Throughout human history, nature has been a profound source of artistic inspiration. In this series, we talk with artists whose work is inspired by, created in, or connected to the brilliant nature in the Nature Trust’s care. Here we talk with Shannon Carla King, a Canadian painter who is focused on capturing the raw, natural beauty of reclamation, preservation, and conservation success stories in acrylic paintings.

The door opens, and footsteps walk on a painted Mahone Bay map that stretches across the floor of the gallery, leading up to walls adored with natural landscapes. Greeted with a smile from the artist, Shannon King, everyone is welcome at Whiskey Jack Gallery. She welcomes art lovers and curious minds, wearing everything from bike cleats to work boots. A common question Shannon receives is what her paintings represent. She paints sites of reclamation, preservation, and conservation, but to capture them, she must first know the place well. That means remembering the scent of saltwater spray, the rustle of cattails in spring, or the muskeg’s summer smell. To recognize a familiar smell is to truly know a place for Shannon. 

Before Whiskey Jack Gallery became part of her personal goal to share success stories of work that reclamation and conservation professionals do, Shannon worked in an office. After 20 years in downtown Calgary, Alberta, she decided to take a 30-day leave of absence from her job. Taking that time to walk every morning through a thicket of aspen trees resulted in an epiphany: she needed to make a change and go back to her early training in the arts. 

Picking up her paint brush with a new purpose, she began to focus on giving a voice to reclamation, preservation, and conservation sites, places that often go unnoticed by the public. “There is a gap to educate people on the great work that is being done to protect the environment, and I wanted to help. Creating curiosity using art and reaching children [with her colouring books] who might not know anything about how a site becomes protected is part of my mission.” 

At the centre of all of Shannon King’s work is conservation, which caught the eye of Sue Rosson, a Nature Trust volunteer. Sue reached out to Shannon to connect her to the Nature Trust and invite her to be part of the upcoming auction of nature-focused art happening at the 30th anniversary Inspired by Nature Gala. Excited, Shannon created a piece specifically for the Gala art auction. Using a drone photo of the Nature Trust’s recently protected Blanche Peninsula conservation land, she filmed the painting process as part of the auction presentation. “I feel deeply privileged to Sue and the Nova Scotia Nature Trust to be asked to contribute to the Gala to help raise funds for conservation.” 

Shannon’s creative process for creating the Blanche painting was no exception to her standard process. “I believe that if you have a rigorous process, creativity comes more naturally.  I work from a spreadsheet of what I am painting next and follow a strict step-by-step technique, applying years of art workshop training, as it takes a while to do sufficient research before, I choose a successful site as the topic for the next painting,” she explains. Shannon always ensures there is an article or video on the conservation site that she will use to link with a QR code to accompany the painting. One of her current projects is a new colouring book focused on reclamation sites across Canada, starting with Butchart Gardens, which used to be a mine in British Columbia. 

Long after the paint dries, Shannon strives to take accessibility a step further by having a virtual reality headset experience for those who can’t travel to some of these remote locations. “People who care about the environment might not have access to a boat or be physically able to travel to some of the sites,” she says. “It’s important to me, to provide the opportunity for them to see a 360-degree view of a successful conservation site.” 

For Shannon, creating art that showcases successful conservation sites is about creating curiosity and hope. As a reclamation artist, King paints places that have undergone remarkable environmental transformations, like old mines, landfills, and industrial sites that have been returned to nature. Many of her pieces currently represent Alberta and British Columbia. “ 

In her pursuit to raise awareness about nature conservation, she wants to highlight that it’s important to find new ways to reach people and share sometimes complex information on the work that is done to restore or protect a site.     

To conclude, Shannon King hopes her advocacy journey will inspire and encourage others to learn more about conservation and to connect with nature regularly. Shannon remarks that there really is something special about physically reconnecting with nature to deepen our appreciation for these valuable ecosystems. She can be found at Whiskey Jack Gallery overlooking the seaside of the South Shore, where you can learn more about some of the incredible protected sites within Nova Scotia and across Canada.

We are grateful to Shannon for sharing this inspiring story. Read more in our Art & Nature series.