The exhibition in the main space of Mahtay Café & Lounge in Downtown St. Catharines for the month of November 2026 is a collection of works by Jaimey Sharp titled Letting Go And Looking Closely.
The words of the artist :
I’m a local artist from St. Catharines, and this exhibition is an expression of my creativity and how I experience the world around me: letting go and looking closely.
Through my abstract painting process, I embrace the freedom of letting go. I allow intuition, colour, and linework to guide me. I often discover the direction of a piece as I am creating it. For me, the creative process is just as important as the finished piece. It gives me the opportunity to explore, experiment, and trust the journey without knowing exactly where it will lead.
In my realistic nature paintings, I take a different approach. I slow down and look closely, finding inspiration in the details and beauty of the world around me. These paintings invite me to observe, appreciate, and capture the elements in nature that inspire me the most. I enjoy getting lost in the details and letting nature be my guide through each brush stroke.
Although these two styles may seem very different, they are still connected by the way I experience life and the world around me. One encourages me to pause, pay attention, and appreciate what is already there, while the other gives me the freedom to create something entirely new. This is what makes abstract painting so special to me. Rather than recreating what I see, I can bring something into existence that wasn’t there before, guided purely by my imagination. Letting Go and Looking Closely reflects this balance between spontaneity and observation, freedom and focus. Whether painting abstractly or capturing the beauty around me, I am continually discovering new ways to express myself through art. Ultimately, it is not just about what I create, but what I discover along the way.
