About the Artist

Hello and welcome,

I'm Zinnia, the artist behind Studio Zinnia.

Since I was a child, I have loved gifting people things. An illustrated note. A bundle of wildflowers. A short story. A box for worries to be set down. I would lovingly craft these offerings and then place them discreetly in a spot where the unsuspecting recipient would find them. I loved making people feel happy. How they would glow in the moment of discovery. I realize now that what I really loved was the invitation for a person to feel seen.

That intention continues through my work today.

My paintings are created as places to pause, soften, and breathe. My hope is that my work can act as an invitation to explore and ease the burden of what it is to be human.

My relationship with poetry and the natural world underly all of my mark-making. Mixed media allows me the most expressive means to articulate my response to this life.

Working intuitively, I build layers of form and tone that reflect my ongoing relationship with poetry, the natural world, and the human experience. Mixed media, botanical shapes, and considered palettes allow me the most expressive means to articulate space for stillness, reflection, and presence.

My background in English Literature, a Master of Arts through Simon Fraser University, Yoga Teacher and Transcendental Meditation Certification, as well as ongoing studies in fine arts continue to shape this work. I also teach high school English. Much of my life is spent exploring how we make meaning through language, through nature, and through creative expression.

I live, create and work in North Vancouver, British Columbia, where the forest meets the ocean. From Studio Zinnia, thank you for being here.

With love and light,

Zinnia