Nova Scotia artist goes viral for art inspired by the ocean

Self-taught artist Felicia Gervais is pictured. (Emma Convey/CTV Atlantic)

Felicia Gervais, a self-taught artist in Porters Lake, N.S., says art has been her passion since childhood.

“It’s always been my therapy. I started in my bedroom when I was a kid and my rooms were covered in artwork everywhere, my mom let me paint all over the walls like a crazy person. I just started through paint and charcoal, and it has always felt like home,” she says.

Gervais’ aunt says she has always known her niece has talent and it brings her pride to see where she has gone with it.

“The earliest memory I have with her and art was when she was 13 or 14, she painted a huge mural in her bedroom and her mom was renting at the time, so not ideal, but it was so beautiful, it was a tree that came from the floor to ceiling,” says Natalie O’Hanley.

O’Hanley bought the first piece Gervais ever made of a jellyfish painting.

“She would make people gifts and say, ‘here, you can have this’ and I kept it all these years. She was 16 and it got damaged when we moved here from Ontario to Nova Scotia. But she was floored when I showed her that we had kept it and it gave her perspective on how far she has come,” adds O’Hanley.

The founder of “Felicia Gervais Art” has made quite the name for herself. It hasn’t always been an easy journey, but with the support of her husband and three children, Gervais has put her best foot forward.

“When we started, I was a young mom and we were going to the foodbank and I was making dog and cat paintings and I was just waiting for the next day’s cheque kind of and I made it work, you make it work,” says Gervais.

Power tools were something Gervais never added to her toolkit, but after a dream she had about art and woodworking, she asked her husband to teach her how to use them. Now she incorporates it into her art.

“I do stained glass, woodwork, painting, clay and I just make things that come from my heart,” adds Gervais.

Her inspiration comes from the beauty she sees in nature. Paintings of butterflies, hummingbirds, ocean scenes and wooden carvings of roses and starfish – she brings it all to life in her work.

“This is inspired by the East Coast ocean,” says Gervais of one piece. “It’s a sculpture against a painting. It just reminds me of the way the sun sets on the sand, especially Conrad’s Beach, I love that beach.”

Some of her pieces take eight hours to make, while others take 60 hours. It all depends on the type of piece and how intricate each one is.

Gervais never thought this would be a career for her.

“I was raised by a single mom. We didn’t really have a lot, but she tried her best to make sure that we had everything. I have an aunt that was a huge part of my life. I always call her my angel. She is always here, always dropping gifts off to the house when we are sick, cold medicine and things like that. I’m grateful for the women in my life, I’m grateful for my aunt and I don’t think I would be the woman I am today if it wasn’t for her,” says Gervais.

O’Hanley says she couldn’t be prouder of Gervais and she’s not only an inspiration to young artists, but O’Hanley’s nine-year-old daughter now wants to pursue art like Gervais.

“She knows there is always someone in her corner. Even in the beginning when she maybe wasn’t as great. I said, ‘keep going, take those risks,’” says O’Hanley.

And that’s exactly what she did, making the jump to social media in 2023. Her orders quadrupled after that.

“I went viral one day and it changed my life. So many people followed me and I was booked for months, and it was amazing,” Gervais says.

She now runs a family business with her husband, gardens, makes art and works to give the life to her kids she always dreamed of.

“I think that we are setting a wonderful example. I hope one day they want to take over the family business, and I hope one day they love to paint… everything we do is for the kids,” adds Gervais.

She plans to continue to grow her business and hopes to inspire others. The message she wants to share with others is that hard work pays off.

“If you come from unideal conditions, don’t think that you don’t have a future, keep working towards your goals. If you have this thing in your heart that’s telling you that you are made for something, please follow your dreams and do that for yourself,” says Gervais.

The artist feels grateful for all the support she has already received both from family and the online community.

For those interested in following along with Gervais’ journey, and to purchase her art, you can find her on social media, or on her website.

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