Maureen Ault is a mixed media: Oshibana artist living in Guelph, Ontario. Oshibana is an ancient Japanese artform dating back to the 1600's. This artform is created by using pressed botanicals to create a whole picture. Often each piece of artwork consists of many different, colours, shades and types of botanicals. Maureen uses real pressed flower petals, leaves, ferns, grasses, and even bark to create her artwork. Her current body of work focuses on landscape and wildlife art.
The challenge for Maureen as an artist is realizing her vision for each piece using a limited palette that restricts the development of shadows and highlights. Furthermore, the brilliance of nature is often not seen in the final pressed petal or leaf, as colour changes and a reduction in the colour intensity occurs with pressing. She uses a variety of pressed botanical materials in her artwork to create texture, detail and to capture the colours in nature. Each piece of botanical material is layered onto archival paper using a tiny drop of glue. Pressing is a natural preservative which is further enhanced by Maureen’s use of archival papers and glues in addition to framing under museum or art glass and vacuum sealing each piece against conservation anti-glare plexiglass or art glass.

Maureen is a recipient of a Grant from the Ontario Arts Council, 2021-2023

Maureen has exhibited in local galleries including 10C Space, Virtual Art On the Street and other online Art Shows, Riverdale Artwalks, Headwaters Arts: Artisan Show, Solo Exhibit: "A Moment in Time" - Elora Centre for the Arts, 2023 Ontario Society of Artists Juried Emerging Artists Exhibit