Our Emerging Artists

What excites me most about calligraphy is the way it brings together art, emotion, and meaning. I love transforming words into visual forms and giving them a new life through movement, colour, and texture. Every piece is an opportunity to explore something new, express a feeling, and connect with people through art.

What excites me most about my artwork is that it is constantly evolving. I am always experimenting with new styles, and it is very satisfying to watch new ideas come to life. In art, there are endless possibilities. My artistic process combines spontaneity with creativity, making every piece unique. I am constantly inspired by new techniques and creative challenges.

My current focus is squeegee art, a style that I have been particularly passionate about for the past few years. I love the balance between control and unpredictability in the process, and I enjoy discovering how each swipe of paint evolves into a finished piece.

I have also spent many years making wire-wrapped jewelry, a medium that I love for its sculptural quality and the way it can be worn and experienced in everyday life.

Finally, watercolour painting is a passion of mine because it reminds me of my grandma, who is my greatest artistic inspiration. She was an exceptional watercolour painter, and I learned so much from her. Before she passed away, she gifted me her watercolour set, and every time I paint, I feel connected to her and her creativity.

My art gives me an outlet to escape from my everyday life and get creative. I love to see the final result of my sculptures. Seeing something created from recycled materials is really special. My artwork is one of a kind, rustic, contemporary, wabi-sabi, organic and stone-like, with contrasts perfect to suit any decor. Handmade from recycled materials.

I’m a proud mom of three and a wife to my awesome husband. Born in South Africa and now rooted in Canada for over 20 years, I’ve built a beautiful life with my family.

What began as a graphic design hobby has blossomed into a deep passion for art. My acrylic art is vibrant and eclectic and follows no rules — the heart of Pour Le Rêveur, meaning “For the dreamer.”

You will find hints of all things Parisian, flowers, art styles, exploring one's dreams and a zest for life in my work that I hope brings joy to your space.

Inspired by the envelope as an object of protection and security, I have been experimenting with printing onto vellum and folding these prints into envelopes. I then place other prints inside as a method for layering, abstracting, and obscuring. I also collect privacy patterns; intricate patterns printed inside envelopes to conceal personal information from being seen, and incorporate them into my work. 

My work is driven by a deep sense of nostalgia and a longing for childhood memories, and so I often use photos from my personal photo albums in my work. Placing these images inside envelopes and obscuring them through various forms of layering provides me with a sense of privacy and enables me to protect these memories and special moments. At the same time, I challenge these notions by using vellum, which is a translucent, frosted material, questioning whether true privacy is attainable in today’s world. I often think of my prints as souvenirs or objects of nostalgia, but rather than a restoration of the past, they become a collage made of presents.

As a completely self-taught artist, she finds inspiration in the beauty of the natural world, capturing scenes that reflect her deep love of animals—especially birds, whose grace, resilience, and freedom often appear throughout her work. Through colour, movement, and emotion, her paintings celebrate the connection between nature and the human spirit.

In 2024, her life changed dramatically following a catastrophic motorcycle accident that left her with severe memory impairment. The accident erased much of the life she once knew, including her memories of herself as an artist and even how to paint. She continues her rehabilitation journey today, facing the challenges of recovery one day at a time.

Art became an unexpected lifeline. What began as a therapeutic exercise evolved into a daily practice of healing, self-discovery, and emotional expression. Although so much was lost in the accident, the artist within her survived. Through painting, she has slowly rebuilt skills, confidence, and a sense of identity. Each brushstroke has become a step toward understanding herself again.

Through art, she has found a way to navigate grief, hope, resilience, and transformation. Her work reflects the ongoing process of healing and the profound realization that while memories can be lost, the creative spirit can endure.

Today, her paintings stand as a testament to perseverance, recovery, and the healing power of art—proof that even after life’s most devastating detours, it is possible to find your way home again.

I am an Early Childhood Educator for YRDSB and have a BA in Fine Art from York U. I am 52 years old, grew up in Toronto and moved to Newmarket almost 20 years ago to be closer to the country. Mom of 3 boys. This piece is a yearning to go to a place I have not been. I love Canadian/Ontario landscapes, and they are in much of my work. Colours in this piece are calm, perhaps melancholy...yet happy and peaceful at the same time. A bit of a mysterious element, as it is somewhere I am imagining, yearning to go to and have not been.

(Fun fact: Both of my parents are artists who were taught by Doris McCarthy, who was in the artist friend circle of the Group of Seven.) Coming from an artistic home, I have always written poetry and painted.