On a sunny August afternoon in Hamilton, Ontario, I visited the home studio of Jodi Kitto-Ward. Nestled inside a thoughtfully curated century home, her space felt like an extension of her work — intuitive, esoteric, and deeply lived-in. It was a place that seemed to blur the lines between past and present, art and life.

During our visit, Kitto-Ward was working on the painting Listening to Flowers — a special opportunity to witness the in-between of her creative process. The piece, like many of hers, began during one of her long walks through the Kirkendall neighborhood. She often photographs homes, flowers, and fleeting moments that pull her in instinctively.

Before she ever picks up a brush, Jodi journals through three thoughtful questions: Why does this image resonate with me? What memories or feelings does it bring up? And how can I express that through paint?

Balancing a career in accounting, Kitto-Ward shared how the act of rendering details — from architectural lines to garden blooms — challenges her structured, computational mind with emotionally resonant subjects. That tension between precision and intuition is what makes her work so captivating.

Deeply authentic, at peace with herself and her practice. Her love for family, her home, and her city breathes through each piece she creates. To now have the finished painting in the gallery — having seen its beginnings in her studio — feels like being part of its quiet transformation.