Born with the eyes of a magpie, and hands of a raccoon, Floriana Ehninger-Cuervo was doomed to be an artist. She never stood a chance, so aware of the priceless everyday treasures of line and form (she still cannot resist a well-formed stone or shell). Clever hands have toiled to keep up with these appetites, occupying themselves with illustration, lettering, screen-printing, murals, and ceramics (etcetera). If idle hands are the devil’s playthings, it would be fair (and incorrect) to assume Flo a saint. She regularly laments being such a polymath, but such is her burden to bear. Flo studied in the Fine Arts program at Queen’s and currently teaches at the Kingston School of Art, where she imparts her knowledge at a much lower tuition. Her dedication to her craft(s) has been recognized with large public artworks in the city of Kingston. She enjoys jiu-jitsu, being taken for walks, and cortados. Her house is full of colour, mysterious buckets, and mostly loose seeds.
-Written by her partner, Isaiah
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Which neighbourhood are you in?
I’m in the Skeleton Park neighbourhood in Kingston, ON.
What do you do?
I consider myself primarily a graphic artist and illustrator: I do branding work, create custom hand-painted signage, design posters, and take on a variety of illustration projects, from editorial work to public art initiatives.
I do wear a few other hats: I’m also an avid potter, and teach portraiture and figure drawing through the Kingston School of Art. It’s so rewarding to see students improve over the span of a course. And, I’ve always loved drawing people.
What are you currently working on?
I’ve just won a great opportunity through Strong Enterprises to create artwork for their new HQ. It’s a detail-filled piece that plays with perspective, and a chance to flex both my creative and technical muscles. I’m really looking forward to it.
Otherwise, I’m working with a couple small businesses on their branding, creating some fresh window displays for the Screening Room (downtown Kingston’s sweet independent movie theatre!) and gradually building up stock for the Kingston Potters’ Guild Holiday Sale.
Where can we find your work?
I can be found on Instagram, and my work is at large in the city of Kingston.