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ABOUT YOKA

 

Born in Holland, Yoka immigrated to Canada with her family and began drawing and painting as a child without formal training, receiving her first portrait commission age twelve and continues to paint on commission. Her high school art teacher, world famous, wildlife artist Robert Bateman, encouraged her to enroll in the Ontario College of Art where she studied Material Arts, such as weaving and sculpture. Paul Duval, Canada’s renowned art critic, collector and author, became influential in the development of her early work, introducing her to a box of Windsor Newton watercolors and sable brushes. Her work evolved without any formal training.

Yoka has lived and worked in Toronto, Newfoundland, Canada, London, England, as well as New York and Malibu in the United States, both as an artist and a teacher. She is also accomplished in radio, modeling and television. Yoka was honored as Miss Dutch Canada, Miss Canadian Red Cross and continues to devote her talents to charity efforts. Yoka collaborated with her former husband, writing a cookbook, which she illustrated, called “The Newfoundland Gourmet.” They gave cooking classes in their home and on television.

Yoka’s extensive travel and lifelong international experiences have provided and expanded worldview, which influences and inspires her artistry. As a result, her work is coveted and appreciated by the general public as well as many exclusive private and corporate collectors. A trademark of Yoka’s artistry is sensitivity to the subject: she paints with love and light, with a unique ability to capture those special moments which are the very reason for the existence of painting and portraiture.

Since moving to Westlake Village in 2002, she has been on the Boards of Westlake Village and Thousand Oaks Art Association and a member of Channel Islands Art Center. Her paintings have won many show awards.

"Besides being a full time healer, I have kept my commitment to paint as a self-employed artist. I paint everything for clients, from children, horses, favorite pets and family portraits, private homes, vibrant flowers, a Harley Davidson shown on the cover of “Biker Magazine” as well as Western art paintings and celebrity portraits on Gibson guitars.

One of my works is in a permanent Japanese museum collection."

~Yoka Yohanna

In the Private Collections of ...

UNITED STATES

California

Beverly Hills

Sybil Brand, Philanthropist

Rhonda Fleming-Mann, Former Actress

Herb Chase, Editor for Sr. Life Newspaper

David Murdock, Ventura Farms, Los Angeles

Jerry Brent, Starkist Tuna

Richard Lewis, Retired CEO Accountants Overload

Sydney Omarr, World Renowned Astrologer & Author

Gene Autry Estate, Malibu

Art Emr, Film Producer, Writer, Photographer, Director

Wayne Hughes, Owner of Public Storage Mini Warehouses

Mr. and Mrs. Michael Sachs, President of Marina Management

Free Arts for Abused Children

Mathilda Spaak, Trustee, Long Beach Hospital

New York City Texas

Lucia La Rocca Jerry MacDowell, Architect

CANADA

Toronto

Paul Duval, Art Critic, Collector, Author

William McAllister, Former Vice President of IT&T

Mr. and Mrs. Bram and Bluma Apel

Manitoba

Mr. and Mrs. George and Tanis Richardson

Newfoundland

Peter Bell, Art Critic, Writer

Peter Holden, Conductor, Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra

Vancouver

Anne Mortifee, Singer, Songwriter

ENGLAND

David Gray, Conductor & Former Principal Horn, London Symphony Orchestra

FRANCE, GERMANY, JAPAN

Behar Benelier, Frank Schaich, Mac Yasuda and Yoshio Umezaki

NETHERLANDS

Middlebeek, Delver, Tuinman, Van Swanenberg

SHOWS AND EXHIBITIONS

1973 One Woman Show, ALICE PECK GALLERY, Ontario, Canada;

1974 One Woman Show, SCARBOROUGH COLLEGE, Ontario, Canada;

1975 One Woman Show, ERINDALE, COLLEGE, Ontario, Canada;

1976 Exhibit, TORONTO OUTDOOR ART EXHIBIT, Toronto, Canada;

1977 One Woman Show, MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY ANNEX GALLERY,

St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada;

1978 One Woman Show, ADMIRAL PITT'S HISTORICAL HOME, Newfoundland, Canada;

1979 One Woman Show, ART ASSOCIATION OF NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR, Canada;

1979 One Woman Show, THE GALLERY OF ST. JOHN'S ARTS AND

CULTURE CENTER, Newfoundland, Canada;

1980 One Woman Show, ARTS AND CULTURE CENTER GALLERY,

Newfoundland, Canada;

1980 One Woman Show, GALLERY STUDIO 131, Newfoundland, Canada;

1981 One Woman Show, WALLACK GALLERY, Ottawa, Canada;

1982 One Woman Show, SPURREL' S GALLERY, Newfoundland, Canada;

1982 Co-authored and illustrated "The Newfoundland Gourmet" Cookbook,

1983 - 2003 Private and Corporate Commissions

1990 Exhibit, PALISADES ART SHOW, Pacific Palisades, California;

1990 Exhibit, "AFFAIRE IN THE GARDENS," Beverly Hills, California;

1996 Exhibit, SECOND STREET GALLERY, Santa Monica, California;

1997 Exhibit, SECOND STREET GALLERY, Santa Monica, California;

1998 Exhibit, PALM CANYON GALLERY, Palm Springs, California;

1999 Exhibit, MYCENIA GRAVIS FOUNDATION, L.A. California;

2000 Exhibit, PAWS LA FOUNDATION, L.A. California;

2001 Exhibit, PAWS LA FOUNDATION, L.A. California;

2001 Exhibit, ANIMAZING GALLERY, New York City, NY;

2001 Exhibit, GIBSON GUITARS, Dallas, TX;

2002 Private Commissions and Guitars;

2002 Exhibit, STUDIO CHANNEL ISLANDS ART CENTER, Camarillo, CA;

2002 Exhibit, L. A. EQUESTRIAN CENTER EXHIBIT, Los Angeles, CA;

2002 Exhibit, VENTURA FARMS 'RIDE-ON' CHARITY, Thousand Oaks, CA;

2002 Exhibit, CHANNEL ISLANDS ART CENTER, 'Open House Show;'

2003 Exhibit, WESTLAKE VILLAGE ART GUILD, Won 'Best in Show;'

2003 One Woman Show, GARDENS OF THE WORLD, Thousand Oaks, CA

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