1. Tell us about yourself!
My name is Miranda, and I live in beautiful Margaree, Cape Breton. I am new to Cape Breton, although I’m not a stranger to the East Coast, as I spent a few years in Halifax studying art at NSCAD University. I love traveling and have been across Canada in a ’67 RV named Mabel. Somewhere between B.C. and the Yukon, Mabel acquired antlers. They were fastened to the front of the RV, making her quite a force to be reckoned with.
2. What inspired you to start creating your items? What drives your passion in this area?
Since I’ve moved to Cape Breton, I have turned to mostly landscape painting. Much of this has been out of the desire to express the beauty of my new surroundings. These prints and cards come from paintings that are from moments of beauty that I capture while walking along the Cabot Trail and in the fields where I live. These began as a sketchbook series which I started for myself as a way to keep up painting without a studio. I showed them to friends and family and they encouraged me to sell them at local shops and markets, which I’ve been doing since December 2023.
Landscapes and botanical themes have been a huge inspiration for me throughout my life, and were always featured in my work in some small way. An awareness of the fragility of ecosystems and their need for stewardship is a driver for me to convey this beauty; a stalwart case to preserve and share in it.
3. Share something about yourself that most people wouldn’t know.
I never imagined I would become a landscape painter. However, in Margaree, there are so many wonderful landscape artists, who in part inspired me to embrace the genre in my own way. I was a figurative painter for most of my life, and only took landscape workshops in 2017 as a way to challenge myself to tackle painting backgrounds with more enthusiasm.
My landscape teacher, Keita Morimoto, an incredible painter, introduced to me the concept of making small gouache landscapes in sketchbooks. This has really stayed with me, especially in times when I don’t have a studio. You don’t need a ton of space or money to make art, just the desire to put aside a few hours and stick with it. Yes, you can start a business from your kitchen table!
4. When you're not working, what is your favourite pastime?
I love growing vegetables, especially funny, warty looking heirloom squash. I also love sauntering through the woods and fields with my dog, Jess.
Welcome, Miranda! Browse and shop her prints and cards, here.
