If you’ve ever walked through Springer Market Square and thought the space could feel a little brighter, Lucy DeSousa has coloured it for you.
From familiar downtown streets to waterfront views, Kingston-based artist Lucy DeSousa finds inspiration in the everyday corners of the city many residents pass without a second thought. Through bright paintings that emphasize colour and light, her work celebrates Kingston’s familiar landscapes with renewed vibrancy.
Much of DeSousa’s work depicts recognizable locations, including the waterfront, Market Square, and areas near the historic Keewatin Steamship. While the settings are familiar, she often adds subtle details that encourage viewers to slow down and look more closely. “Sometimes I add hidden birds and wildlife to my paintings to show what we see in daily life,” she said in an interview with The Journal.
Working primarily in acrylic, DeSousa begins each piece with a sketch before building up what she describes as layers of colour. “Layers of colour, vibrant colours, that make you feel happy, makes me feel happy,” she explained. She’s drawn to acrylic for its quick-drying properties, which allow her to stay immersed in her work. “I enjoy painting with it because it dries quicker, and I can work on a piece layering colours all in one day, so I don’t have to wait.”
For DeSousa, the goal isn’t strict realism but a sense of liveliness. “I want it to look lively, not boring. I love to have something that looks alive.” She hopes viewers engage actively with her work, almost like an artistic scavenger hunt. “Sometimes people like to enjoy a painting where it’s interactive, so you take your time to see and look and feel, to take it all in.”
Her focus on Kingston is deeply personal. Having spent her entire life in the city after moving there as a baby, painting local sites allows her to access a sense of nostalgia. “The paintings of familiar places allow me to explore my personal memories, like happy moments and personal connections that other subjects may not have,” she said.
Many customers are drawn to her work because of their own emotional ties to specific locations. DeSousa said graduating Queen’s students and tourists often purchase her art as a way to remember the city. “They’re looking for a painting, a print, a card at a familiar spot in Kingston,” she said. “And it’s a happy memory.”
In 2022, DeSousa joined Martello Alley Gallery, becoming part of the downtown artist collective. “I thought, I’m going to give it a try and see how it goes, and it went well,” she said. Since then, she has expanded her practice beyond canvases to include jewelry, crochet, prints, pet portraits, magnets, and painted plexiglass sun catchers. She has also become the gallery’s top-selling artist.
The community’s response continues to motivate her. “Hearing what people are enjoying in my work really makes me happy and encourages me to continue,” DeSousa said. “It makes me happy that I can put a smile on someone else’s face.”
Looking ahead, she plans to continue painting Kingston scenes while branching into more playful subjects. “I will continue to do more Kingston scenes,” she said, “and I’ll be doing a lot more cute animals dressed up.”
At the centre of DeSousa’s work remains a simple intention. “I’m trying to bring colour into people’s homes and I’m trying to spread as much happiness as I can.”
Tags
Art, Culture, Kingston, Lucy DeSousa, Visual art
All final editorial decisions are made by the Editor(s) in Chief and/or the Managing Editor. Authors should not be contacted, targeted, or harassed under any circumstances. If you have any grievances with this article, please direct your comments to journal_editors@ams.queensu.ca.