As my kids are transitioning to teenagers, I want to build stronger connections and preserve those precious moments, when they still like having me around and have fun together. Therefore I decided to go to Mothra Art residency at Gibraltar Point Centre at Toronto Island to connect deeper, to spend time with my daughter Anna uninterrupted, to build friendship and great memories. What happened next? Read it in this blog post.
Every day I woke up to the sound of gentle waves brushing the shore. The air smells of pine, salt, and creativity. I stepped outside of my studio cabin and saw the endless horizon of Lake Ontario, stretching like a silver ribbon toward the morning sun.
This was my reality for one magical week during my art residency with MOTHRA — a program that supports mother artists and their children.
As an artist and a mom, I often juggle brushes in one hand and lunchboxes in the other. Creativity and caregiving constantly dance in my life — sometimes gracefully, sometimes chaotically. MOTHRA recognized that balance, and for one week at Gibraltar Point on Toronto Island, I was given a space where both roles could coexist — beautifully.
The residency brought together a small group of artists who, like me, came with their children. It was more than an art retreat — it was a creative ecosystem. In the mornings, I painted with my my daughter, Anna, listening laud to Michael Jackson and Bruno Mars. In the afternoons, we’d bike to other side of the island to our secret icecream shop. We would stop to take photos of boats, swans or majestic willows.
The island became our studio. The whispering willows swayed above us, the gulls called across the bay, and the lake’s shimmering light danced on our canvases. Each brushstroke felt alive — like painting directly with the elements of nature.
My project focused on translating those natural rhythms into watercolor and mixed-media sketches. I explored how motherhood and nature intertwine — both full of cycles, growth, and unpredictability. Sometimes in the middle of painting I would hear “Mom, can I have a snack?” And that moment reminded me that motherhood and art they are inseparable for me.
Every day we would gather at fireplace room and read article about motherhood and art and then discuss it. Sometimes we laughed. Sometimes we cried. But there was invisible connection growing between us. Each time we shared our stories, we planted the seeds of hope.
I had a week away from my family, away from responsibilities. A week without shower, without exercise, without checking my weight, without cleaning or cooking. It was so refreshing.
But beyond the art itself, the residency taught me something deeper. It reminded me that creativity thrives not in isolation, but in connection — to others, to nature, to the quiet spaces between responsibilities. Watching our children play between studios was like witnessing the next generation being raised in creativity.
When the week ended, I felt transformed. I returned home not just with new artworks, but with a renewed sense of purpose — to continue blending art and motherhood, to nurture both my child and my creative voice.
Photo: Artist Maryna Salagub and curator and founder of Mothra residency Sarah Cullen
I invite you to think of your own “residency moments.” Those rare times when you step away from routine and rediscover who you are beneath the noise. Because sometimes, the best way to grow is to pause — to listen — and to let the waves, the wind, and your heart paint together.
