I’m so excited to share that my painting “First Impression, St’éx̱w’t’eḵw’s” will be on display and available for purchase at Articulations Art Supply’s Exploring Horizons: Canadian Landscape Exhibition! I’m really honoured to be featured alongside 28 talented artists.
NS | October 14, 2026
hi! it’s been a while since I’ve written to you… I took an unplanned hiatus due to a stressful family situation that is unfortunately still ongoing. I don’t want to share too much here but if you are someone who practices a form of meditation/ritual/prayer, I would really appreciate you keeping us in your thoughts.
Continuing to make art through this difficult period in my life has been really important to me, and I’ve had the opportunity to submit my work to two art shows and a maker’s market! (Life really didn’t miss the chance to remind me to feel all the lows and all the highs.) Keep reading to learn where you can find my art this fall/winter.
My painting “First Impression, St’éx̱w’t’eḵw’s” will be on display and available for purchase at Articulations Art Supply’s Exploring Horizons: Canadian Landscape Exhibition!
If you’ve read my previous studio notes, you’ll know that this piece has been a long time coming. I started working on it in the spring of 2025 and I’m so excited to share it with you now in its final form!
My new mixed media piece, “The Lynx” will be on display and available for purchase at Ground Floor Arts’ Square Foot Community Exhibition and Sale.
I am a vendor at Kwartzlab’s Holiday Market!
Everything from my online shop will be available at the market, plus some new goodies!! Support small makers and ditch the corporations this holiday season. Featuring over 20 talented artisans working in leather, yarn, pottery, wood, and more!
Thank you for reading 🙂
Nikki
NS | sent via email and posted online October 13, 2026
happy summer to all who celebrate!! and my condolences to those who do not. I am with you both/all – I love the vibrant life that summer brings, and the shining light of the sun, and the cool breeze on a warm day. but then there is also ticks in the grass, and heat-related chronic illness flares, and wildfire smoke in the air.
I hope you can find some time to enjoy summer in whatever way feels possible for you. even if it’s waking up early before the heat sets in to enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in your backyard (or on your porch, balcony, or at your window!!)
keep reading to find out how I’ve been honouring the season!
I finished knitting my sweater!! Just in time for… a heat wave? Yes, perfect. (But its beautiful and so soft and I’m very pleased with it and I can’t wait to wear it this fall/winter!!)
If anyone’s curious, I followed the Aspen Pullover by Idaho Stitched, and used Malabrigo Chunky yarn in the colour “Rhodesian Ridgeback”.
I also finished up two sketchbooks recently, including this little yellow one, which I’ve been working on for about a year! I’ll be sharing a selection of pages from these sketchbooks to my portfolio soon – stay tuned!
I made some cyanotype prints (aka sun prints!!)
I have a small collection of fallen leaves that I’ve dried and pressed, and they are absolutely lovely subject matter for cyanotype prints.
Cyanotype is a photographic printing process. When exposed to UV rays, the pigment turns a gorgeous blue, leaving areas that weren’t exposed white.
This collection ranges from 8x10s to bookmark-sized prints and they’re all available for purchase on my website now
one evening around sunset, near the summer solstice, I went to hang out in the garden with my strawberries. these are a native variety (woodland strawberries, Fragaria vesca) that produce tiny little berries and spread by sending out “runners”.
I planted some of these runners in a few small pots, encouraging them to root in the open soil. Once they do, I’ll separate them from the parent plant, and have more strawberry plants to plant elsewhere! Gardening is magic!!
I loved this episode of the Wild Geese podcast by Anna Howard: “You’ve Built an Altar of Suffering. Where Is Your Altar of Enjoyment?” I appreciated what she shared about curiosity, and her concept of “poetry watching” is lovely.
Thank you for reading 🙂
Nikki
NS | sent via email and posted online July 13, 2026
Here is a quick update on fundraising for April – June 2026!
Together, we were able to raise:
$13.00 for Mask Bloc Waterloo Region (MBWR)
I still have original paintings available, in support of Neighbours for Palestine and Palestinian Youth Movement; as well as mask chains and stickers in support of Mask Bloc Waterloo Region!
NS | July 12, 2026
Happy Pride month and Indigenous History month! The first Pride was a riot!!! Land Back!!!!
If you’re looking for a way to celebrate that doesn’t involve going to a capitalist, corporate-sponsored event: give some money to a trans person, support your friendly neighbourhood queer artist (I guess now is a good time to remind you that I have art for sale on my website lol), or support an IndigiQueer organization like O:se Kenhionhata:tie (join me as one of their Patreon supporters!).
There’s still time to RSVP for our next creativity club meetup! We’re meeting online on Sunday, June 14 at 2:00 pm Eastern time.
Learn more about Earthshakers & RSVP for an upcoming meetup!
I want to get more comfortable creating art in public and outdoor spaces, so that’s what I practiced doing this month!
I took my wax pastels to the climbing gym and sketched one of their features called ‘the island’.
I also brought my portable gouache paint palette to the park for a quick session, and sketched a blossoming tree and some adorable goslings!
The bottom two sketches are what I created at our last in person Earthshakers meetup, using reference photos by adventure artist Mel-Mitchell Jackson.
I have been working on this painting for over a year! I did the first preliminary sketches of this idea in March 2025, and started the painting in June 2025. Truthfully, I have been avoiding working on it because I’m scared of fucking it up! The perfectionist in me that wants to make ‘good’ art (whatever that is!) is really having a hard time with this. I am practicing being kind to myself and trusting the process. And trying to frame this as a learning opportunity – whatever comes of this is what was meant to happen, and I will come out on the other side with lessons to apply to future paintings! I hope to share the finished painting with you soon 🙂
I also cut out my pattern pieces for the vest I’m making and have started the meditative, slow, hand-stitching process to piece everything together.
I went out for my first camping trip of the season with my partner and our dog this month! We visited Long Point Provincial Park – it is such a unique and amazing place!!!
Long Point is covered by Treaty 3 (also known as the Between the Lakes Purchase), which was signed in 1792 between the Principal Chiefs of the Messissague Nation and John Graves Simcoe, a representative of the Province and Crown. It is the traditional territory of the Attiwonderonk/Chonnoton (Neutral), Mississauga, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, and Ho-de-no-sau-nee-ga (Haudenosaunee).
Long Point is a 40km sandspit (a deposit of sand along a coast or lakeshore) along the north shore of Lake Erie.
It is a really important location for migrating birds in spring and autumn, and we got to see so many different species during our trip. Tons of Tree Swallows, Cedar Waxwings, Eastern Warbling Vireos, Baltimore Orioles, and Red-winged Blackbirds were fluttering around between the trees near our campsite. There were Great Blue Herons fishing in the marshes, and a large group of shorebirds (some type of Sandpipers, I think) on the beach among the sand dunes! We also spotted some turtles soaking up the sun on a rock, and a snake in the grass!
I’ve pretty much been listening to the same four albums on repeat lately. Here are the albums, accompanied by my favourite music video from each!
Thank you for reading 🙂
Nikki
NS | sent via email and posted online June 13, 2026