About The Artist

BIOGRAPHY Award winning, Ottawa artist, Margaret Chwialkowska was born and educated in Poland. Her painting is inspired by nature, particularly the power and richness of the North American landscape. Many of her works grew out of travels to the Northwest Territories, the US, and throughout Ontario's vast lakes and forests. Today she works primarily in the Ottawa area, focusing on the banks of the Ottawa River and the forests of the Gatineau Hills, working to capture both its timeless grandeur and the ever-changing moods. Her nature inspired work is charged with vibrant, almost fantastical colours and dramatic texture. Her works are in many Canadian Art Galleries, as well as private and corporate collections in Canada, US and Europe. ARTIST’S STATEMENT I paint "alla prima," blending the pigments together on the canvas using a palette knife. This technique allows textures to evolve naturally, and permits a loose, spontaneous style and in turn evokes the tactile quality of my subjects. The goal of my painting is to evoke the mood of a natural setting and to capture the feeling of being overwhelmed by the natural, almost magical beauty of a landscape. I am captivated by the creative process of painting and am compelled by the spirituality that overtakes me when contemplating a landscape. I want my art to be positive, free, beautiful, and romantic--something you cannot live without.