Susan Fraser
Fine Drawing
Susan Fraser was born and educated in the United States. She has been a research assistant in microbiology labs, the manager of a private botanical garden, several garden centers and has had a keen interest in biology and art throughout her life.
She hitchhiked around Europe touring galleries, museums and churches. Her art career began while living in Germany. Later she immigrated to Canada and painted commission work based on the abundance of migratory waterfowl and resident owl populations on the Ontario Flyways. A year on Vancouver Island afforded opportunities to paint orcas and to experience the rich art culture of the west coast.
Carol Grant
Abstract Painting
In addition to her work as a potter, Carol does abstract painting.
Robin Knox
Robin’s Nest Arts
Robin was born in Burlington, Ontario and growing up in a rural setting gave her an early appreciation for God’s creation and the beauty of the changing seasons. Encouraged by her parents and art teachers to pursue drawing and painting in various mediums, she could always be found with a pencil and paper in hand. Her love of watercolour began with an adult education class in wet on wet technique with Ontario artist Kai-Liis McInnis in the the early 1980’s. A busy career as a lab technologist/Pastor’s wife and a young family to raise kept painting to a casual hobby for many years.
A move to Grande Cache, Alberta allowed her to join a local art club and to show and sell work regularly in their active group. Painting weekly now she developed a definite style of loose, calligraphic, moody yet colourful landscapes. A further move west brought her to the coast of BC and it’s varied landscapes and moods. At the encouragement of fellow artist Peach Myers, a small guild of amateur painters calling themselves the Easel Weasels formed. Meeting for semi-annual workshops with various artists has given added depth and versatility to Robin’s paintings and subject material. She loves to paint outdoors as well as from her own photo materials. Robin now works in various mixed media and has done portraits and wildlife as well as abstract. Her works have won several art competitions held locally and received Honorable mention in the Regional Juried Show in Kitimat. Published and awarded Honourable Mention in the National magazine The Mennonite Herald She Joined the Federation of Canadian Artists in 2018 and achieved Active Status in 2019. In 2020 she received the first ever “Outstanding Artist of the Year Award” from The Prince Rupert Community Arts Council. With the support of local businesses Cow Bay Café, Cowpaccinos, McLean and Rudderham, Highliner Inn, Performing Arts Centre , Terrace Art gallery, the Ice House Gallery and now the Valley Artisans Gallery in Deep River. She has sold her works to places from west Virginia, Mexico City to Hong Kong.
Boni Patterson
Watercolour Painting
Boni Jaworski was born & raised in Hamilton Ontario, trained as a Registered Nurse in Guelph and then moved to Deep River, Ontario, on the shores of the majestic Ottawa River. She was instantly captivated by the pristine beauty and serenity of the Ottawa Valley and made it her home for the past 45 years.
Boni was employed at Atomic Energy of Canada for 30 years and retired 2 years ago to pursue her love of painting and other more personal ventures. She has always felt creative callings in many media but discovered her passion for watercolour about 20 years ago.
Boni has studied with Warren Thurston, Jack Reid, Pauol Thrane, and Art Cunanhan. She then had the good fortune to meet and work with renown Zoltan Szabo who was to become her dear friend, teacher & mentor for 15 years. He taught her to see the beauty in all that surrounds us. He taught her to see shapes and wonderful colours, to paint with her heart, and to honor nature always.
She finds solace and fulfillment in this magical elusive media, which continues to excite & mystify her with its wonderful happy “accidents”. She says “I feel I am always just on the edge of control. The paint has a mind of it’s own and usually leads me to discover new directions. I look forward to unexpected lessons when I take risks. I love the romance of the landscapes with soft lost edges but contemporary abstracts with sweeping lines & magnificent colours also appeal to my senses.”
She has exhibited in various cafes & tearooms and is a member of the very successful, From The Valley Artisan’s Co-op in Deep River. She has been a part of several Studio Tours, and Art exhibits in Peterborough area and the Ottawa Valley and has had a solo exhibit supported by the Ontario Arts Council. Her paintings, cards and jewelry are found in private collections across Canada, United States, Europe , South America and Asia.
Linda Sitler-Howe
Drawing & Painting
Award winning artist Linda Sitler-Howe works in a number of media— acrylic, pastel (soft and oil), mono prints and mixed media. In 2010 she relocated from Waterloo, Ontario to Petawawa, between the eastern edge of Algonquin Park and the Ottawa River.
Sitler-Howe started off painting images of Waterloo Region, French River, the Bruce Trail and western Algonquin Park along the Highway 60 corridor. After moving to Petawawa, Sitler-Howe started to paint images of eastern Algonquin Park as well as the Petawawa and Ottawa Rivers.
She always enjoyed Tom Thomson’s images of the Petawawa Canyon, which is in the north-eastern part of Algonquin Park. She discovered that you get to it via Highway 17 between Deep River and North Bay and then by canoe/kayak and a couple of portages. Unlikely to canoe /kayaki n there, she has settled on painting images of the Barron Canyon instead.
In her paintings of the natural world she is interested in depicting light, atmosphere and colour and in establishing moods.
When on location she usually take photos and does some quick sketches and then interrupts these when she gets back to the studio. Frequently that means she doesn’t know exactly where the photo or drawing was done. But these paintings do reflect the natural world in all its glory from the sentinel pines on a point, to the grand rock face in Barron Canyon, to a spectacular sunset on one of the many lakes or a pleasant vista of a lake inviting her to come paddle.
When not painting the natural world realistically, Sitler-Howe experiments, mainly in acrylic, to capture the underlying essence of the subject. These abstract paintings are frequently completed in many layers of paint, sometimes with the use of mixed media.
She is currently exploring several themes. One is the idea of ambiguity and narrative; another motherly love. Sitler-Howe likes the idea of viewers being able to see several things in her work, to see beneath the surface, and thus come up with their own stories. The images in these series are more expressionistic and abstract than the images that depict the natural world.
Sitler-Howe also does house, cottage and pet portraits mainly using pastels and has received numerous commissions in these areas. As well she paints what she calls “Life Stories” reflecting elements from a person’s and/or family life.
She has exhibited in numerous juried exhibitions, group shows and solo exhibitions. She has won numerous awards including Best in Show and several juror’s choice awards. Her work can be found in private collections in Canada, United States and Great Britain.
Rose Stewart
Drawing & Painting
Rose Stewart is a Mishkeegogamang First Nation band member from North Western Ontario who moved to the Ottawa Valley with her parents in 2017.
Rose is a young self taught artist with a unique flair for art.
Sharon Waller
Northern Landscapes
I’m a local Artist, living in Deep River, Ontario. My inspiration is the beauty of our Northern Landscape, plein air painting in Algonquin Park, Canoe Lake, Barron Canyon. Deep River has so many beautiful Lakes and Trails! I enjoy photographing all the beauty in nature.
My medium is acrylic and oil. l have dabbled in watercolor and love pastels. I have been painting, for 4 years. My inspiration is the mysterious Tom Thomson. l have such great admiration for our Group of Seven, which was
formed after Tom Thomson’s untimely death.
Sharon joined the Valley Artisans’ Coop in 2022