Leena Tähtinen Wallis [1926-2004]. Originally from Kajaani, Finland, the late Leena Tähtinen Wallis immigrated with her family to Montreal. As a child, she was inspired to draw and paint her mother’s garden in northern Finland. It was the wildflower meadows and her garden surrounding her Bakersfield, Vermont farm that inspired the adult artist. She was a member of the Women’s Art Society of Montreal, participated in many Thomas More Institute exhibitions and was represented by numerous galleries in Quebec and Ontario.

Gillian Wallis Johnston holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Sir George Williams University and a Master of Arts in Art Education, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec. Gillian studied textile design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and has worked as a designer for many years. She has exhibited her paintings, sculptures, photography and mixed media works in solo and group exhibitions in Quebec, Ontario and throughout the US.