Lorraine Roberts is an award-winning artist that creates landscape and botanically inspired soft pastel paintings. Her art hangs in private and corporate collections and has been juried into exhibitions across Canada, USA and Europe. Lorraine’s painting, Calm After the Storm, was awarded 1st Place in the Federation of Canadian Artists Toronto Chapter’s Spring Kaleidoscope Exhibition at the Pazan Gallery May 2024. Lorraine was a Top 100 Finalist in both the April 2024 and March 2025 PleinAir Salon Art Competition (USA).

She has been featured twice in the newspaper, The Caledon Citizen, in 2022 and 2023. She has received an Artistic Recognition Award in the Art and Color 365 Magazine’s 2024 Pastels Competition and an Honorable Mention Award in the Art & Color 365 Magazine’s 2024 Open Competition and many more awards. Lorraine is a juried Member of the Federation of Canadian Artists, a juried member of the FCA Toronto Chapter and a juried Associate Member of The Pastel Society of America. She is a Signature Member of the Pastel Artists of Canada.

Lorraine has studied pastel painting with Karen Margulis, Marla Baggetta, Jeanne Rosier Smith and Albert Handell. “Learning is about doing and life experiences are teaching moments in the University of Life” – LR

Since early childhood Lorraine has always expressed herself with artistic endeavors: pottery, stained glass, papier mache, copper enameling, mono-printing, batik, pyrography, music, photography, garden design and painting. She is classically trained in drawing and painting in all different styles, subject matter and mediums from pen and ink, charcoal, acrylic, oil, watercolour and soft pastels. In her late teens, she was creating large, abstract, 3 dimensional, papier mache, acrylic paintings that were rented to corporations. At the end of high school, she received an Award of Excellence Art Scholarship. In her early 20’s she was teaching adults painting and drawing at night school.

She was an accomplished flutist and composer for over 20 years. Music led to meeting her talented husband, Robert at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. Together they (AKA Rousseau & Carlton) performed at thousands of events and recorded 4 instrumental music CDs that feature flute and guitar with an acoustic ensemble.

Moving to rural Caledon, Ontario in 1999 sparked an interest in gardening which eventually led to the creation of Plant Paradise Country Gardens, an award-winning organic perennial nursery and botanical garden.

Lorraine is the author and photographer of two gardening books: A Recipe for Continuous Bloom (sold out) and Spectacular Plant Combinations for the Perennial Garden.

Life comes full circle as Lorraine follows her dream of sharing the beauty of nature through her art.

Juried Exhibitions

2025
• The Pastel Society of Eastern Canada’s (Société de Pastel d’Est du Canada’s) 30th Anniversary Exhibition held at the Espace Quatre Cents in Québec City October 8-26, 2025.
• Red Rock Pastel Society of Nevada Juried Exhibition (Masters Division).
• Art & Color 365 Magazine’s 2025 Open Competition, Honorable Mention Award
• Teravarna 8th Water International Juried Art Competition for the two paintings, Honorable Mention Award
• Teravarna 10th Flower 2025 International Juried Art Competition, Honorable Mention Award
• Teravarna 12th Landscape 2025 International Juried Art Competition, Honorable Mention Award
•Teravarna 9th Color 2025 International Juried Art Competition – Honorable Mention Award
•Federation of Canadian Artists Toronto Chapter – Fresh Paint Exhibition at the Alton Mill Arts Centre
•Art & Color 365 Magazine’s 2025 Landscapes/Seascapes Competition. Honorable Mention Award
• Federation of Canadian Artists’ 2025 Landscapes Exhibition
•Federation of Canadian Artists Toronto Chapter’s 2025 Open National Juried Online Exhibition
•The Fine Arts Society of Milton’s “From Heart to Hand” Exhibition at the Holcim Gallery
•Red Rock Pastel Society of Nevada’s Yellow 2025 International Online Exhibition
•Federation of Canadian Artists 2025 Works on Paper Exhibition
•Pastel Society of Maine’s 25th Annual Open Juried Virtual Exhibition ‘Pastels Only’
•Pastel Society of the West Coast’s 2025 Members’ Only Online Show
•The Pastel Society Alaska’s Show Us Your Finest: A Global Art Showcase
•The Tucson Pastel Society’s Power of Pastel International Online Show,
•Teravarna 11th Landscape 2025 International Juried Art Competition. Honorable Mention Award
•Federation of Canadian Artists 2025 Bloom Exhibition
•The Federation of Canadian Artists 2025 Artists’ Choice Online Exhibition
•Federation of Canadian Artists’ 2025 Exhibiting Member Exhibition
•Pastel Guild of Europe “Get Dusty” January Competition. Honorable Mention Award

2024
• Pazan Gallery Spring Kaleidoscope Exhibition
• Federation of Canadian Artists 365 Online Exhibition and Calendar Contest
• Top 100 Finalist of the April PleinAir Salon Art Competition in the USA
• Pastel Artists of Oregon’s Spirit of Pastels
• Pastel Artists of Canada 12th Members Only Juried Exhibition
• Honourable Mention Award in the Art & Color 365 Magazine’s 2024 Open Competition
• Art Masters Spring 2024 Exhibition, Top Art Awards, Scottsdale, AZ
• FCA 2024 Online Federation Showcase
• Pastel Society of the West Coast
• FCA Bloom Exhibition
• The Headwaters Arts Gallery – Rejuvenation
• Headwaters Arts Gallery – From the Heart
• FCA Artist’s Choice Exhibition
• The Camelback Gallery Shades of Blue
• The Camelback Gallery Artist Invitational VIII

2023
• Pastel Artists Canada Members 11th Exhibition
• Pastel Society of Eastern Canada, PixelPastel
• Solo exhibition, Headwaters Restaurant in the Millcroft Inn & Spa
• Southeastern Pastel Society
• Piedmont Pastel Society
• Headwaters Arts Fall Festival Show & Sale
• Southwest Florida Pastel Society
• Best in Medium Pastel Camelback Gallery
• Headwaters Arts Gallery - As the Story Goes
• Northwest Pastel Society
• Red Rocks Pastel Society of Nevada
• Pastel Artists of Canada’s - Purely Pastel
• Pelham Art Festival
• Newmarket Juried Art Show
• Headwaters Art Gallery – Wild and Free
• Headwaters Art Gallery – Dark into Light
• Pastel Society of the West Coast
• Pastel Artists of Canada 10th Exhibition
• Pastel Society of Colorado

ARTIST’S STATEMENT

Life comes full circle as I pursue my passion for art to express the beauty of nature. I’m a Canadian born artist that uses soft pastel’s luminous qualities to vividly portray the radiance of the moment. I’m inspired by the colours, light, and wisdom that nature provides.

My art reflects the ephemeral nature of our world, and I explore nature as a metaphor for life’s journey here and beyond. Through my artwork, I try to evoke an emotional connection to nature and inspire a profound spiritual awareness of the present moment.

I paint what I want, to express how I feel. We are all complex individuals and it’s far too easy to be seduced into pigeonholing and putting an artist into a category. Everything I paint is a reflection of my journey through life. It’s my creative spirit breathing life into art. Look beyond the labels and ask yourself, “How does my art make you feel”? I’m very happy when my art resonates and connects with you. Thank you!