Hello! My name is Sylvia Elyse Casbourn, although to most I am Sylvie. I was born in 1992 in London, Ontario, Canada. Although I have always enjoyed making art I did not always intend to pursue it as a career. Growing up I enjoyed maths and sciences as well as visual art and pursued a university degree in Geography and Environmental Management in an attempt to find a middle ground. After getting a Bachelor’s degree (BES) from the University of Waterloo I worked in the environmental field but soon learned that I had more to offer in a creative field. That lead to a ten-month course in product design in Milan, Italy. Throughout this time I continued creating and started doing a few commissions for friends and family. Upon returning from Italy I had several of my own projects lined up and starting getting more and more commissions. Something that was happily little affected by the pandemic. This brings me to the present, creating a website for my artwork and expanding into prints – although still finding it odd to call myself an artist!
Williams Café, London Ontario – October 2018
Westland Gallery Square Foot Show, London Ontario – July 2019
Fringe Gallery Marvelous Miniatures Show & Sale, London Ontario – July 2019
Williams Café, London Ontario – October 2019
Westland Gallery Square Foot Show, London Ontario – December 2020
ART COMP 2024 at 100 Kellogg Place, London Ontario – May – September 2024
Ojibway Club Art Show 2024, Point Au Baril Onatrio – August 2024
Simple Reflections Collective at TAP Gallery, London Ontario – September 2024
Westland Gallery Square Foot Show, London Ontario – December 2024
Simple Reflections Collective Showcase at Museum London, London Ontario – February 15th 11am to 5pm 2025
www.simplereflectionsforartists.com
Museum London Gift Shop – February 2025
London Artists Studio Tour, London Ontario – Friday April 25th to Sunday April 27th 2025
Inspiration can come from anywhere: a picturesque vista, a tiny detail, a certain quality of light, a pleasing composition. Inspiration strikes far more often than I have the time to create. I typically work from photographs I or a loved one has taken, although I am trying to be less rigidly faithful to the photograph. I am also experimenting with more mediums and techniques. Every medium has its advantages and disadvantages; for each piece I select the medium I feel would suit it best. Some of these pieces end up being my favourites.
A collection inspired by time spent at a family cottage on the St. Lawrence River in Québec. I have enjoyed the privilege of spending a few weeks at the cottage almost every summer of my life. While there one cannot help but admire the beauty of the St. Lawrence River in its ever-changing moods. From purples and oranges in dramatic sunsets, teals and beiges of brewing storms, clear blues of a sunny day, to muted pastels when the light is low, the river provides an endless kaleidoscope of colours. A lifetime of capturing these scenes by photograph resulted in the perfect basis for a series of paintings. When I initially went through my lifelong collection of photos I had a short list of 493! That was eventually whittled down to a first 16. Expect many future additions to this series!
This series is based on photographs I took while walking through a local park in London, Ontario. I was there with my family while they were participating in the annual Christmas Bird Count (yup, that’s a thing). While they were scouring the treetops for birds I was experimenting with a new camera. The lighting that day was unusual, a light but low overcast prevented any shadows being cast, yet combined with a reflective layer of fresh white snow the day felt bright. Enough light came through to bring out the warm hues in the trees. It made for a very peaceful ambiance which I have tried to capture in this series of acrylic paintings.
A series based on the wild white rose, Rosa alba, that grows abundantly in Québec and Atlantic provinces of Canada. When visiting these regions I take lots of reference photos for future paintings. I especially try to capture moments when bright sunlight creates a strong contrast between flowers in the foreground and a dark shadowed background. The sunlight also makes the rose leaves appear shiny and reflective. In these paintings the rose leaves are often just as much of artistic interest as the flowers.
I come from a family of birdwatchers. While birds are not my passion, I can appreciate them from an artistic point of view. This series is entirely based on photographs my Dad has taken of our local avian friends. All the species in this series are ones you might find in southwestern Ontario. While typically not as brilliantly coloured as some of their tropical counterparts, their touches of colour lend themselves well to working in ink and pencil crayon. Many thanks for my Dad’s patience and photography skills for capturing the reference images!
This is a fairly new, and so far small, series based on photographs I’ve taken of water. The images are taken when sunlight creates intricate and dazzling patterns across the surface of a body of water. Often the photos are taken at sunset when the water is reflecting warm golds and oranges, proving that one does not always reach for blue when painting water. Expect more of this series to come!
I frequently work on commission; if you have an idea in mind let me know! Whether it’s just the seed of an idea or you have a very specific vision, don’t hesitate to get in touch. Maybe it’s something to capture a memory, a gift for a loved one, an image you’ve always thought would make a great painting, or a portrait of a beloved pet. Size, medium and style are all open for discussion. Cost estimates are variable depending on size, medium and complexity of the work.
On the right are some examples of commissioned works.
The button below will take you to the Contact page where you will find more details on requesting a commission and a contact form to fill out with your details.
