OSA 2025 OPEN JURIED EXHIBITION

Medium: Silkscreen printing
Statement of Intent: To be silent is to be complicit. The recent threats of annexation by the newly-elected U.S. President Donal Trump has generated a national wave of anger and patriotism among Canadians. This wave has generated a movement within our nation that is changing how we shop, how we eat and how we travel. I created this piece to reflect the rising up of Canadians as a strong and independent people. There is perhaps nothing more Canadian than a beaver to express this resolute attitude. Like a lot of Canadians, beavers are gentle, hard working and go along quietly about their business. But when faced with danger, they make noise by slapping their tails on the water as a warning sign and can take an aggressive stand to protect their home and their young. This artwork reflects my own personal resolve to fight for our values and land, and that of my fellow Canadians.
Sale Price: $500.00

Medium: Digital Photography
Statement of Intent: In This IS a Place That We Call Home, I bring together the landscapes of Canada’s Most Eastern Point and the West's iconic Rocky Mountains — distant geographies layered into a single visual breath. This piece blurs borders, collapsing time and space to reveal a unified terrain of memory and belonging. Canada is a country defined by its vastness, but also by our deeply personal connections to place. In layering these landscapes, I’m not just merging topographies — I’m weaving together emotional landscapes too: nostalgia, identity, and the quiet awe of standing in something greater than oneself. Through this piece I invite the viewer to reflect on what makes a place home. Is it the coastlines and mountains, the paths we walk, or the stories we carry? It’s not a map. It’s a meditation.
Sale Price: $2100.00

Medium: Digital Photo on Metal Panel
Statement of Intent: As a landscape artist I see the beauty in what our country has. I can also see how fragile it can appear, yet how strong it is. There is much, either through human interference our land has had to endure and still to face. Our country will take on many tests, and succeed in adapting and overcoming what it is challenged with. The pieces that I have produced for this theme are my photographs trees and their exposed roots, which I have digitally enhanced. For me the roots express how Canadians are attached to our land. Landscape that has endured, modified and changed to better suit a moment. I use the various tools of a Photoshop program as brushes, blending, combining and layering. I cut, paste and collage as I work through my digital images. My work is intuitive and responds to my medium and how it reacts to the surface, I feel that is how our Canada is responding to what affects it now and in the future.
Sale Price: $350.00

Medium: Acrylic paint
Statement of Intent: This painting reflects the balance between the roaring excitement in my heart and the silence of the northern lights. I wanted to capture the moment when my eyes first saw the sky dancing with colours and I felt a magical connection to the vast, wild beauty around me. I stood beneath the cosmos on a path so dark, with a pounding heart, only to be humbled by its grandeur. This piece is more than just an interpretation of nature's marvel; it is an invitation to pause, reflect, and be present in the moment of witnessing nature's silent storytelling.
Sale Price: $500.00

HONOURABLE MENTION

Medium: Pencil on Drafting Film
Statement of Intent: Patriotism. A sentiment experienced quietly by many Canadians - pride felt deeply but not displayed. No need to brag or argue. Suddenly, the world changes. Sovereignty challenged. Patriotism becomes purposefully and consciously expressed, a whisper rippling to a roar. Shouted from the rooftops in decidedly uncharacteristic manners. Quickly woven into the day-to-day lives of our Canadian youngsters in a way that hasn’t been seen for generations. They listen. They believe. They trust. They will inherit the Canada that we protect. Their future is in our hands. It’s time to meet this moment.
Sale Price: $1300.00

Medium: Mixed media-acrylic paint and ink, newspaper and tissue paper on wood panel; framed on gallery depth floating frame
Statement of Intent: This mixed media piece (2 of 2 in a series), artfully crafted using a diverse range of recycled materials such as aged newspapers and delicate layers of tissue paper, reflects a profound love and deep appreciation for our cherished country in a pivotal moment in history when we, as a nation, are looking to redefine our role on the worldwide stage and re-assert our place in the global community. A First Nations symbol elegantly and respectfully represents our rich and complex past, while the defined yet somewhat murky depiction of the Canadian Flag symbolizes our ongoing national redefining at this significant moment in history. The bold graphics combined with the evocative newsprint artfully represent the strength, resilience, and unity of our diverse nation, reminding us of the incredible mosaic that we are all a part of. True Patriot Love!
Sale Price: $575.00

Medium: photograph on canvas, framed
Statement of Intent: This is the story of two bears and a fish. I will be mysterious and call the brown one on the left “Canada”; the lighter one on “Usa”. The fish is the world’s riches. One fine August day, Canada deftly caught a spawning salmon in its mouth and was preparing to take it to shore. Usa, rather than catching fish itself, demanded that Canada relinquish its catch. Canada defended itself in a fierce battle. As far as fighting over fish is concerned, this battle was unnecessary - the waters of this creek were absolutely teeming with salmon. There was plenty to sustain these two, and indeed, all the other resident bears. Is it greed or laziness or something else that drives Usa’s need to fight? Is this fight really about the salmon or the territory? I read that territorial disputes can occur over access to prime feeding areas, but on this day, the entire river ran red with fish. I wish I could show you the last photo in this sequence, in which Canada is victorious. And hilariously, Usa growls menacingly at a random seagull, as if to blame the seagull for its own failure.
Sale Price: $750.00

Medium: Mixed Media
Statement of Intent: I made this artwork based upon my own frustrations as a proud, born and raised Canadian. I can't help but feel my skin crawl that US President Trump wants our country to become the 51st State. I hope this artwork connects with other Canadians who were also upset by his comments and others heard going around, and continue to stand tall with Canada as it remains our Country and never becomes a State. A side note: I create my art with an black ink sketch first, then upload it to my Samsung Galaxy smartphone and with my finger I colour in my art and add shadow, more texture, etc. I love digital drawing and found this to be my favourite way to create it.
Sale Price: $250.00

Medium: acrylic
Statement of Intent: When I took the photo that inspired this piece, I knew it had to be a painting. The day was chilly, with a precipitation mix of rain and snow. In late June. At Lake Louise. It was a day to take stock of what pushes me to paint the sky, water, and rock that are such a big part of the Canadian landscape. The certainty that even this piece of Canada, far west from my Southern Ontario roots, belongs to me. The figure standing there, with his broken umbrella, giving context and scale to the grand view. Now is a time for contemplation on the value of our land to each of us. For me, it comes down to this … endless possibilities. This is mirrored in the art, looking out on an inclement day to distant beauty.
Sale Price: $2400.00

Medium: acrylic on 1.5 wooden rondel
Statement of Intent: I have always been fascinated with the beauty of our Canadian Flag as it's shapes twist and turn in the wind. The current crisis and heightened pride in our independence and strength inspired and compelled me to paint the flag in my signature labyrinth style. To me it's not elbows up but Flags Up.
Sale Price: $2600.00

Medium: Oil on Linen
Statement of Intent: Though I'm not a particularly patriotic person, I've had a the strongest, strangest knee-jerk reaction to American rhetoric about becoming the 51st state. This painting reflects my anger towards the audacity of it—amongst my fellow Canadians who agree—exacerbated by my fear about living in a border city (an easy target if violence were to erupt.) The red anonymous figures represent Canadians (we are all Canadians, no matter what we look like otherwise), as well as the cheeky smiley-face button (the way the world sees us.) We are friendly, but also tough when the situation calls for it. I've etched script into the background paint that repeats the words "not today".
Sale Price: $5400.00

Medium: acrylic
Statement of Intent: Artist Statement for Christine Proctor BFA OSA This piece is about Canada when our beliefs and democracy were being challenged by both the freedom truck convoys, and the election that propagated confusion and mixed messages testing our unity. This painting celebrates a journey from darkness to light My intent was to symbolize this trip using colour and shape…and perhaps inject a little humour and play with mixed messages that the viewer will have to find and interpret. There is a road and yellow lines leading supposedly to the same place. The abstracted, tipping vehicles could be a trucker convoy or perhaps the colors of red, blue and green representing some of the political parties. I paint the sky using a progression from dark to light values, a sky in motion illustrating our trip from dark times towards light. The explosion of coloured shapes in the sky can be interpreted many ways. Combining shapes could indicate indecision or compromise. Small muted shapes could show hesitation or fear. There are colours of political parties. The larger squares of saturated colour are bright, energetic happy places to be. Perhaps the spirit of the North is residing there!
Sale Price: $1200.00

HONOURABLE MENTION

Medium: Acrylic on 300LB Hot Press
Statement of Intent: Lacrosse has evolved from a spiritual game of our Native people. Our Indigenous peoples consider it a gift from the creator which is not only a sport but also a spiritual expression of community, healing & gratitude. This game has become a powerful symbol of Canadian Identity, unity & pride. The National Lacrosse Association was formed in 1867 by the Montreal Lacrosse Association becoming the first national sport governing body in North America. Lacrosse is a true source of Canadian identity. My granddaughter Ottawa, is quite the athlete. She is tough with a touch of grace. Here she is portrayed at a Lacrosse Tournament, exhibiting the qualities of a true Canadian athlete.
Sale Price: $6000.00

Medium: Acrylic on Panel Board
Statement of Intent: The bear is a powerful, yet good natured creature unless challenged. Not one to be angered or under-estimated. My Grandmother had a saying. “The teapot that whistles the loudest is most empty”. One does not need to be loud to carry strength. At the end of the day – the turbulent atmosphere of chaos has the benefit of the opportunity to re-evaluate and leave behind the parts of elements that are no longer useful. So perhaps being silently strong has value. Perhaps using all senses to move beyond the surface madness can be a key factor in determining a decisive response. As a diverse and unified nation, we can look directly at chaos, change perspective, and evolve into a better version. Canadians are gifted with presence, and we should be very proud. Every element of this painting has been considered from the thorny wallpaper thistles to the flailing shriveled leaves on the orange dangling in a vulnerable manner.
Sale Price: $700.00

THE LIFE MEMBERS AWARD

Medium: Photography, inkjet on metal
Statement of Intent: A lone evergreen tree stands tall, tiny in the face of the immensity of the Rocky Mountains, in Banff, Canada. Canada is standing tall right now, standing up against the machine of a United States gone amuck. Do not mistake our empathy or our politeness for weakness. Canada strong.
Sale Price: $1500.00

Medium: Acrylic
Statement of Intent: This piece is a visceral reaction to the skewed "power over" dynamic currently in the USA, and the attempted stifling of LGBTQ11, diversity and women's issues. as well as the impact of the everchanging policies.
Sale Price: $200.00

Medium: Oil on canvas
Statement of Intent: This is a Cardinal I know; he is a regular in my yard all year long. He has a bit of attitude and is often on look out, making sure things are safe for his mate. He has a little chip out of his beak, so I know it's him. He is also quite sensitive, you can on occasion see see him feeding his soul mate. As he perches in his regular spot you can sometimes catch a glimpse as the wind hits his peak in such a way that you just know, this one is a rockstar. This cardinal, the Rockstar, embodies so much of what I feel today as a Canadian. We're all looking our for each other while bringing our best selves into a difficult situation. This painting is from my Birds of my neighbourhood series where I'm discovering and painting local birds.
Sale Price: $4500.00

BEST IN SHOW

Medium: Digital Photomontage printed on archival paper
Statement of Intent: This work is based on recent events regarding Russian influence and Trump's alliance with Putin.
Sale Price: $875.00

Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Statement of Intent: “True North” depicts a moon glow scene over the land of Nunavut; you get the feeling of warmth in a frozen land from the view of a mining camp, resources stripped from the land for our consumption
Sale Price: $2495.00

Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Statement of Intent: “Cosmic symbolism is found in the very structure of the habitation. The house is an imago mundi. The sky is conceived as a vast tent supported by a central pillar; the tent pole or the central post of the house is assimilated to the Pillars of the World and is so named.” Mircea Eliade, The Sacred and the Profane. This painting is a meditation on my personal relationship with the Canadian Arctic, inspired by a trip to the Yukon. I attempted to reimagine and re-root my Siberian and Mongolian identity within a northern landscape of Canada. At the heart of the composition is the yurt, or ger, the traditional dwelling of the Mongols. The yurt is a microcosm of the universe; its architectural structure encodes the symbolic axis mundi, and the central pole represents a link between the earthly and the divine realms. The aurora borealis above the yurt acts as both visual and spiritual anchor. This artwork thus attempts to bridge two geographies together, placing the sacred architecture of Northeast Asia within the landscape of the Canadian North.
Sale Price: $100.00