Art is meant to be seen in person

While the wonders of technology allow you to view my work from anywhere in the world, there is so much detail and nuance lost via computer screen.

• The texture and lusciousness of oil paint.
• The glow of colours that cameras and screens can’t even capture.
• The emotional impact that comes from standing in front of art in person.

None of these things can be replicated by technology.

In a world that seems to go faster every day, where our phones won’t leave us alone, I invite you to step outside of the chaos for a moment.

To slow down.
To look.
To savour.

Watch the process unfold

I’ll be live painting throughout the day. Come find out what goes into creating a painting – see the palette, the brushes and ask all of your burning questions about how I do what I do (no question is too small or “stupid”!)

As a teacher, I have the neat trick of being able to paint and talk at the same time and I love answering questions about art.

Event Details

Date 1: Sunday June 14
Date 2: Sunday June 21
Time: 11am-4pm
Location: 5 Blackburn Ave (corner of Blackburn & Laurier), Ottawa
Link to Google Maps

Parking: There’s plenty of free street parking in the neighbourhood, both directly on the street and on the nearby streets. Please do not park in the building parking lot as that is reserved for the tenants of the building. 

Accessibility Note: the studio is located on the third floor of the building and there are no ramps or escalators (this is the unfortunate downside of historic buildings). There are 7 steps to enter the building via the porch, and then 8 flights of stairs to reach the third floor as the ceilings are quite high.

Photo credit: Jurgen Hoth

Come join us for this two-hour life-drawing session where you can capture the dynamic beauty of powwow dances and their regalia on your own paper. Participants will bring their own material and work with art facilitators to create drawings that capture both the movement of the dancers and their regalia.

Suitable intermediate to advanced artists. Bring your favourite materials along to participate. Some supplies will be offered to those that do not have any on hand.

Sarah Marie Lacy will be facilitating the session, offering guidance for those who want it. It’s a wonderful way to stretch your creative muscles!

Free to participate! All attendees must be there to draw.

If you have any question about our Powwow Life-Drawing sessions, please email indigenousarts@nac-cna.ca.

Details:

Date: Tuesday, May 12, 2026
Time: 6pm-8pm
Location: The Fourth Stage (1st floor), National Arts Centre, 1 Elgin St, Ottawa
Cost: Free! No registration required.

The hardest part of my job is not painting the actual portraits.

The hardest part of my job is fighting uphill against the history of portraiture.

Because let’s be honest – it’s got a bad rap.

We hear “portrait painting” and we think “vanity”. Fame. Notoriety.

We think it’s not for us – either because we don’t want to be seen as vain, or because we feel like we aren’t young enough or pretty enough or whatever metric you might feel like you’ve fallen short of.

We think portrait painting only has to do with the external, the outside. That like a snapshot taken with your phone, it’s just here to document how your hair looked that day.

Portrait painting is so much more.

It has the power to tell your story in a way that is rich and nuanced. It can capture the depth and complexity of your character in a way that few other mediums can. It is both literally and metaphorically layered.

It can convey not just the outer achievements – which are great, don’t get me wrong – but also the quieter pride we feel at knowing the obstacles we had to overcome to get there.

Portraits tell the story of the inside, not merely the outside.

We know the ways we had to grow and change to achieve our dreams. We know how hard that was. No one will ever give us an award or acknowledgement for the ways we transformed ourselves to go after our dreams. The things we sacrificed, the tough decisions we had to make.

Portraits are the way we can mark that for ourselves. Not out of vanity, not to be ostentatious. Not to prove you’re the prettiest or the youngest or have the thickest head of hair.

But as a reminder of your grit, your resilience, your tenacity.

Portraits are a way to celebrate the things that you’ve achieved, the obstacles you’ve overcome. They’re something that lives with you every day, creating an emotional anchor in your everyday environment.

Portraits are a living mirror.

If a picture is worth a thousand words, then a portrait is worth a lifetime of them.

Photo credit: Samuel Coombes

Come join us for this two-hour life-drawing session where you can capture the dynamic beauty of powwow dances and their regalia on your own paper. Participants will bring their own material and work with art facilitators to create drawings that capture both the movement of the dancers and their regalia.

 Suitable intermediate to advanced artists. Bring your favourite materials along to participate. Some supplies will be offered to those that do not have any on hand.

Sarah Marie Lacy will be facilitating the session, offering guidance for those who want it. It’s a wonderful way to stretch your creative muscles!

Free to participate! All attendees must be there to draw.

If you have any question about our Powwow Life-Drawing sessions, please email indigenousarts@nac-cna.ca.

Details:

Date: Tuesday, April 14, 2026
Time: 6pm-8pm
Location: Rossy Pavilion (2nd floor), National Arts Centre, 1 Elgin St, Ottawa
Cost: Free! No registration required.

 Download “Walk of Art” Neighbourhood Map

There will be plenty of other artists within easy walking distance and the view from the canal just can’t be beat.

This free event is easily accessible from downtown and will have over 40 artists with their art displayed outdoors for attendees to peruse (and purchase!) Enjoy a walk through our lovely neighbourhood and see the wonderful creativity of its residents.

I hope to see you there!

Come join us for this two-hour life-drawing session where you can capture the dynamic beauty of powwow dances and their regalia on your own paper. Participants will bring their own material and work with art facilitators to create drawings that capture both the movement of the dancers and their regalia.

 Suitable intermediate to advanced artists. Bring your favourite materials along to participate. Some supplies will be offered to those that do not have any on hand.

Sarah Marie Lacy will be facilitating the session, offering guidance for those who want it. It’s a wonderful way to stretch your creative muscles!

Free to participate! All attendees must be there to draw.

If you have any question about our Powwow Life-Drawing sessions, please email indigenousarts@nac-cna.ca.

Details:

Date: Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Time: 6pm-8pm
Location: Al Zaibak Lantern Room (2nd floor), National Arts Centre, 1 Elgin St, Ottawa
Cost: Free! No registration required.

New! Workshops at Wallack’s Art Supplies & Framing in Ottawa

I’m excited to partner with Wallack’s to offer a fun, budget-friendly way to explore my approach to portrait drawing! 🎨

In November and December, I’ll be hosting three 2-hour portrait drawing demos—perfect for anyone wanting to refine their skills or dip their toes into the world of portraiture. Working in graphite on white paper, we’ll cover portrait essentials, key anatomy insights, and how to use light and shadow to make your portraits come alive. 

While each session will cover similar elements of portrait drawing, we will have a different live model each time, so you can come to just one or come to all 3!

 You’ll leave this workshop with practical tips you can apply to your portrait drawings immediately. Bring a sketchbook and pencil to draw along and take notes!

Tickets are just $7.53 and you can register at the appropriate link below!

Dates:
Tuesday, November 5, 6:30-8:30 PM
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/portrait-drawing-demo-tickets-1045117353137

Sunday November 17, 1:30pm-3:30pm
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/portrait-drawing-demo-tickets-1045459667007

Sunday December 8, 1:30pm-3:30pm
https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/portrait-drawing-demo-tickets-1045460569707 

Hope to see you there! ✏️

Free Powwow Life Drawing at the NAC: Tues Oct 15, 6pm-8pm

Come join us for this two-hour life-drawing session where you can capture the dynamic beauty of powwow dances and their regalia on your own paper. Participants will bring their own material and work with art facilitators to create drawings that capture both the movement of the dancers and their regalia.

 

Suitable intermediate to advanced artists. Bring your favourite materials along to participate. Some supplies will be offered to those that do not have any on hand.

Sarah Marie Lacy will be facilitating the session, offering guidance for those who want it. It’s a wonderful way to stretch your creative muscles!

Free to participate! All attendees must be there to draw.

If you have any question about our Powwow Life-Drawing sessions, please email indigenousarts@nac-cna.ca.

Details:

Date: Tuesday, October 15, 2024
Time: 6pm-8pm
Location: Rossy Pavilion (2nd floor), National Arts Centre, 1 Elgin St, Ottawa
Cost: Free! No registration required.

Come see me at the “A Walk of Art”!

Mark your calendars if you’re in Ottawa! I’m doing the Old Ottawa East “Walk of Art” Tour again on Saturday September 28.

Join me from 11am-3pm at 17 Mason Terrace where I’ll have a variety of pieces on display along with prints for sale, alongside my neighbour, urban sketch artist Timothy Hunt. 

This free event is easily accessible from downtown and will have over 30 artists with their art displayed outdoors for attendees to peruse (and purchase!)

Enjoy a walk through our lovely neighbourhood and see the wonderful creativity of its residents.

You can download the tour map below or download a list of the addresses:

Artists by Street Address

I love being able to share my work in person.

The internet is a fabulous thing, but even the best photos don’t do paintings justice.

There’s a lusciousness and texture to oil paint that gets lost on a computer screen. The subtlety of the colours and values get lost. A little of the impact goes missing.

It’s why I love doing the Old Ottawa East “Walk of Art”. It’s a chance to invite people into my creative world and see not just the portraits I share online, but the smaller pieces and studies, as well as some of the works I’m making for a future solo show.

I love being able to answer questions and have in-depth conversations about creativity and what goes into my work.

Details:

Saturday September 28, 2024
17 Mason Terrace, Ottawa (near the canal)
11am-3pm

I hope to see you there!