Yolanda vanderGaast :: Artist

Artist Bio

I was born and raised in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada, with two sisters, a brother and two loving parents. In my youth I often found myself following close to the heels of my father as he worked painting fences, planting in the garden, or fixing a tool or fashioning something out of wood or scrap materials. He was always doing something creative with his hands, making something out of nothing.

I have been interested in making art for as long as I can remember. I was officially introduced to “casting” by my high-school art teacher when she had students press shapes into wet sand and then pour plaster into the negative form. Little did I realize that when I shoved my hand deep into that pot of sand, carefully removed it and then poured the milky gypsum into the hollow space, not only had I revealed my first plaster cast, but I had opened the door and stepped into the amazing world of mould-making and casting.

Years later, while attending the Sculpture/Installation Program at the Ontario College of Art and Design, I spent endless hours in the foundry and mould-making departments. From that point on, my knowledge expanded to the many processes of art making. After graduating in 1999, I started working full-time as a professional mould maker for the renowned art foundry in Toronto, Ontario, Canada – MST Bronze Limited Art & Design Studios.

Today, I continue to shape my career by designing, creating, moulding and casting sculpture, being influenced by the many people who have crossed before me and the landscapes that surround me daily.



	Artist Bio I was born and raised in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada, with two sisters, a brother and two loving parents. In my youth I often found myself following close to the heels of my father as he worked painting fences, planting in the garden, or fixing a tool or fashioning something out of wood or scrap materials. He was always doing something creative with his hands, making something out of nothing. I have been interested in making art for as long as I can remember. I was officially introduced to “casting” by my high-school art teacher when she had students press shapes into wet sand and then pour plaster into the negative form. Little did I realize that when I shoved my hand deep into that pot of sand, carefully removed it and then poured the milky gypsum into the hollow space, not only had I revealed my first plaster cast, but I had opened the door and stepped into the amazing world of mould-making and casting. Years later, while attending the Sculpture/Installation Program at the Ontario College of Art and Design, I spent endless hours in the foundry and mould-making departments. From that point on, my knowledge expanded to the many processes of art making. After graduating in 1999, I started working full-time as a professional mould maker for the renowned art foundry in Toronto, Ontario, Canada – MST Bronze Limited Art & Design Studios. Today, I continue to shape my career by designing, creating, moulding and casting sculpture, being influenced by the many people who have crossed before me and the landscapes that surround me daily.









			© 2007 Yolanda vanderGaast