De la Rivière Gatineau

From December 2025 to May 2026, I undertook a self-directed residency along the Gatineau River, immersing myself in a period of sustained observation and studio inquiry. Building on my established still life practice, I continued to explore florals and botanicals from an intimate vantage point, working on natural, interiors-inspired fabrics such as fine linen and muslin. These materials—soft, porous, and historically domestic—allowed the imagery to hold both immediacy and memory.

During this time, the work expanded beyond the tabletop. While vessels, fruit, and heirloom plants remain present, I began carrying my florals outward into the surrounding landscape, translating my penchant for close-looking into panoramic, immersive compositions. The river environment, with its shifting light, dense growth, and quiet rhythms, deepened my attention to pattern, repetition, and the interplay between wildness and arrangement.

This collection reflects that dialogue between interior and exterior, intimacy and expanse, where cultivated forms and untamed growth meet, and where observation becomes a meditation on place, continuity, and lived experience.

This collection is currently on exhibition, courtesy of Culture Toronto, as a part of 3rd Voice at Assembly Hall Gallery in Etobicoke, ON, from February 17 - March 26, 2026. Email christie@christiebakerart.com for information or to purchase.