Biography
Monica’s style is unboring and ungray, providing a playful perspective into her uninhibited world of imaginative creatures. She is a visual artist and illustrator whose whimsical, humorous and endearing art has captured the hearts of children and their parents alike. Monica has the most fun experimenting and trying different mediums and techniques. Whether her creatures are painted on canvas, illustrated digitally for books or sculpted with paper clay, they each have a unique personality.
Her large-scale acrylic and ink creature paintings and her prints have been sold across Canada. They all feature make believe creatures in their environment. Built on a wood base, Monica’s mounts are made with a wire armature, sculpted with paper clay and aluminum foil, and then finished with vibrant paint, ink and varnish. She often uses antlers that she finds in the woods to elevate the art. Her colourful and detailed digital illustrations are featured in a series of well received self-published books based on Jumbimals (jumbled animals). They express a vibrant energy and a fresh perspective. She is working on the fourth book in that series.
Monica’s path to art has been unusual, with a degree in geology she worked as a geologist in Northern Ontario and the Yukon. Walking the unexplored wilderness as a geologist, she developed a passion for nature and its inhabitants, particularly the tiny ones. She then raised a family and began a second career as a business analyst in the world of IM/IT.
Monica has been sketching creatures for most of her life, but has just recently allowed them to have a public view. She lives in a log house with her husband Pierre, surrounded by acres of hardwood forest, lots of inspiring real creatures including bugs, tranquility and her gardens.
She is a visual story teller who invites you to join her on her journey. Monica’s creations can be viewed on her website monzcreations.ca.
Artist Statement
I have always lived with creatures in my head. Pencil and paper brought some to life, and to be honest, life took over and my creatures sat dormant. Well they are alive and well again. I have learned the hard way to make my art for myself and that has been a game changer. With this new found freedom to unleash my colourful bold whimsical make-belief creatures in any way I want, I am exploring large-scale acrylic and ink paintings, digital book illustrations and paper clay mounts. My art is whimsical and a little out of the ordinary and it will make you smile. Everyone deserves to live in make believe. Escape from reality and embrace the whimsy.
