Artfully me

it’s all allowed—
do whatever brings you to life, then.
follow your own fascinations, obsessions, and compulsions.
trust them.
create whatever causes a revolution in your heart.
the rest will take care of itself
— elizabeth gilbert

Hello, I’m Chantal and I am an artist, writer, poet and published author. I work mainly in watercolour, acrylic and pen, finding joy, fascination and deep satisfaction through the creative process by following the what -if’s, happy accidents and possibilities.

My work is a playful exploration of the outer world as seen through the lens of my inner world, examining the tension and the harmony of this relationship as human nature meets Mother Nature. These elements merge and interact in a visual dialogue of abstracted layers and intuitive expressions through colour, line and form. It is a delicate balance of opposites, the real and the imagined, the static and the fluid that inform the conversation, invite contemplation and create a sense of wonder and intrigue.

In the past, a painting would begin with a plan, a clear direction and a predictable destination. Fast forward to 2016, when the unpredictable showed up in my life—a diagnosis of Parkinson’s Disease. This shake up prompted not only a shift but a re-invention, in my art and in my life, reigniting a creative process that had grown stale. The realism I had focused on felt tight and restrictive. I craved a more expansive form of expression with freedom to be me. To echo the words of a young artist I know, “I’m just following my heart.” The process of making art is all about play and how the playfulness feels intuitively as I experiment with materials, exploring through colour, shapes, marks and texture.  

Born in the UK, I grew up in the Toronto area after emigrating to Canada with my parents as a young child. I now make my home on the shores of Georgian Bay in beautiful Collingwood, Ontario. My artistic journey began with my first box of crayons, it continued under the direction of an exceptional high school art teacher and on to Sheridan College as I studied Illustration. I have been captivated by art ever since and never more so than following the Parkinson’s diagnosis. 

My work has been featured in several exhibitions both locally and internationally. I was also honoured with the Murray J. Clerkson Artist Award in 2021. As well, I created the cover and interior illustrations for “The Magic of Special Children” published in 2021.

During the pandemic, a rediscovered love of poetry led me to pursue my own writing which culminated in a book, Painted Words, Poetry, Art and Parkinson’s, a collection of my art and poems, published in 2022. It is an exploration of self-expression that seeks to celebrate, reflect and honour the mysteries and complexities of being human.

ARTIST C.V.

  • Canada

    2024 Celebrating the Colour Turquoise Salon Show, Thornbury, ON

    2023 Dear Earth, My Love - Churchill/Embacher/Hutton/Wolf, Meaford, ON

    2021 BMFA 41st Annual Juried Group Show, Collingwood, ON

    2020 Collingwood Art Crawl, Collingwood, ON

    2020 BMFA 40th Annual Juried Group Show - 2nd Place Award, Collingwood, ON

    2019 BMFA Group Show, Collingwood, ON

    2019 Collingwood Art Crawl, Collingwood, ON

    International

    2023 Kaleidoscope, An International Art Show for Artists with Parkinson’s Disease - Austin, TX

    2023 World Parkinson’s Congress - Panelist: Creativity & Parkinson’s Discussion, Barcelona, Spain

    2023 World Parkinson’s Congress - Painted Words, Poetry, Art and Parkinson’s Book featured in Book Nook, Barcelona, Spain

    2017 Quiet Revolution - image selected for Quiet Art Challenge, USA

  • 2021 Murray Clerkson Award - BMFA, Collingwood, ON

    2020 2nd Place Award - BMFA 40th Annual Juried Group Show, Collingwood, ON

  • 2022 Published Author - Painted Words, Poetry, Art and Parkinson’s

    2021 Collingwood Today - Feature Article, Collingwood, ON

    2021 “The Magic of Special Children” Book - Cover/Interior Illustrations, book by Astrid Cheney, California, USA

    2020 Parkinson’s Canada ebook “You Are Not Alone” - Pathways painting

  • 1979-1981 Sheridan College - Illustration, Brampton, ON