A percentage of the proceeds will be donated to the Alzheimer Society of Montreal

I was born in Montreal in 1954 and have lived in the West Island for almost 20 years now. As far back as I can remember I've always loved nature and art. As a child, my mother brought me to the Museum of Fine Arts every Sunday, while at home we'd feed birds in the backyard with left-over bread crumbs. By her example, I learned to appreciate nature and all things great and small.

Birds in particular have always fascinated me with their multitude of colors and unique characteristics, but my real inspiration and passion for creating Canadian wildbirds, (in various mediums- acrylic and watercolor paintings, fabric and polymer clay sculptures, stained glass and wood carvings) came from the amazing experience of feeding Chickadees from the palm of my hand at the Morgan Arboretum some 30 years ago...I was smitten, and the rest as they say, is history.

Being mostly self-taught, I've also had the pleasure of learning important techniques in painting through various courses, particularly the 3-day seminar in 86 with Robert Bateman who encouraged me to continue creating, and that I did!

Presently, when I'm not giving drawing classes to seniors, you can find me at one of my favorite birding spots...Bois-de-l'Île-Bizard Nature Park, Morgan Arboretum, or Centennial Park accompanied by my companion Doug, my digital camera, binoculars and a sketch pad. I gather as much reference material as possible in order to capture that precious moment in time, and create the realism that I strive for. To help me gain a better understanding and knowledge of birds, I've participated in bird banding, volunteered at the McGill Raptor Research Center, am a surveyor for the Quebec Nocturnal Owl Survey and I am a long-time member of Bird Protection Quebec and the Morgan Arboretum.

Through my artwork, I hope to instill a new sense of wonder and understanding of the importance that birds and nature play in our world. We need to protect these precious gifts so that they'll be here for our future generations to enjoy.

Contact info: 514 696-0419
monawize@yahoo.ca

Exhibition August 13 -18, 2009

Vernissage: Thursday, August 13
from 6:30-9:30 pm featuring live music performed by the Gao String Quartet who have generously donated their time.

Gallery Hours: 11 am - 8 pm daily