Biographies

Vivian East

Vivian’s passion for the arts is evident in her over 30-year involvement with and contribution to arts and education communities in Toronto. She has been as a trusted leader in the visual art department of the Toronto District School Board and served on committees at OISE/UT, the Ontario Society for Education through Art, and the Ontario Ministry of Education. Vivian has consistently been  looked to as a source of knowledge and inspiration for art educators in our city. Freehand School of Art allows Vivian to continue to bring her wealth of expertise and passion for arts education to the community. Vivian holds Honors Specialist Qualification in Visual Arts. Her artistic training is in drawing, design, printmaking and photography.

Julia Ramdeholl

Julia brings current perspectives on the arts to the school. She is a graduate of the Primary-Junior program at the University of Western Ontario with Visual Arts qualification. Her visual art foundation began at Wexford School for the Arts and continued with art history courses at York University. Julia has more than 10 years of experience in teaching art to early years, primary and junior aged children in schools in Toronto, London, UK and London, Ontario. She has organized and lead community programs for at-risk youth in Toronto and has delivered numerous in-school visual art workshops with the Toronto District School Board.  Julia is a working artist with a focus on acrylic and oil painting.

Both partners are qualified teachers, members of the Ontario College of Teachers and the
Ontario Society for Education through Art.

Natasha Ryde
Natasha has been at Freehand since 2013 as the Office Manager. After earning her BScH in Biology and her MSc in Forestry, Natasha lived in London, UK, for four years where she worked in business. When Natasha returned to Canada, she continued her career working for TD Bank and joined the Freehand team when her daughter began attending classes at the school. Natasha is a skilled crafter: she enjoys sewing, cross-stitching, and has taken many classes at Freehand including painting, sculpting, and stained glass.

Erin Vernon

Erin is a Toronto-based artist and illustrator and has been teaching at Freehand since 2013. Erin holds a degree in New Media from the University of Lethbridge as well as a post-graduate certificate in Interactive Multimedia from Sheridan College. With specializations in computer-based vector illustration, watercolours and linoleum prints, Erin offers a wide range of expertise to her students. To see more of Erin’s work, visit her Instagram page.

Ally Thomas

Ally is a Toronto based interdisciplinary artist whose passion for the arts began in childhood.  Her journey began at Freehand School of Art where she was both a student and volunteer for many years. She attended Earl Haig Secondary School’s Claude Watson Program for Visual Arts and continued her fine arts studies at McMaster University where she graduated with a Honours BFA (Bachelor of Fine Arts) in 2022. Ally has been teaching children and youth part time at a variety of camp programs and art schools since 2014. She specializes in acrylics, drawing and multimedia collage. Ally is inspired by the creativity of the next generation of artists and is always excited to support, encourage and participate in their artistic journey!

Lydia Porter
Lydia is an educator and self-taught artist. After receiving her B.A.(Hon) from the University of Toronto, Lydia earned her M.Phil from Oxford University and pursued graduate research at Harvard University and Universität Hamburg. Lydia’s extensive teaching experience includes her work as a Teaching Fellow at Harvard (2009-2011), Sessional Instructor at UofT (2013), and tutor/course instructor for grades K-12 at Inspiration Learning Centre Toronto (2015-2017). Lydia specializes in plasticine illustration and printmaking, and has thematic interests in natural history.

Emily Withers

Coming from a family of teachers and artists, Emily has always held a passion for sharing her love of art with others. Emily began teaching art and french to children of all abilities at fifteen years old, and began her Co-op at Freehand the following year. She began teaching classes at Freehand at seventeen and has loved her job ever since! Emily started an Art Club in high school to share her love of art with her peers, and enjoys spending her time fostering dogs. Emily loves combining and exploring all mediums to make art about life, society and nature. Emily finished her BFA at OCAD University, majoring in Cross-Disciplinary Art: Life Studies, and minoring in Social Sciences. She looks forward to sharing her passion for art and creativity at Freehand.