artfully me
“It’s all allowed—
do whatever brings you to life, then
follow your own fascinations, obsessions, and compulsions.
Trust them.
create whatever causes a revolution in your heart.
The rest will take care of itself”
My work is a playful exploration of the outer world as seen through the lens of my inner world, examining the tension and the harmony of this relationship as human nature meets Mother Nature. These elements merge and interact in a visual dialogue of abstracted layers and intuitive expressions through colour, line and form. It is a delicate balance of opposites, the real and the imagined, the static and the fluid, that inform the conversation, invite contemplation and create a sense of wonder and intrigue.
With a strong belief in creativity as a powerful unifying thread that connects us all, visual artist, poet and author, Chantal sees her creative practice as medicine. Mostly self-taught, art has been her lifelong passion and pursuit alongside a career in education supporting students with special needs. Then in 2016, she was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Determined to continue on an artistic path, her work shifted from representational to a more abstract and intuitive form of expression. This unexpected live detour reignited her devotion to the creative process, fuelled a daily painting practice and continues to spark the curiosity, wonder and joy of making something that didn’t exist before.
A rediscovered love of poetry during the pandemic led Chantal to pursue her own writing which culminated in her first book, Painted Words, Poetry, Art and Parkinson’s, a collection of her art and poems, published in 2022. It is an exploration of self-expression that seeks to celebrate, reflect and honour the mysteries and complexities of being human
In March of 2026, her second book Just Glow With It, Poems, Art and Possibilities was published. The release of this book marks ten years since her diagnosis and the beautiful journey of personal and artistic discovery that she has been on since then.
ARTIST C.V.
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Canada
2026 bmfa annual juried show, collingwood, on.
2026 journeys retrospective exhibition - bmfa anniversary - 50 years, collingwood, on
2026 art showing at resonance event space, collingwood, on
2025 heart of red gala fundraiser in support of my friend’s house women’s shelter, art auction sponsor, collingwood, on
2025 from the inside out, painting and poetry intertwined, Collingwood public library, collingwood, on2025 chef’s showcase in support of junior league of toronto - silent auction sponsor, toronto, on
2024 Celebrating the Colour Turquoise Salon Show, Thornbury, ON
2023 Dear Earth, My Love - Churchill/Embacher/Hutton/Wolf, Meaford, ON
2021 BMFA 41st Annual Juried Group Show, Collingwood, ON
2020 Collingwood Art Crawl, Collingwood, ON
2020 BMFA 40th Annual Juried Group Show - 2nd Place Award, Collingwood, ON
2019 BMFA Group Show, Collingwood, ON
2019 Collingwood Art Crawl, Collingwood, ON
International
2026 World Parkinson’s Congress, Phoenix, Arizona
2025 PMD Alliance Conference and art auction - Austin, TX
2024 PMD Alliance Conference and Art Auction - Austin, TX2023 Kaleidoscope, An International Art Show for Artists with Parkinson’s Disease - Austin, TX
2023 World Parkinson’s Congress - Panelist: Creativity & Parkinson’s Discussion, Barcelona, Spain
2023 World Parkinson’s Congress - Painted Words, Poetry, Art and Parkinson’s Book featured in Book Nook, Barcelona, Spain
2017 Quiet Revolution - image selected for Quiet Art Challenge, USA
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2021 Murray Clerkson Award - BMFA, Collingwood, ON
2020 2nd Place Award - BMFA 40th Annual Juried Group Show, Collingwood, ON
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2026 published - just glow with it, poems, art and possibilities
2025 poem, The Words published in Shelter in Place / book cover art - After the Argument
2022 Published Author - Painted Words, Poetry, Art and Parkinson’s2021 Collingwood Today - Feature Article, Collingwood, ON
2021 “The Magic of Special Children” Book - Cover/Interior Illustrations, book by Astrid Cheney, California, USA
2020 Parkinson’s Canada ebook “You Are Not Alone” - Pathways painting
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1979-1981 Sheridan College - Illustration, Brampton, ON