Artists' Biographies

Ruth is a self-taught artist. After retiring from a career in education, and with no previous experience, she began experimenting with acrylics in 2020. Since then she has immersed herself in the world of art and creates representational works that reflect the beauty of landscapes, waterfalls, and seascapes while continuing to stretch her artistic abilities by completing commissions for portraits, pets, homes and children.Ruth is continually inspired by her travels throughout Canada and around the world.Hiking trails have become a recurring theme in her work.

Vicars Hodge is a woodworker with wide-ranging interests in furniture making, fine boxes, veneer work, and woodturning. Raised in British Columbia, he has lived and worked across Canada, drawing inspiration from the varied landscapes and natural beauty of the country. His craftsmanship took a significant step forward during a three-month sabbatical from his work as an Anglican Parish Priest to attend an intensive program at the Center for Furniture Craftsmanship in Rockport, Maine. There, he studied with and was mentored by Brian Reid, Adrian Ferrazzutti, Tim Rousseau, and other accomplished makers. Vicars is inspired by the inherent beauty of wood...

Sydney McKichan is a Southwestern Ontario-based artist and recent University ofGuelph Studio Art graduate. Working across multiple media, Sydney creates art deeplytied to place, memory, and her rural roots in Petrolia. Her process starts behind the lens,photographing local architecture, empty streets, and open fields across LambtonCounty. She then translates these snapshots into rich oil paintings that emphasize light,texture, and nostalgia. By leaving her painted landscapes unpeopled, Sydney invitesviewers to step into these quiet scenes and connect with their own histories, proving that ordinary spaces hold extraordinary  meaning.

Working in the traditional Persian, and the 16th-century Mughal miniature style, Rabia Rizvi creates contemporary works that explore the current socio-political affairs. Using mark making and layering techniques, she tells stories using text and symbolic images in her art. She talks of war, destruction, and genocide.Rabia's works have been featured in solo and two-person shows in Canada, the U.S. and on-line.Her works have also been in a number of juried and group shows in Pakistan and in Canada.Rabia's works are in private collections in Pakistan, Canada, U.S. and the U.K.Rabia, originally from Pakistan, lives in Sarnia. She completed her BFA...

Originally from Germany, Wilma Mehl moved with her family to Lambton County in 2011. While she explored various creative avenues over the years, it wasn’t until 2020 that she fully immersed herself in the world of art, dedicating her focus to mastering the pastel medium.  Drawn by its vivid colors and expressive textures, she began creating representational works that reflect the beauty of  landscapes and seascapes. Waves—often inspired by the moods of Lake Huron—have become a recurring theme in her work.  Wilma’s art has been featured in numerous exhibitions and displayed in local galleries and businesses.  A highlight of her...