Jill Whiting

Nests = Home

It began with the quiet discovery of a robin’s nest while camping — a fragile, perfect construction resting in the branches, holding within it both life and promise. That small moment pulled me back to my own nest, my childhood home, and the ways in which we all carry the memory of where we began. 

Simplicity lies at the heart of this work. The images I have chosen are pared back, sometimes built upon recycled cardboard that will, in time, return to the earth. They are modest gestures, but ones that carry a quiet honesty. In their uncomplicated forms, I hope there is space for purity and truth to come forward. 

Freedom is another thread. For the robin, it is the gift of flight — the ability to roam, to rise and fall with the wind. For me, freedom was first discovered in the rhythm of pedaling my red bicycle, the treasured possession that carried me beyond the boundaries of home. Both nests — the birds’ and my own — were shaped freely, guided by instinct, imagination, and memory. 

But most of all, this is a story. I wish for those who encounter this work to sense the connection between human life and environmental life, to recognize the privilege of a humble, secure home, and to feel how stories and memories weave us together. 

The map of my life — Then & Now — tells its own truth. Then was a childhood full of vibrancy, joy, and uncomplicated beginnings. Now is a landscape changed: the family farm erased, the land transformed for profit. Yet even in loss, I hold to the belief that nature will endure. Left unspoiled and valued, it finds a way to begin again. That resilience brings me hope. 

~Mentor: Robin Adair, CAAP Instructor

Jill Whiting is from Fort Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan. She began her art journey after retirement, and during Covid times began taking classes with the University of Saskatchewan over Zoom. Play is a very important aspect of her art, and she tries hard to not take herself too seriously.  She is proud to have completed the 300 hours to qualify for the Arts & Artisanship Certificate.  Her artwork is about expressing her thoughts, emotions, and her life in a spirited way through a wide variety of mediums (watercolour, acrylics, multi-media). Jill enjoys all forms of art - visual, theatrical, and musical - and has taken part in those modes over much of her lifetime. She is currently co-chair of the Mid Summer’s Art Festival held in Fort Qu’Appelle for the past 30 years. Art touches what is important to Jill - authenticity, storytelling and creativity.