About Sylvia
Sylvia Makk is noted for her modern bold strokes and her bright contemporary impressionist works. Originally from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, just outside of Toronto, Sylvia received a B.A. in Urban Geography with Honors, as well as a Master’s in Library and Information Science. She joined the Makk family of artists in Hawaiꞌi in 1986 and spent a large portion of her time managing the family business. In late 2022, she chose to move on with her life and established her own independent identity and business. After 34 years in the beautiful land of Aloha, she is back in Canada for a while caring for her elderly parents.
Painting is Sylvia’s passion. After almost a year interrupted with a major health scare which put her life on hold, she is grateful for a second chance at life. Painting has helped her find solace and happiness once more. Her paintings exude splashes of bright colors, adding light to rooms adorned with her work.
Sylvia was exposed to the arts from early on, as her family traveled to Europe often, visiting many great museums and art galleries. As a child, she enjoyed passing the time doodling on any paper she could get her hands on. After joining the “Makk family of artists”, she began experimenting with acrylics. Moving to oil paints on canvas, she enjoys using bold colors and large strokes with palette knife and brush to achieve various compositions from fields of flowers to abstract waterfalls, from modern sunsets to serene lily ponds.
Sylvia’s collectors include residents of Hawaiꞌi as well as clients from around the world. Her work has been exhibited in galleries and events in Hawaiꞌi, the mainland U.S., Canada, and Japan. Debuted in Pacific Edge Magazine’s first issue as Details Gallery’s premiere artist, Sylvia Makk has since grown in recognition within the artist community on a world-wide scale. Sylvia has been recognized for her fresh outlook evident in her paintings.
Personally commissioned to create fun, eclectic pieces for a premiere Japanese brand of wedding shops and entertainment venues, Sylvia puts her love of the whimsical into the pieces and often fuses it with the beauty of the tropics. With Sylvia’s invention of “Mini Makks” (3”x3” paintings), collectors are excited to not worry about wall space as the minis can be placed on any flat surface. They make great gifts too!
Photography has been a love of Sylvia’s since her teenage years. In 2016 she became a professional photographer after being commissioned for a design project. She enjoys taking close-up shots to reveal the uniqueness of Mother Nature. Her photographs look spectacular on canvas and metal!
Sylvia Makk enjoys sharing her art to help raise funds for many non-profits, including the American Heart Association Hawaiꞌi - both to the Heart Ball and Black Tie and Blue Jeans Event, Elevate Toronto, Cancer League of Colorado and the Rotary Foundation. Sylvia is a past member of the Rotary Club of Waikiki and looks forward to joining a Canadian Rotary club soon. Three of her paintings are in the Coutts Museum in El Dorado, Kansas. Her art has been rented for sets on Hawaii Five-O.