Pine Galleries | Laurel McLeod
Exhibiting Sept 22 - Oct 6, 2026
“I find myself creating artwork in one of two ways. The first; trying to understand what it is that I’m looking at (often a plant, flower or tree that has caught my eye) by capturing this subject through detailed observation. The second; through a pre-determined process involving this subject and an action where a combination of movement, time and materials come into play. This body of work focuses on the latter.
In graphite on paper, this series of drawings articulates the path that bark beetles made as they bore their way through a pine tree. These distinct tunnel patterns, called galleries, are visually striking in their calligraphic nature yet just as destructive, having cut off the flow of nutrients and water to the tree. As the galleries are recorded, the tree can be seen as taking on a new kind of existence.
Interested as I am in process, the series itself becomes the means to recording moments that are unique to each action. In this way, each drawing is singular. Using process as a tool for seeing is a method I’m continually drawn to for the many possibilities that can be uncovered in moments of chance.”
About the Artist
Laurel McLeod is an interdisciplinary artist based in Ontario. Working across drawing and painting, she gravitates towards using a combination of traditional drawing media and found natural materials. Her interest in environmental sustainability drives her practice, resulting in work that explores the different ways in which nature and its processes can be experienced and made visible. McLeod earned her MFA from OCAD University in the Interdisciplinary Master’s in Art, Media & Design program in 2020. She previously received her Bachelor of Arts at the University of Guelph in 2018. McLeod has exhibited her work in Guelph, Toronto, and Oakville.
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