Ilona was born and raised in Ottawa, Ontario and has had a life long passion for horses and dogs. She has lived abroad and traveled both for work and pleasure and she enjoys taking photographs where ever she goes. Her love of photography started as a shared hobby with her Dad, when she was using her first Kodak Brownie camera, and has continued ever since into the digital age. Her favourite subjects have always been her dogs and horses. A thirty year career in cartography has developed her critical eye, and several years ago, when looking for a new retirement hobby, she took that first fateful watercolour painting class with a couple of girlfriends. The class was taught by a local artist, friend and fellow horse lover, and ever since Ilona has continued playing with and learning about watercolours. Living in a park-like setting along the Jock River, and surrounded by flower gardens, horses and dogs she has many opportunities and excellent subjects to paint. Watercolour painting has provided a wonderful fluid medium for her to create and play in on those cold winter evenings when the garden flowers are safely buried under a blanket of snow, and it is too cold and dark outside to engage in playing with her six horses for very long. Although she discovered watercolour painting at a later stage in life she hopes to continue learning, playing and creating with watercolours for many years to come.

She can be contacted at Breezehillfarm@xplornet.com or by phone at 613 257-8481.