Hello, my name is Asil Rashid. I am a Sudanese-Canadian and I live in Montreal with my 7 year-old daughter and I work as an environmental consultant in the maritime industry. I started my art journey in my mid-30s a few years ago when I was living in Egypt and going through post-partum depression after giving birth to my daughter. And that was it! I was hooked. I am mostly self-taught so I feel my style is constantly evolving. Being a single mom with a full time job I don’t get to paint as often as I like. My painting time is sacred and often happens in the evenings after the little one is sleeping soundly and on the weekends.

ARTIST’S STATEMENT

I am a Montreal-based artist who paints mostly landscapes and florals, with acrylics, watercolors, and occasionally water mixable oils. However, my preferred medium is acrylics. I try to be as true to my vision while maintaining a state of flow, which I usually achieve with large loose brushstrokes. Having worked as an environmental consultant for most of my career I have developed a deep love for natural world which I try to capture in my art with techniques like palette knife painting and dynamic brushstrokes to portray movement and texture. My process usually goes something like this: I start with an idea, a general image that I want to capture and the painting just takes on a life of its own and ends up being something else. After doing some research which mostly involves staring at my blank canvas for a few days trying to figure out the composition that I want, I then tone the canvas and start painting. I try to keep my brushstrokes as loose and dynamic as possible, which often results in layers of paint and lots of texture.