MINDSCAPES—When the self splinters, nature repairs
Montina Hussey is a Toronto-based artist. She graduated with a BFA in drawing and painting from OCAD University in 2016, and since then she has shown her endless talents through painting murals, competing in multiple art battles, organizing art shows and charities, stand-up comedy, film, as well as through a vintage boutique of her own in Hamilton. A true juggler of many things at once, you wonder “how does she do it?” as a mother and an entrepreneur.
Montina Hussey in front of her painting Honey Skies, (Diptych), oil on canvas, 16 x 28 inches. Photo: Polyna Alexseev
It all began with a picture from a 1920s archive, a forgotten story, a single memory, a distorted dream, something to fill the cracks along the wall. “Since I don’t have all the facts about my family’s past,” speaking of her Metis ancestry, and her family’s mental health history, “I let my intuition take the lead.” Each painting unfolds through thick brushstrokes and wet-on-wet gestures (alla prima), a quiet but persistent tension between artist and canvas that never dries up. Nothing ever feels like it is truly “won” or finished, but rather a relief, a deep and freshing breath of air. If anything, there is always an opportunity to go back, paint it over and start again.
Montina Hussey, Mindscape, oil on canvas, 24 x 24 inches
A flowerpot will never look the same once shattered, but that does not mean it loses its function. In the same way, Hussey’s work suggests that brokenness is not the end. If there is light, if there is a willingness to gather the fragments and bind them together, then healing becomes possible. Painting memories and dreams becomes an act of binding, transforming what is fractured into something that can be held once more.
Montina Hussey, Ambiguous Play, oil on canvas, 28 x 24 inches
Motherhood marked a turning point in her art. Her son, a gift she describes as almost divine, reintroduced her to imagination and play. Her earlier works lingered in distorted, hazy portraits, but something began to shift. The darkness was not erased, it was answered. Golden light, expansive colour, and landscapes began to emerge, scenes that feel like childhood dreams returning to the surface. Zesty orange paths, trees saturated with honey-coloured leaves and twigs, cotton-candy skies, and portraits decorated with floral patterns soften what once felt heavy, offering a space where memory no longer weighs, but lifts.
Montina Hussey, Mother and Child, oil on canvas, 24 x 24 inches
Since the moment her son could walk and hold a brush, as young as 6 months old, they have painted together. These collaborations are shared not just as artwork, but as an invitation to remember a childlike state that is expressive, curious, and unguarded. There is a quiet longing in that idea, because there is nothing a mother would not give to step, even briefly, back into that innocence.
Hussey’s journey wasn’t, and still isn’t, easy. Through every hardship including abuse, broken relationships, and mental illness, her son growing past the phase of spontaneous expression and moving on to discover his interests as a boy at his age naturally does, the artist finds herself once again in a dark phase, however she is still holding on to her colourful palette.
Montina Hussey, Splitting, mixed media on canvas, 36 x 28 inches
Hussey is sailing through every storm to find the sun, even if it’s a tiny light, small as a lit candle in an endless dark hallway. In her own words, “Even through your darkest days, you can transform something to be somewhat beautiful”. And this simple yet self-reflective message is enough to help us remember not to give in to the darkness of trauma, but instead, to fill our lungs with joy and play through creative means like composing, painting or writing.
Montina Hussey, Whimsy Woods, mixed media on canvas, 108 x 48 inches
Special thanks to Riverdale Hub’s curator and owner, David Reed who took the time to set an exclusive interview with Montina Hussey on the day of her reception, as well as an exclusive tour of the gallery and its rich history and its dedication to the community and beyond.
Polyna Alexseev
Images are courtesy of Riverdale Hub Gallery.
*Exhibition information: Montina Hussey, Mindscapes, March 4 – 28, 2026, Riverdale Hub Gallery, 1326 Gerrard St. East Toronto. Gallery hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 10:30 am – 5:30 pm.