Maud Lewis Inspired Deer Artwork

Living and creating art in Nova Scotia, it's hard not to know who Maud Lewis was. Her colourful folk art, filled with simple shapes, landscapes and cute animals, has become a much-loved part of our province's artistic history. Today, her paintings are treasured by collectors and inspire many surrounding artists.

A little backstory:

In 2005, my husband and I adopted a stray black cat while we were living in Halifax. She was sweet, timid, and had an old soul. Naturally, as art lovers and graphic artists, we named her Maud...she looked like the ones in her paintings! Maud truly was the best cat, and we still miss her dearly. I'll save the story of our male cat Lewis for another day... but now you can see I've been a fan for a long time!

When I started pressing flowers 8 years ago, there was no course or online training; everything I know has come from years of experimenting through trial and error. 

While I definitely wouldn't describe myself as a folk artist, I can see some similarities in the way I work. My materials are simple and natural, my techniques are self-taught, and I often use colour, shape, and simplified forms to bring an image to life. There's a certain freedom in working this way, especially when I'm letting the botanicals guide my creativity.

I've been thinking about this particular artwork for a while. I wanted to add something new to my winter scenery collection, and Maud Lewis's paintings felt like a natural source of inspiration. As I worked on the piece, I found myself fussing over things like the faces and the shapes of the bodies. I kept asking myself, "What would Maud use for this?" and " How would she approach this part of the artwork?"

I imagined she wouldn't have spent too much time worrying about every tiny detail. She would have worked with what she had on hand and made it amazing, and it was my little reminder to stop overthinking, trust my creativity, and let the artwork take shape naturally. I'm also drawn to the way Maud sometimes brought different seasons together in her paintings. Winter scenes often included colourful leaves or flowers, and that mix of colour and nature felt perfect for my pressed flower creations. 

Is the finished piece perfect? Not at all. But I think that's part of what I love about it. It has character, and it came together in a way I didn't expect. It also gave me a chance to explore Nova Scotian folk art through my own style. It feels connected to the place I call home, inspired by an artist whose work has become such a familiar part of our province, while still being very much my own.

The original framed and signed artwork, along with print reproductions and greeting cards, is available in my shop.

Thanks for reading, 
Ashley