OPENING RECEPTION: July 21: 6 – 8 PM
Join us IN-PERSON for the Opening Reception at the Leslie Grove Gallery. COVID-19 Protocols: following provincial and city guidelines
PLUS ‘Livestream’ – Meet the artists Opening Night
MORE:
‘ Forest Sounds’ will be played in the Gallery
‘Tree Scents’ – samples in jars will be free to take
Win Art – Enter to win a work from each of the 5 artists with proceeds in support of Toronto Wildlife Rescue
Free ‘Tree Seeds’ package handouts
‘Draw a Tree’ – Kids are invited to draw their favourite tree or flower and have their photo taken with their art in the gallery.
(Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian)
ABOUT FOREST:
Filled with life and sound, dappled light, leaves and flowers, forests are at once mysterious and calming, reminding us of our essential selves. Five artists invite you to enjoy the forest, from distant views of woodlands across fields, to close-ups of leaves and flowers, and walks through the trees. To want to preserve something, we must first love it. This show celebrates that love of the forest. Forests define much of our landscape, from urban tree-filled ravines, to woodlands edging fields and meadows in the countryside. Toronto is bordered by Carolinian forest, and the great rocks of the Canadian Shield are adorned with Boreal forest, one of the largest biomes on the planet. Natural forests are more than trees – they support a wide
variety of life, and touch all our senses. Forests are important to the past and the future of this land and all the peoples who have lived and will live here. Come into the forest with us.
PARTICIPATING ARTISTS:
Susan G Abbott, David Johns, Diane Montreuil, Martha Johnson & Theo McLaren
Susan G Abbott
Susan’s work in mixed media expresses a deep love and concern for preservation of wild spaces. Her art education was acquired through private study and workshops. She has shown successfully in group, juried and solo shows, and is currently represented by ArtMatch.
David Johns
David graduated from the Ontario College of Art. He worked in Toronto as a graphic designer specializing in information design. David loves to photograph and paint the natural world
exploring the nuance of colour, shape and texture. He is a member of the Artists’ Network, Don Valley Art Club and Pastel Artists of Canada.
Diane Montreuil
Diane is an Algonquin Metis, educator, Knowledge Keeper and board member of the Metis Nation of Canada. A self-taught artist, she is influenced by the Woodland School Style. All paintings are dedicated to our Grandmothers & Elders, for keeping the teachings alive for the next generation.
Martha Johnson
A graduate Honours Fine Art BA, Martha has taught visual art at Artembassy, Avenue
Road Arts School and Haliburton School of Art & Design. She has developed her own
teaching platform including workshops in Algonquin Park, Grand Manan, Provence, and the Caribbean. Her practice is profoundly affected by local environment, settler encroachment and legend.
Theo McLaren
The spontaneity of Theo’s mark making results from a career in retail graphic design following studies at OCAD. She creates on paper with watercolour, acrylic and monoprint. She fell in love with the Canadian Shield landscape after many summers north of Toronto. She is a member of Don Valley Art Club, Riverdale Art & Rednersville Road Art Tour.