2025: Art and AI

Two themes shaped much of my year: art and AI. Probably not in the way you might expect.

Art and AI (and the space between)

I work with AI daily in my role as a UX designer. I use it as a thinking partner, to explore ideas, refine work, and move faster. At Pagecloud, where I work, we’re deep into building a new AI-powered website builder, so I’m fully immersed in the generative and product side of things. That work has rekindled my love of designing tools, especially tools that help small businesses and creatives do their best work.

My art, however, remains firmly analog.

I don’t use AI in the creative process itself. The drawing, painting, and observation are entirely mine. That separation is intentional. Making art is how I reset and ground myself. I love the craft, the slowness, and the physicality of it. Where AI does help is around the edges: organizing, writing, planning, and keeping track of things like calls for art. I suspect I’ll build a few small agents to help with that over the next year, and I’ll share those experiments when they’re ready.

2025 also included moments of rest and perspective that helped reinforce the importance of stepping back and making space for creative focus.

The art stuff

Right.

Birds of My Neighbourhood

My fascination with birds has continued to deepen and is now solidifying into a body of work I’m calling Birds of My Neighbourhood. Focusing on local species has completely changed how I see my surroundings. Each year I notice more variety, more behaviour, more quiet drama happening just outside my door.

Because I work from my own references, this has meant a lot of walks with my camera. Those walks come with stories, encounters, and moments that stay with me when I return to the studio.

As I write this, there’s a large flock of Bohemian Waxwings in the trees across the street. Yes, I’ve already left my desk more than once to watch them and grab a few photos.

I’m hoping to continue developing this series and eventually exhibit it. A few new works from 2025 feel like an important step in that direction.

Exhibitions

One of my paintings, The Rockstar, was included in the 151st Ontario Society of Artists Open Juried Exhibition, The Quiet North, in Toronto. This was the first time I’ve shown work outside of Ottawa. Attending the vernissage and meeting the other artists made the experience especially meaningful.

I’m looking ahead to 2026 with the goal of finding and applying to more exhibitions.

Kanata Civic Art Gallery

This year marked my third year as a member of the Kanata Civic Art Gallery, a small, artist-run community gallery at the John Mlacak Centre. I participate in as many exhibitions as I can and have Artist Cards available there.

I also took part in the Gift of Art show again this year. It’s a two-day show and sale, and this time I brought my drawing kit and worked on bird drawings during the event. Creating in public felt good. I used to do it often, but it had been a while. Thank you to everyone who stopped by to say hello.

Life drawing at the Kanata Art Club

Life drawing continues to be a constant for me. It’s a place where I can lose myself in the act of drawing. It’s grounding, social, and deeply enjoyable. I’m especially grateful for the strong community of models here in Ottawa.  A few drawings from 2025 stand out as personal favourites.

I coordinate the life drawing at the Kanata Art Club and if you are in the area and want to know more let me know.

Art prints

This year I had giclée prints locally made for a couple of my bird paintings. I was very happy with the quality and feel confident offering prints more broadly in the future. I plan to make these available through my website sometime next year. If you’re interested before then, feel free to reach out.

Adjusting priorities

Both 2025 and 2026 are about being more intentional with how I spend my time.

Fitness

I’ve been making a consistent effort to take better care of myself. We have a Peloton bike at home, which I use regularly in the fall and winter, and in the warmer months my walks with the camera double as both exercise and exploration. This has been a positive shift, and one I want to continue building on.

Compressing my work week

In the fall and early winter, I experimented with a compressed work week. Having dedicated, uninterrupted time to create while still protecting family time has been incredibly valuable. It’s a work in progress, especially when it comes to knowing when to step away, but it’s a change I deeply appreciate.

Figureworks

After nearly 15 years of involvement, I made the decision to step away from Figureworks. This is my last year on the board, I love the organization and the people behind it, but it felt like the right time to create more space for my own work.

Figureworks is looking for new board members so if you are interested in helping to shape the prize consider applying.

Looking ahead to 2026

I have a good feeling about 2026.

Professionally, Pagecloud has a major product launch coming up, and I’m excited to be all-in on that work. Creatively, my focus on local birds continues to feel rich and meaningful. Developing that series further will be my primary artistic push.

I also plan to seek out more opportunities to show my work and stay connected to the communities that have supported me so generously.

Footnote: I did write this. I also used AI to help make it clearer. Both things can be true.