Spring stirs with the bright yellow April “hello” of coltsfoot lining our dirt roads. Rhubarb pushes through the chilly ground before expanding into giant leaves on thick pinkish stalks. Then other plant kin like lupins, lily of the valley, comfrey and roses come to life in the month that ushered me into motherhood. Summer takes hold and, if it’s moist enough, early chanterelle mushrooms start popping up from the forest floor. Wild blueberries and blackberries plump up next to soft pearly everlasting and splashes of goldenrod. This is an intertwining, ever-evolving story of growth, texture and colour; of natives and come-from-aways; of food and medicine and beauty.

When the fullness of family life, homesteading, running a business and community work could easily leave no time for other creative pursuits, my drawing practice is a balm for my soul. It’s a process of walking, noticing, feeling, gathering and mark making; a dance of presence that invites me to slow down, to marvel at the natural world and feel myself a part of it.

Raina McDonald is a mother, artist, yoga instructor, ecological designer and grower practicing permaculture design, land stewardship and seed saving. She co-owns Back Road Farm & Forge with her husband, Ruben Irons. Guided by ancestral ways of being with each other and the land, her work explores regenerative approaches to placemaking, community building and food sovereignty. She currently serves as Regional Garden Mentor for Nourish Nova Scotia and previously founded the Scotsburn Community Food Forest project—an edible, medicinal hub of intergenerational knowledge sharing and resilience. Raina and her family steward 150 acres of Wabanaki Forest, wild blueberries and edible forest gardens in Mi’kma’ki / Brookland, Nova Scotia.

This exhibition runs until May 16, 2026 –  with an opening reception taking place on March 26 from 5:00pm – 7:00pm.