Ottawa Nature Studio

Since it’s basically back to winter in Ottawa today ❄️, I’m hoping this one’s okay to share...

“Skating at Bruce Pit” with hockey players and families taking over the pond as all skating rinks were closed for the winter in 2020-2021 because of Covid restrictions. It was very unique to see since usually the pond is only occupied by wildlife. This winter brought too much snow for the pond to be skatable, but hopefully it will continue to be used for skating in the future! ⛸

🎨 Painted with watercolours and coloured pencils on hot press watercolour paper

Happy International Day of Forests!🌳

I’m sharing this illustration I made last year, to remind us of all the wonderful forested areas we are lucky to have across Ottawa.

The U.N. declared March 21st the International Day of Forests in 2012, and has chosen a different theme every year to highlight the day. This year’s theme is “Responsible Consumption and Production”, reminding us of the importance of sustainable forest management in supplying the many wood products we use everyday.

Many of the locations on my map are protected areas, and are not harvested commercially. However, I think it’s important to remember the impact of our consumption on forests everywhere, from paper, furniture and construction, and much more.

What do Forests mean to you? 🌳

Today Feb 22nd is Canada’s Agriculture Day under the theme “Forks Up For Canadian Agriculture”. 🍴 🍅

Farms and agriculture have been a recurring theme in my artwork. But specifically I’ve been drawn to depicting the many local farms here in Ottawa, having worked and volunteered on many of them. According to the NCC, “The Greenbelt in Ottawa is home to many farms that produce a bounty of local produce. A local and diversified food supply will strengthen our region’s resilience.” I personally find lots of comfort knowing how much food is produced in the city, amidst some of the chaos happening around us. What about you?

So shoutout to some awesome Ottawa farmers (among many others), who I’ve done some painting for this past year! 🎨





Check out their pages for info about upcoming events, sales, CSA programs, or other ways you can support them this year 🙂🥕

Today is the last day to shop at the Ottawa Artisans virtual market “A Little Bit of Love”, where you can find crafts and goodies from over 170 local handmade artisans in the Ottawa Valley! 💕

I have this set of animal themed Valentine’s cards available, featuring digital art of different local animals (raccoon, pileated woodpeckers, red squirrel and ermine). The cards are available as printed cards or a digital print-at-home version. 💌

Anything sold contributes to the local creative economy by supporting artisans and the Ottawa Artisans network. I hope you are able to check it out! Options are available for local pick-up or Canada wide shipping 🇨🇦

https://ottawaartisans.com/collections/vendors?q=Ottawa%20Nature%20Studio

Sponsor a bird for Valentine’s Day ❤️ 🐦

It was so special to produce artwork themed around “Mojo the crow”, one of the Wild Bird Care Centre’s first patients in its first Centre, who remained there for many years as its avian ambassador due to permanent injuries. The artwork is included in the WBCC’s sponsorship package as the cover of a field notebook, which you can use for writing notes, bird observations, etc. The artwork tells the story of Mojo, the injured fledgling crow who was nurtured to health by those at the WBCC. It includes an image of the centre’s founder Kathy Nihei, who had the vision for the Centre that would rescue and rehabilitate injured wild birds.

“There are two special birds you can choose from; PIP, the Centre's first patient, and MOJO, the Centre's first avian ambassador. The stories of these two memorable birds will delight your loved one while they learn more about their species and unique habits in the wild.

Not only will your meaningful gift help wild birds get a second chance at life back in the wild, it will allow your loved one to join our growing community of dedicated bird champions.” 💕

Does anyone else think vegetables are as pretty as I do?? 🥕🌽🍆

Here’s a snapshot of some of the 60 vegetable and flower illustrations I created recently for Gaia Organic Seeds in Gloucester. Manish grows hundreds of varieties, but chose the most popular ones for me to draw, which he sells in stores across Canada! 🇨🇦

Each drawing was done at a size of 6x8” with watercolours and coloured pencils, and will be printed onto seed packages at a smaller size (swipe to see).

Lots of learning went on during this project... like how long colouring pencils take! Hoping to write more about the project in the next few weeks, and will share photos once the packages are complete! 🙂

Working on some holiday cards inspired by the Log Farm historic property in Nepean. I love all of the rustic details found in the barns, decor, animals, and winter landscapes. Painted with watercolours and coloured pencils from photos I took last year. I can’t wait to share them when they are finished, and available for sale at their gift shop😊🎄

My submission to the “Our Ottawa Needs Public Toilets” call to artists by GottaGo Campaign Ottawa

An issue I’d never given much thought to, the Gotta Go Campaign is an effort to establish a stronger network of accessible public washrooms in the City of Ottawa.

✏️ My drawing is entitled “When Nature Calls” in coloured pencils. The idea behind the drawing was to depict common urban animals 🦊 🐰 using public toilets, displaying the irony that not having access to public washrooms can lead humans to act like animals, doing their business in outdoor places (I have heard stories like this).

Unfortunately my submission wasn’t selected as part of the campaign (swipe to see winners). The winning entries were creative, moving, and give a clear picture of the importance of accessible public washrooms for human dignity. Check out GottaGo Campaign Ottawa to see them! 🚽

I’m so glad to see art being used to bring awareness on these critical and often overlooked issues. 🧐

Really happy to have this sign put at Cadence Ecological Farm in Blackburn Hamlet! 😊The farm is a small organic farm run by Brett, who grows organic vegetables 🥕 and teaches about farming through the Ottawa Farm School.

The idea for the sign came last summer upon visiting the farm when Brett was hosting a group, teaching them about his chickens 🐓and harvesting potatoes with them. The existing sign was difficult to see and didn’t quite do justice to the magic he was creating on the farm.

The name for the Farm came from the musical term “Cadence” which means the rhythmic reoccurrence of sound in nature 🎶 So I wanted the sign to represent the ideal harmony between organic farming and the surrounding ecosystem. The farm borders Greens Creek, and is surrounded by trees where deer and other creatures live. Brett even insisted on having the deer 🦌 eating his vegetables in the artwork. Organic farming also depends on healthy soil, thus revealing a cross section of the soil with worms and roots.

I’m not sure if this “Harmony” truly exists, because Brett told me that the foxes 🦊 recently killed and ate all of his chickens. Maybe this simply shows that farming cannot be controlled as separate from its surroundings..

Brett’s farm is a one-man show but luckily he receives help from at-risk youth from around Ottawa. Many of them are beginning to work at the farm this month, so I’m hoping the sign will serve as a happy welcome to them! 🙂

*Painted with acrylic paint on signboard/MDO plywood, protected with a clear outdoor varnish*

Sharing this on here a couple days late, but hoping you will still enjoy it 🙂
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In honour of the International Day for Biological Diversity (May 22nd), I wanted to share this illustration of Spring Ephemerals...🌱

Spring Ephemerals (meaning short lived) are perennial woodland wildflowers which develop leaves and flowers early in the spring, then quickly bloom and produce seeds, leaving only roots or rhizomes underground for the rest of the year. They provide many benefits to forest ecosystems, like giving the first nectar to bees and other pollinators. The trout lily miner bee is one example that feeds almost exclusively on the trout lily blossoms. 🐝

I started to draw these flowers in the beginning of spring in April. They are not always the showiest blooms like tulips or daffodils, and often much harder to spot🔍, hiding in the leaf litter. 🍂

I photographed 📷most of these flowers in the South March Highlands in the west of Ottawa, which is considered to have the highest ecological value and biodiversity of any area in Ottawa. Finding them was like a little treasure hunt!

I hope you will enjoy the beauty of these little forest gems, painted in watercolour, on the International Day for Biological Diversity, with this year's theme "We're part of the solution."

Painting nature will always be part of the solution for me, serving as a reminder for how beautiful, delicate, and diverse our earth truly is 🌎

Happy International Forest Day! March 21st is a day the UN has designated as a day to celebrate and raise awareness of the importance of all types of forest. This year’s theme is “Forest Restoration: a path to recovery and wellbeing”

In 2019 I had the chance to meet Jane Goodall, a primatologist who became famous for her research on chimpanzees in the forests of Tanzania. She spoke of the ways in which these forests have been degraded over time and only small protected areas remain. When I asked for advice on what we could do to help, she responded with something like this “visit a forest, anywhere. You don’t need to go to Tanzania to experience the wonders that exist in the forest”

Forests are the “lungs of the earth” and are considered “one of the greatest natural treasures that we must preserve and protect” with over 60,000 species of trees globally (source: UN).

So to celebrate I wanted to share this illustration representing the many forests found around Ottawa, in our very own backyard! While worldwide many forests have been degraded, we are lucky to have so many forested areas left that has been protected by the NCC and the City of Ottawa. In Jane Goodall’s words – get out and explore the forest, anywhere.