Mixed media work from Jay Byrnes and Adapt-Studio can consist of wood, collage, stain, pen, spray paint and acrylic. Be patient, the answer will be revealed is the message above, in case that trio could be mistaken for lazy or just hanging out. The proportions and attitude of alertness with just the right amount of laidback (or is that the other way around?) displayed in Watch are perfect against the grain of the wood, and Flood is a great media mix balancing act.

Artist: Jay Byrnes
+ adapt-studio.com

If Jennifer Davis' work seems familiar, it's because she has been showing a lot recently and we cannot resist the lure of her fantastical animal girls. There is something bird-like about the keyboard girl who walks her poodles, but the five on horseback are definitely almost owls. And the old adage about owners coming to resemble their pets could not be truer in the case of the pretty girl who has something of a lap dog about her. Davis' work gets more fascinating all the time.

Artist: Jennifer Davis
+ cerasoligallery.com

Vanessa von Heydebreck's work is mysterious, so much so that the subjects do not show their eyes if they even have them at all. There appears to be great meaning in her work, or perhaps we are fooled and there is very little at all. Ball and Chain certainly sounds ominous, but the colours allude to something more. Dunce, jester, performer - this character seems to have control over the weight he bears. Again, in Hard Thoughts, is that a jester's crown? Look at that mouth! Why so glum when the heart glows deeply and the stars crack the sky? What are you shutting your eyes against?

Artist: Vanessa von Heydebreck
+ janinebeangallery.com

Karen Revis' latest body of work consists of a series of plexiglass panels embellished by intricate mixed media and gold leaf winding knots that produce a lacy pattern. Revis takes inspiration from the words of Helen Keller who writes, "How does a straight line feel? It feels, as I suppose it looks, straight-- a dull thought drawn out endlessly. It is unstraight lines, or many straight and curved lines together, that are eloquent to the touch. They appear and disappear, are now deep, now shallow, now broken off or lengthened or swelling. They rise and sink beneath my fingers, they are full of sudden starts and pause, and their variety is inexhaustible and wonderful." Perhaps these lines are like our many journeys.

Artist: Karen J. Revis
+ karenjrevis.com

Rebecca Ellen is a textile artist in Wales who creates the most delicious embroidered wallpapers. Narrative plays an important role in these lengths of artwork, and a variety of lovely scenes are depicted through thread, fabrics, findings, paper and colour. Recurring motifs include different types of birds, animals and transportation on soft grounds, with scenes ranging from seaside towns to city life to cocktails and ice creams. Ellen also creates smaller pieces of artwork using this print and embroidery technique.

Artist: Rebecca Ellen
+ rebeccaellen.co.uk

Hungarian artist Ildikó Mezei is behind paintings, illustrations and ceramics that are eerily peculiar, in that a girl hidden behind a flower might have two mouths, snarling dogs may be dressed as girls, or an elegant violinist could have a flower for a head. The unexpected is jolting at first, but then the unusual juxtapositions slowly start to make sense or at least become more palatable. Whatever the case may be, you can't not look. Again and again.

Artist: Ildikó Mezei
+ ildikomezei.blogspot.com

Aquil Copier has focused on the idea of landscape, and although the resulting mixed media paintings can be taken at face value as representations of a bird's eye view of our geography, there is also an element of scepticism. How truthful are maps and images? How do mass media, information technology and aerial photography make us feel as though we are constantly travelling without actually leaving our laptops?

Artist: Aquil Copier
+ 2x2p.com

Sexe Maniac Maniac Maniac Maniac Maniac is the acrylic and foam on board painting that placed Wil Murray as a runner-up in this year's RBC Painting Competition. The piece bursts with energy and, in fact, escapes off the base into three-dimensionality. There is a mix of the deliberate and the spontaneous in this artist's work, and emphasizing some elements instead of masking them, allows a bit of self-reference into the picture as well. Murray, who was awarded $15,000, is based in Montreal.

Artist: Wil Murray
+ wilmurray.com
+ patrickmikhailgallery.com

Vancouver's Jeremy Hof is the 2008 winner of the tenth annual RBC Painting Competition. Over 1,200 works were submitted, and the choice was narrowed down to 15 finalists, with Hof, the national winner, taking home an award of $25,000. Hof used mathematical precision and a mixture of acrylic and latex paint and plaster on panel for his winning entry. From afar the painting appears to be a two-dimensional work, but reveals itself to be a series of grooves and layers, upon closer inspection.

Artist: Jeremy Hof
+ ecuad.ca

Staffan Holm's Precious project is about the patina of sentimental objects. Personal artefacts often increase in emotional value, so when they break, the effect can be quite disheartening. Holm suggests that repairs be made with material worthy of the artefact, in line with its new value. The relationship with the object has not ended, but a new chapter has begun. The nautilus shell that marks the travels of a loved one is repaired with silver; all that is left of a Chinese vase is the repair material and one last shard of porcelain; a favorite wooden chair welcomes pewter to take it further; and porcelain pieces take on new life with the addition of gold plating.

+ staffanholm.com

Amy Rice's Summer of Zinnias resulted in a prodigious output of zinnia prints on a wide variety of materials. Boards, blocks and a barn (well, not quite!) were only some of the bases for Rice's all-year garden of zinnias in every colour. A desk set was transformed, runners were printed, as were the reverse side of industrial wallpaper and linens. As her garden grew, this artist took that joy and allowed it to outlast the blooms. The sheer exuberance of Rice's work is enough to keep us going back time after time.

Artist: Amy Rice
+ artstreamstudios.com
+ flickr.com