Hi, I'm Jen, the founder and creative spirit behind A Bit of Boreal. I am someone who is most at home in the forest, it's a place that I am deeply connected to and feel most comfortable in. I grew up in a small community in northwestern Ontario, Canada surrounded by the boreal forest, spending many days camping, hiking, fishing, and exploring. These experiences shaped my deep appreciation for the natural world and today, this connection continues to inspire everything I create at A Bit of Boreal. The nearby city of Winnipeg is homebase in the winter months but when the snow melts I always find my way back to the boreal.
As a highly sensitive person who has always been drawn to nature and animals, creating art focused on these subjects has always been natural for me. My best hiking companion is my dog Kavik, a shepherd/husky cross from northern Manitoba who I adopted as a pup from a shelter. His endless enthusiasm always makes me smile and I know he enjoys our time in the forest just as much as I do, especially when there are blueberries to pick and new places to explore.
Through my creations, I hope to share my connection to the boreal forest with you and inspire a deeper appreciation for the natural world around us. I believe that even the smallest reminders of nature can encourage us to slow down, look a little closer, and feel more connected to the earth.
———
A Bit of Boreal acknowledges that the lands and waters around Kenora, Ontario, are the traditional territory of the Anishinaabe people of Treaty 3 as well as the Métis people. I recognize the generations of Indigenous Peoples who have lived on, cared for, and maintained deep connections to these lands and waters. As someone who grew up in northwestern Ontario, I have a deep appreciation for the boreal forest, its lakes, and the natural world that surrounds us. I recognize that this connection to the land has been important and meaningful for Indigenous Peoples for generations, long before my own.
I offer my respect to the First Nations communities who continue to call this region home, and acknowledge the importance of listening, learning, and moving forward with understanding.
