Juliana McDonald

Juliana McDonald

Stittsville, ON, Canada

About Juliana McDonald

Canadian Landscape Artist. Oil painting and large-scale paper works. Born in London, ON, Canada. Raised and currently living in Ottawa, Canada. Member of Enriched Bread Artists Studios in Ottawa, ON, Canada since 2000. My paintings are held in the City of Ottawa Public Art Collection, as well as many private, corporate, and public collections. They include the Canadian Medical Protective Association, Ottawa, Canada, Dr. Stephen M. Earle Dentistry, Ottawa, Canada, and Insight Talent Advisors Inc., Ottawa, Canada. My oil paintings on canvas are driven by ecological issues involving loss of habitat of pollinating insects, especially the Monarch butterfly. My nature-based themes include illusive qualities of water, sky, and land. They focus on the importance of protecting nature and, hence, our own existence on the planet. My paintings usually begin with a detail from my photos or sketches while walking in green spaces close to home or canoeing in the Canadian Shield. I use mainly palette knife to apply layers of oil paint to the stretched canvas. This technique creates active, lively surfaces that suggest shifting light and complex detail. My intention is to awaken a deep appreciation and awe for the wonders of nature.

Education:

Bachelor of Fine Arts, University of Ottawa, magna cum laude, 2,000.
Highest Standing Award in Faculty of Arts, University of Ottawa, 2000.
Art Specialist Teacher, Carleton Board of Education, Ottawa, ON, Canada

Events:

Exchange and exhibition with Little Berlin artist collective in Philadelphia, PA, USA, curated. My artwork only was featured on the invitation.
Exchange and exhibition with Quartair Art Initiatives, the Hague, Netherlands, curated.
Grant recipient for City of Ottawa in celebration of its 150th anniversary.
Venice Biennale: Paintings featured in two international video presentations, juried, 2015 and 2019.
Coordinated an exhibition for Gallery 101 Artist-Run Centre, Ottawa, ON, Canada, called "Verticality", which later traveled to the O'Connor Gallery in Toronto, ON.
Ottawa Art Gallery Annual Art Auction contributor for 10 years.

Exhibitions:

Little Berlin Gallery, Philadelphia, PA, USA., 2019
Annexe Gallery, Ottawa Art Gallery, Ottawa, ON Canada, "Collective Record", 2018
Cube Gallery, Ottawa, ON Canada, regular exhibitor
Quartaire Art Initiatives, the Hague, Netherlands, 2013
Ottawa School of Art, Shenkman Centre, Ottawa, ON, "Losing Ground". Solo. 2013.
Gallery 101, "Create This Revolution", Ottawa, ON Canada, 2013.
Snapdragon Gallery, Ottawa, ON, "Earth and Sky". Solo. 2007.
Artguise Gallery, Ottawa, ON, "Recent Works". Solo. 2007.
O'Connor Gallery, "Verticality", Toronto, ON Canada, 2009
Sussex Gallery, City of Ottawa, ON, "Secrets and Revelations". Solo. 2006