Selected Projects
Over the past few years, I have been so fortunate to work with some truly amazing clients. These projects range from commissioned paintings and illustrations, public speaking & workshops, murals and other forms of public art.
Creative Business Bootcamp - Art Windsor Essex
Windsor, ON
My first project of 2024 was a really excellent experience!
I was contacted by Art Windsor-Essex, our region's foremost public gallery, to host a 4-week series all about the business of Art. Each week, we focused on different aspects of running a successful art business including marketing; portfolio creation; project management; funding and opportunities; and positioning. In addition, I held 2 one-on-one mentorship opportunities for the attendees to pick my brain and present some of their personal challenges and come up with strategies for success.
I was so impressed with the variety of different artists, musicians, and makers that showed up. It was a powerful opportunity to do something that I am VERY PASSIONATE about: building community and connection in the arts in our region.
This program was created by Art Windsor-Essex and funded by a Libro Grant. It was free for the participants, making it accessible to all artists, regardless of their experience or financial status.
Click images for more info:
Sport in Essex Mural Restoration Project - Town of Essex
Essex, ON
I've teamed up once again with Artist David Creed on another challenging and exciting project. We met with the Town of Essex to assess a few murals found around town. We visited a total of 4 murals which are all showing extensive signs of age. After presenting our findings, the Town of Essex selected The "Sports in Essex" mural located on the exterior of the Essex Centre Sports Complex. This mural is almost a quarter of a century old and is a local "sports hall of fame" featuring great athletes and coaches from the area. Unfortunately, the panels were in the advanced stages of deterioration with large portions of the paint completely peeled off. Over the past few months we have been working on the complete redraw of the over 70 portraits featured in this mural. The new mural was printed on an extremely durable, weather resistant paneling and was installed in late fall 2023.
Weekends in the Studio in November - Art Windsor-Essex
Windsor, ON
I was very excited to once again be hosting "Sundays in the Studio" at Art Windsor-Essex Gallery in Windsor, ON, for the month of November 2023. Workshops included neurographic art, watercolour & marker monoprints, watercolour collaged forests, and 3d paper bag snowflakes. We had a wonderful time getting creative together!
Meditative Arts Workshops at House of Sophrosyne
Windsor, ON
In 2022, I was commissioned by Art Windsor-Essex and The House of Sophrosyne to come in for one of their 5 week cohorts to lead the women in addicition recovery through the creation of a mural. During that time, I decided to also offer weekly intuitive art workshops. I knew that all 20 of the women in that group would not be able to paint the mural at the same time, so I created 5 unique workshops in which I shared some basic mixed media techniques that would give them the opportunity to tap into their creativity. These went so well, that in December of 2022 I was called upon again by The House of Sophrosyne to come back in and lead a Christmas craft workshop. Around that time, I found out that they were working on applying for a grant to help facilitate hiring me on for at least a year so that I could come and share some of the different meditative techniques I had for the previous two groups of women. I received the call in early 2023 that they had received the grant and offered me a 2 year contract to come in and lead an arts therapy workshop once every cohort. I began my contract at the beginning of May 2023. It has been such an amazing experience meeting so many inspiring woman and teaching them some powerful skills for creative expression.
Expressive Intuitive Art - Creativity Workshop at Sho Art, Spirit and Performance
Windsor, ON
I decided that it was about time that I start offering workshops publicly. Over the past two years, I have had the amazing opportunity to offer workshops for corporate clients. These are always so fun, but they also are suited more to what my clients are hoping to share with their clients. For quite some time I have felt called to share my intuitive process to help inspire people to tap into their own beautiful creativity. In this workshop, I created a variety of atmospheres using video projection and music. Additionally, I brought in a wide range of different arts materials for my participants to choose. My best friend, Carolyn Yakopich, Founder of Soul Awakening School is an outstanding Spiritual Coach. I brought her in to lead a very powerful meditation portion. It was so wonderful! She lead us through breathwork, tone work, and even dancing! To say she assisted in opening everyone up to their creative juices would be a huge understatement! I had many attendees tell me afterward how awesome the meditation portion was and how much it helped them get into creative flow.
After the meditation, I lead my 15 participants on a journey through different techniques and mediums. I encouraged them to let go of their need to make something pretty, and surrender to the process of creativity. At the end, I gave everyone a viewfinder and a mat to find the gold in their work. Everyone had such a wonderful time. I will definitely be offering more workshops like this in the future!
Art Create Learn Magazine - Cover Art Contest - 3rd Place
Windsor, ON
Over the past 2 years, a wonderful new magazine called Art Create Learn has really been making a huge impact in the Windsor-Essex County area. I have had the honour of having my work featured in a total of 4 magazines so far. This fall, Art Create Learn hosted the Fall Cover Art Contest. I was so honoured to have placed 3rd with my piece "Together We Create New Earth". My piece will be featured on the inside back cover of the magazine this Fall. All of the entries for the show were included in a wonderful show at Art Speak Gallery (Arts Council Windsor & Region). My piece was a digital painting which I had printed on canvas and mounted on board. I then repurposed an old frame that was given to me by my mom, Sylvia (it felt right as the theme of the contest was all about preserving the environment and the celebration of the beauty of Windsor-Essex County). The show was packed and featured such amazing work. I felt very humbled to have placed third amongst such outstanding work!
Colchester Harbour "Giant Postcard" Sculpture
Colchester Harbour, Essex, ON
Artist David Creed and I have had such great opportunities in the past to create very fun projects together. I really love working with David. I feel like when we put our heads together the sky is the limit! We were very happy to once again team up on a project creating an interactive piece of public art work for the Town of Essex. We worked with a team of highly skilled contractors to help up bring this project to fruition. When we first met with the Town of Essex, they were looking for a freestanding frame that people could stop and take a picture with. We wanted to take the opportunity to highlight the natural beauty of Colchester Harbour, as well as, share some of the rich history of the area. I created vibrant vector illustrations and worked with the Town to add interesting facts to the back of the postcard. There is also a QR code feature which links to the Town's website so that the viewer can learn more about the area. The frame is made out of industrial steel tubing and high quality, durable signage panels. The postcard hand be found on the walkway that leads from the park above down to the beautiful beach area.
The postcard was officially unveiled by Town of Essex Mayor Sherry Bondy in September 2023.
The Van Gogh Remix Art Show - Capitol Theatre Windsor & Walkerville Artists Co-op
Windsor, ON
In July 2023, I participated in this great two part event called The Van Gogh Remix. Earlier in the year, The Van Gogh interactive exhibit was announced to be coming to Windsor. Unfortunately, the event was cancelled. Artists Maryam Safarzadeh and Debbie Kay came up with the idea to create their own event in which they challenged local artists to create a new piece inspired by the work of Vincent Van Gogh. This event was kicked off in June at the Windsor Symphony and Art Windsor-Essex sponsored show at the Capitol Theatre Windsor titled "Van Gogh: From Darkness to Light" in which the Windsor Symphony played various pieces accompanied by a video installation featuring Van Gogh's greatest works. A handful of artists who were participating in The Van Gogh Remix Art Show were featured at this event. The full show was then held in July at Walkerville Artists Co-op. My piece was inspired by my favourite Van Gogh work titled "Irises". I recreated this work as a digital illustration which I then printed onto fine cotton muslin. I hand-sewed three panels together and added hand-painted elements and rich embroidery.
Pizza Wings Mural at Armando's Pizza Amherstburg
Amherstburg, ON
Local pizza legend, Dean Litster, aka @professorzaaa on Instagram, Owner/Operator & Chef at Armando's Pizza Amherstburg commissioned this amazing pair of pizza wings for his front window. Dean is PASSIONATE about pizza, and was featured in the documentary The Pizza City You've Never Heard Of . I wanted to create not only something that people would want to stop and take a photo with, but also a mural that would make you NEED a slice! I think I succeeded.
AWE Kid's Zone Art Facilitator at Art in the Park
Windsor, ON
It is always such an honour to work with Art Windsor-Essex (Formerly Art Gallery of Windsor). I was asked to come and represent Art Windsor-Essex at the Rotary Club of Windsor's Art in the Park as the Arts Facilitator in the Kid's Zone. We had such a fun time colouring together and making buttons. I created a few brand new, kid focused, colouring pages specifically for the event. I also printed out a few of my kid-friendly colouring pages (which are available for FREE DOWNLOAD here on my website!)
The Kingsville Art Walk Project - Goose Wings Migration Mural
Kingsville, ON
I was very fortunate to be included among 11 outstanding local artists to create beautiful murals that are featured throughout downtown Kingsville as part of their "Art Walk" project. My work titled "Goose Wings Migration Mural", which features a pair of 10' goose wings, was installed on the Pinnacle Realty building in downtown Kingsville. This is interactive piece allows visitors to take pictures "wearing" the wings. This project came about through the partnership between the Federal Development Ontario Corporation, Southwestern Ontario Tourism, The Town of Kingsville and TRUE Kingsville.
Guest Speaker at Arts Society of Kingsville
Kingsville, ON
In early April 2023, I was asked to be the guest speaker for an Arts Society of Kingsville general meeting to introduce myself and my artwork. A year ago, I moved out to rural Essex county out of Windsor. It has been a big goal of mine to start to create new opportunities for myself in my new home and to meet the many outstanding artists here. I was so excited to share my work and you can see the video of my short talk here: CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO
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City of Windsor:
Mayoral Gifts to Sister Cities, 2018, 2019, 2022 & 2023
I was commissioned to create paintings for the City of Windsor's Mayor's Office to be given as gifts by Mayor Drew Dilkens to the Mayors of our sister cities Mannheim, Germany (2023), Lublin, Poland (2022), Saltillo, Mexico (2019), Gunsan, South Korea (2018) and Fujisawa, Japan (2018).
Woman Life Freedom - Protest Art Show - Art Windsor-Essex &
Sho Art, Spirit, and Performance
Windsor, Ontario
This powerful show featured the work of 27 local and international artists. The Woman Life Freedom show was curated by Artist Maryam Sarfarzadeh, who with her daughter and son came to Canada to escape the oppression of the Iranian government. The work in this show was created in solidarity with the Woman Life Freedom protest. My work, "She Became The Fire" celebrated the rising strength of women in Iran. This show was unveiled in a large event held at Art Windsor-Essex on April 1st and ran for the month of April at Sho, Art, Spirit and Performance.
Art Swap with Christy Litster and the Teen Arts Council at Art Windsor Essex
Windsor, Ontario
In this event we engaged in collaborative creating by swapping art pieces with others! This was a great way to learn the importance of collaboration in the arts, and the many different ways we interpret things in a community. Everyone’s effort counted in creating these multi-media art works. I guided the participants through intuitive art making with use of a variety of different materials. In this art class, experimentation, collaboration, and having fun with friends, family, and community were encouraged.
The AWE Teen Arts Council is a group of teens aged 14-17 from across Windsor-Essex who have come together to create programs for teens, by teens. Being involved with The AWE Teen Arts Council, our youth will connect with other artists and art enthusiasts, plan and attend creative workshops and events, and get involved with volunteer opportunities at AWE and beyond.
W.E. Creates on YourTv Windsor - Artist Feature
Windsor, Ontario
I am very fortunate to have been asked to participate in the filming of a great new show called W.E. (Windsor-Essex) Creates on YourTv Windsor, a Windsor, ON based cable tv channel. This show centers around local artists and artisans coming on and teaching host Greg Gnyp a new creative skill. I have been invited 3 times, although once I was unable to participate due to a hectic schedule at the end of 2022. In my first appearance, I taught Greg some simple mixed media techniques on creating an intuitive piece of art. The second episode is the Valentine's Day 2023 episode. I chose to teach him how to create paper roses and we had a blast. I have posted the Create Paper Roses - Step 1 video tutorial in my "Free Stuff" section on the creation of paper roses. Check back soon for Create Paper Roses - Step 2 in which I will show you my hand painting and assembly process. This video will be uploaded soon!
October - Saturdays in the Studio Artist Feature
Weekly Workshops at Art Windsor-Essex
After a very successful experience creating workshops and a custom mural for the House of Sophrosyne in partnership with Art Windsor-Essex, I was once again contacted with an excellent opportunity to share some art skills. Every Saturday, for the month of October, I hosted a set of fall themed workshops to gallery attendees. These workshops are offered free with the cost of admissions to the gallery. The five workshops that I offered were:
- "A View Through the Trees" wood slice painting.
- "Fall Forest" squeegee painting.
- pumpkin painting
- art mask making
- live leaf printing
Murdoch Mysteries Exhibition
Custom Illustrations
I was contacted by the Murdoch Mysteries production team in the later part of 2022 to ask permission to use some of my fan art in a display they were planning on creating for the Murdoch Mysteries traveling exhibition. Here are the two entries I sent them.
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Julia and William (2022), Julia (2019)
WFCU Painting Competition - 2022
Leamington Arts Centre, Leamington, ON
This was my second time participating in the WFCU painting competition at Leamington Arts Centre. Also, it was very nice to see one of my pieces being chosen to be featured on their social media as well. Here I am with the three paintings that made it into the competition in 2022.
Retro Fun House - Mural Collaboration
Blenheim, ON
I was very excited to once again to team up with my friend, the very talented artist David Creed, in the summer of 2022. He was working on creating a massive mural piece on the newly opened Retro Fun House Arcade and Bowling Alley in Blenheim, Ontario. The owners wanted to wrap their building with retro pop-culture references. David called me to help him in the illustration of some of the most iconic characters of the 1980s and 90s. I recreated a variety of icons including She-Ra, Optimus Prime, Yoda driving the DeLorean, Silver Surfer, Homer, Cobra Commander, Voltron, Daft Punk, and a Lamborghini. David put together an awesome collaged mural using both spray paint and printed vinyl on panels. It was so fun to be part of such a cool project!
House of Sophrosyne & Arts Windsor-Essex
5 Week Mural & Intuitive Painting Workshops Sponsored by Arts Windsor-Essex, 2022
As part of their ongoing community outreach programs, Arts Windsor-Essex (formerly Art Gallery of Windsor) sponsored this amazing mural project for the House of Sophrosyne which is a center for addiction treatment for women. I was commissioned to create a series of 5 workshops in which the women would work on the creation of a mural in their community room. I suggested that we add into each workshop the introduction of various different intuitive painting techniques so that they would have additional skills for self expression when they left the program. I created demos for the them, each week, as inspiration. Sophie Hinch, Education & Public Programs Coordinator at Art Windsor-Essex, attended each week assisting me to help the women to create a variety of different pieces of art using these news skills. Additionally, everyone took part in painting the mural which I designed. To add a very special touch, each woman added their finger prints into the flower portion of the mural so that they would leave their permanent mark on the House of Sophrosyne. The experience was life changing for everyone involved, especially me!
The Family Respite Services - Solcz Family Foundation Respite Home
Betty Albert Painting - Re-Creation Mural, 2022
In early 2022, I was contacted by Artist Julia Hall based in Windsor, Ontario with an opportunity to create a mural in the newly built Solcz Family Foundation Respite Home for The Family Respite Services. They had fallen in love with an excellent painting by Canadian Indigenous Artist Betty Albert and received her permission to have a local artist re-create her painting as a mural. I was very pleased to be tasked with such an interesting challenge.
Art Gallery of Windsor
Lightning Talks with Community Creators, 2021
During the lockdown, Art Gallery of Windsor created a variety of interesting community outreach projects to keep the arts available to everyone in their homes. One of these projects was a series of online live zoom presentations called Lightning Talks in which they connected local artists with the community and gave them an opportunity to talk about specific artistic subjects. I was asked come on to join a few muralists to talk about my experiences in mural making in Essex County.
Windsor Mayor's Arts Awards
Winner of Mayor's Arts Award 2020 for Individual Artist
COPIED FROM CityOfWindsor.ca
The Windsor Mayor’s Arts Awards celebrate the individuals and organizations that develop and promote the soul of our City by recognizing those who support locally developed arts, providing exciting, surprising, and meaningful opportunities to strengthen our creative community.
INDIVIDUAL ARTIST – Presented to an individual artist engaged in a broad spectrum of activities having to do with creating, practicing or demonstrating art. Art is broadly conceived to include all genres within the following disciplines: Performance, Visual, Literary, Media/New Media, and Design.
INDIVIDUAL ARTIST: CHRISTY LITSTER Christy Litster is no stranger to the local creative community. In 2008, she committed to building opportunities for emerging artists. She helped found the organization that became the Walkerville Artists’ Co-op; assisted in curating and promoting many shows at Sho Art, Spirit and Performance from 2013-15; and produced over 20 art shows, with 100% of the sales going to local artists. She has hosted sketch nights at the Arts Council Windsor & Region, and created a mentorship series at the Windsor Youth Centre. After a 2016 diagnosis of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, she spent her treatment days working behind the scenes supporting the work of other artists. She went on to create the ‘Windsor Snapshots’ mural for our City’s 125th Birthday, and has received multiple ACHF grants. Today, healthy and busy as ever, Christy has created a series of free colouring book downloads as part of the ACHF COVID-19 presentations.
My Greatest Artwork
My Husband Darryl and I welcomed our son Greyson into the world on May 23, 2021
Click image for more info:
ACHF Grant 2020: Gnomina Dandelion's Adventures in the Garden FREE Colouring Pack and Colouring Contest
Hosted Online - Facebook Contest, 2020
I was awarded an Arts Culture and Heritage Fund Grant to create a series of free downloadable colouring packs and to host an online colouring competition. The colouring pack is STILL AVAILABLE for FREE DOWNLOAD in my Free Stuff Section!
Contest Details:
Contest Entries:
Colouring Contest Winner: Brandi M
Colouring Contest 2nd Place: Jessica L. Campbell
Entry by: Alexa DiCecco
Colouring Contest Winner: Brandi M
Barbie Expo, Montreal, QC, Canada
Permanent Exhibit - Opened Feb, 2016.
I am very pleased that the Barbie I designed, Inuit Legend Barbie, was chosen to be part of the permanent Barbie Expo in Montreal, QC. My doll can be see in Episode 3 of the Virtual Tour at timestamp 2:16.
Town of Lasalle:
"Lasalle: Then & Now Mural at Riverdance Community Centre, 2018
In this mural project, I teamed up with Artist David Creed to create my largest mural to date. This collaboration took place in the Summer of 2018, and is located in the Riverdance Community Centre in the Town of Lasalle.
City of Windsor
"Windsor Snapshots" Mural, 2017
I was the recipient of a Canadian Department of Heritage; Building Communities Through Arts and Heritage Program Grant totaling $14,650. Click HERE for more info and pictures!
City of Windsor's Arts, Culture + Heritage Fund Grant Recipient, 2017
I was very pleased to be the recipient of a Arts, Culture + Heritage Fund Grant totaling $3000 towards my 2018 solo show at Sho Art, Spirit and Performance located in Walkerville, the heart of the Arts Community in Windsor, in June 2018.
To see the work produced for this show:
Art Attack Windsor:
Colchester Mural, 2017
I was commissioned by Art Attack Windsor to create an illustration which was printed into a permanent mural for the Town of Colchester. The mural is located at Colchester Beach. It features a brightly illustrated set of scuba divers on a journey of discovery of the many shipwrecks located in the local Great Lakes.
Art Attack Windsor:
Event Backdrop for Pretty by Katie, 2017
It was a privilege to once again work with Art Attack Windsor to create this digital illustration for a Alice in Wonderland themed Burlesque event hosted by Pretty by Katie. It was projected full stage width at Windsor's Walkerville Theatre.
Art Attack Windsor:
Moto Makeover Movement "Big Ben" Space Truck, 2017
I was chosen as one of 4 artist/artist groups by Art Attack Windsor to give a makeover to an old car as part of Art Attack Windsor's Moto Makeover Movement. My space truck, lovingly called "Big Ben" was unveiled at Walkerville Art Walk in 2017.
Click HERE for more pictures!
Factory House Restaurant:
Full Restaurant Murals, 2017
I was commissioned by the newly opened restaurant, Factory House, to complete a variety of murals featuring industrial inspirations including cogwheels, blueprints, and Rosie the Riveter.
Loblaws Canada:
Picnic Bench Project, 2017
In early 2017, I was contacted by the Loblaws Head office to partner up with another Ontario based artist to create a custom painted picnic bench for Loblaws Canada. I live painted this bench in the Loblaws Booth at The Lasalle Strawberry Festival June 2017. Click HERE to see more photos of the finished collaboration and the original mock-up!
