans for the future are to complete her teaching degree and fulfil her dream of becoming an elementary school teacher.

Lauren loves to combine her artistic creativity and love for teaching, through Woodbridge Art Schools Community. She is dedicated to her students learning progress and art projects. Lauren is focused on creating a welcoming classroom environment for all students to practise artistic techniques and inspire their creativity.

SOFIA D’ONOFRIO 

TEACHER, ARTIST

Sofia has been passionate about art for as long as she could remember. Her parents discovered her talent at a very young age and enrolled her into Woodbridge Art School when she was 8. She continued to study here for 10 additional years where she explored her skills, creativity, and learned many techniques. She primarily creates realistic pieces using various mediums such as oil and acrylic paint, watercolour, charcoal, oil pastel, scratchboard, pen and ink, and many more. Moreover, her passion for art has led her to experiment with digital painting, graphic design, and illustrations. 

 

Sofia is currently enrolled in the Drawing and Painting program at OCAD University where she aims to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts and a Masters degree. She is continuing to explore her creativity and expand her artistic knowledge with their unique classes. As well, she is constantly seeking to explore new things and expand her horizons as an artist.

 

Sofia has experienced many artistic achievements, including winning several first place awards here at Woodbridge Art School. She has also attained art awards both in elementary school and high school. Sofia hopes to be a source of inspiration for her students and would like to help nurture their love for art, just as her art teachers have done for her in the past. All in all, she encourages her students to always allow their unique creativity to shine through in their work. 

Victoria Binetti

TEACHER, ARTIST

Victoria was a student at Woodbridge Art School from when she was 11 to 14 years old. Throughout this journey, she was able to strengthen her talent and affection for the world of art. Art is Victoria’s form of expression, she always strives to be more innovative and creative with every project she does. Through her active community involvement, she has produced two mural designs for her high school, as well as digitally designed her high school’s Orange Shirt Day logo. Victoria has done many art projects involving Indigenous culture to not only learn from the many diverse styles and techniques but to showcase their culture within her community. She has been actively involved in many art exhibitions, having her work featured ranging from paintings, drawings and sculptures.

 

Victoria has experience working with various mediums such as acrylic, watercolour, pencil crayon, pastel, and ball-point pen. Her style is characterized by her bright and vivid colours, as well as her attention to detail, making her pieces very realistic. Her attention to detail has led her to create realistic still-life drawings as well as paintings. Victoria always incorporates art into her daily life, always sketching and painting as well as doing personal commission projects for clients.

 

Victoria is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts-Studio-based degree at York University. Eventually wanting to earn her Graduate Degree in Education to fulfil her dream of becoming a Highschool Art Teacher. Victoria is dedicated to providing an environment for students to learn in an atmosphere where they are accepted and encouraged to reach their highest potential. Within her classroom, she encourages students to explore their creativity as well as helping them every step of the way.