Washago painter to be featured at Artist Project 2026 in Toronto

Living within the landscape influences how Lindsay Smail approaches painting, focusing less on what nature looks like and more on how it behaves

A Washago painter whose work is shaped by the “natural processes” surrounding her studio will be among the artists featured at Artist Project 2026 later this month in Toronto.

Lindsay Smail, who works out of a studio near the wilderness north of Orillia, approaches painting as a process influenced by the natural forces she observes rather than as a traditional depiction of landscape.

Instead of recreating scenery, Smail uses water, pigment and raw canvas to produce surfaces that evolve through movement and interaction of materials. She says her work is inspired by natural systems such as accumulation, erosion, growth and collapse.

Living within the landscape influences how she approaches painting, focusing less on what nature looks like and more on how it behaves, she says.

The resulting paintings often feature layered, fluid surfaces that shift unpredictably as materials interact, creating works that appear organic and in motion.

Smail will exhibit at Artist Project 2026, which runs March 26 to 29 at the Enercare Centre in Toronto.

The event features about 250 independent contemporary artists and offers visitors an opportunity to view and purchase original artwork directly from creators.

More information about the show is available at theartistproject.com.