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. I started getting more commissions, especially pet portraits, and entered a few art shows. In 2023 I taught myself how to build a website, where you find yourself now! I’ve continued entering shows, doing commissions and expanded into producing fine art prints and notecards as well as original artwork. I’ve also been lucky enough to have unique opportunities such as working with Rockscapes of Canada at the London Children’s Museum. Outside of creating fine art I enjoy many other creative endeavours such as sewing, basket making, cooking, cake baking and cake eating!
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.
Sometimes I get an idea and it won’t let me go. Sometimes I am inspired by something I see but want to make a few changes to the design. The only option was to teach myself to sew so I could make those ideas come to life. Pattern making is like designing and then putting together a three dimensional puzzle. It can be much simpler than one thinks.
Below are examples of a few of the sewing projects I’ve done over the years, from stuffed animals to wool coats. This year’s challenge will be making a wedding dress for a very dear friend.
In 2022 a family friend introduced me to basket weaving. Some willow varieties have been cultivated to grow in long straight stalks, making them ideal for basket weaving. The willow is best harvested in the Spring or Fall. Once harvested the willow is bundled and dried to be used at a later date. To be used for weaving the willow is the soaked over a number of days until to is malleable with a leather like texture. Using a variety of different techniques and patterns a basket is created!
In the fall of 2023 I was hired to design the logo for the Elgin Middlesex Woodland Association.
The logo features leaves and berries from the Sassafras tree, a species native to south-western Ontario as well as tree rings. All the leaf shapes and colours are representative of Sassafras leaves.
In the summer of 2024 I got an amazing opportunity to work with Rockscapes of Canada at the London Children’s Museum. In 2024 the Children’s Museum moved to a new location which involved building brand new exhibits. One of the companies creating the new space was Rockscapes of Canada who specialize in created faux rocks and trees about of concrete. My role was to paint the concrete trees and rocks to make them look even more realistic.
It was an honour to help create a space that is such an integral part of the London Community for so many families, and to be part of something that will have a lasting legacy for many generations.
