Biography

Rebecca Fortin is a Canadian-born (b. Stratford, Ontario, 1982; she/her pronouns) visual artist residing in rural Whitby (Ashburn), Ontario. Influenced by her childhood growing up on working farms in southwestern Ontario (Stratford, Wellesley, and Wingham), she seeks to foster a deep connection between people, plants and nature through drawing, painting, photography and other creative processes. A current focus is creating botanical casts: positive-relief wall frescos using botanicals pressed in wet clay and set with plaster. Her studio is located on 6-acres of environmentally sensitive lands in the Greenbelt and Oak Ridges Moraine. Rebecca creates living art by growing herbs and botanicals, many that are used as natural pigments or incorporated into her artwork directly. She is also rehabilitating forested areas on her property by planting indigenous and endangered plants, wildflowers and trees.  

After a 20-year career in Public Health, Rebecca is enjoying a second career working full-time as a professional artist and spending as much time, as is possible, outdoors in nature and with plants. Her artistic practice is influenced by her past experiences of working in government and community-based organizations developing a passion and knowledge for: community-based herbalism and therapeutic horticulture, plant and nature conservation, mental health promotion, access to healthy foods, healthy built environments, gender equity & inclusion, and more. She holds a Public Health master’s degree in Health Promotion & Community Development. 

Rebecca is also a facilitator, educator and storyteller. From 2020-21, with StoryCentre Canada, Rebecca facilitated storytelling projects funded by a variety of organizations, including the Ontario Arts Council. She came to this work after completing a Fellowship in Global Journalism with the University of Toronto. Her first exposure to digital storytelling was in 2007, where she led a participatory arts-based photovoice project for young mothers who experienced homelessness directed and funded by the National Film Board of Canada. She also offers occasional plant-based educational and creative workshops from her home-garden studio. In 2025 and continuing in 2026, Rebecca has partnered with Tranquility Trails Farm, an agritourism lavender and elderberry farm. She seeks to develop and deliver workshop experiences that share her passion and knowledge for the arts and creativity, while promoting a deep connection between people, plants and nature.

Rebecca is a graduate of the Drawing & Painting program at the Haliburton School of Art + Design (2022). Her artwork and academic success awarded her two program awards. Rebecca’s work has been shown in a variety of locations across Ontario and are held in private and corporate collections. Selected exhibitions include: the Latcham Art Centre’s 2023 Annual Juried Exhibition (Stouffville), Station Gallery’s 2023-24 and 2025-26 Annual Juried Exhibition (Whitby) and the Robert McLaughlin Gallery’s 2014 RMG Exposed - Juried Photography Auction (Oshawa). At RMG Exposed, her photograph, Foggiest Notion, was awarded one of the top 10 finalists. Rebecca’s botanical cast artwork, Wildflowers on Blue, in 2024 won honourable mention at Ontario Tech University’s The Art of Sustainability Juried Exhibition and was curated into the Pelham Art Festival’s online gallery for 2D/Mixed Media. Subsequently, the artwork was purchased by a private collector. Rebecca’s botanical cast work was also exhibited at the Colborne Street Gallery in a solo show entitled: Soft and Wild from September to October 2024. She is also a 2023 recipient of an Ontario Arts Council Exhibition Assistance grant.