The vibrant colours I employ are how I see nature: beautiful, full of life, and colourful.
Imagine living in a small, isolated northern community with a lengthy train ride or an airplane flight being the only conduits to the south. This was a world of long winters and brief summers, where there were no lattes to be found and dinner out entailed a bucket of KFC from the local Northern Store. This was my home for the majority of my life.
My name is Denice Bustraen and I’m from the remote community of Moosonee, Ontario, up on the southern tip of the James Bay, the traditional home of the Moose Cree First Nation, of whom I am a member. Although I was always creative, my journey to becoming an artist
started late in life. It wasn’t until I’d relocated to the awe-inspiring Northumberland Hills a handful of years ago that I discovered the acrylic medium as well as the ready availability of proper canvases and quality art supplies. You can imagine my surprise when I discovered that an artist was lurking inside of me.
My paintings are a reflection of my love of the outdoors, of canoeing, hiking, camping, and living with the lan And from time to time, the colours of my aboriginal heritage find their way onto the canvas as well. I hope you enjoy my work as much as I enjoy creating it!