From microscope to canvas A small Canadian company turns petrography thin sections into works of art
Since introducing Nature’s Canvas to the public at local gem and mineral shows and the One of a Kind art show in Toronto in 2017, as well as the PDAC in 2018, demand has been rising. / Depuis la présentation de Nature’s Canvas à l’occasion d’expositions locales de minéraux et de pierres précieuses, de l’exposition d’art One of a Kind à Toronto en 2017 et du congrès de la Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada en 2018, la demande ne cesse d’augmenter.
78 Revue minière du Québec
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etrography provides vital information about rocks including: mineralogy, metamorphism, alteration, and paragenetic history. Photomicrographs are important tools for mineralogical studies. So, these thin-section images provide invaluable geoscientific knowledge for geological exploration and for mineral processing. But are they art? According to the owners of Nature’s Canvas Inc., the answer is yes. The brain-child of two professionally licensed geologists, Jim Renaud and Natalie Pietrzak-Renaud, Nature’s Canvas Inc. is a small commercial venture that has been producing and selling prints, canvas, home décor, and clothing featuring petrographic thin-section images for the past three years. The first canvases featuring kimberlites were produced as office décor for the married pair’s geological laboratory and consulting firm. Jim, who has his PhD in
exploration geology, and Natalie, who has her PhD in geometallurgical projects, are the owners and operators of Renaud Geological Consulting (RGC) Ltd., in London, Ont. Since its establishment 15 years ago, RGC has worked on deposits from around the world, like the Fruita del Norte in Ecuador and Strange Lake on the Quebec-Labrador border. This means that Nature’s Canvas has a large and growing digital database of thinsection images to draw upon. “Petrography reveals a spectacular array of colours shapes,” says Jim, who is the main petrographic photographer. “It’s just nature’s most random and complex beauty that few people are privileged to see, but we weren’t certain how this ‘art’ would be received.” So far, geologist and non-geologists are keen. Since introducing Nature’s Canvas to the public at local gem and mineral shows and the One of a Kind art show in Toronto in 2017, as well as the PDAC in 2018, demand has been rising. The biggest challenge has been the intricacies of art production. Not only does pixilation need to be precise, but the aesthetics of the shapes, colours, shades, and forms have to be taken into consideration. Then there is the challenge of transferring an illuminated image to a solid surface without paying a fortune for ink and gels. “It certainly has been a steep learning curve for two scientists and it still surprises many people that two economic geologists love making art at all,” says Natalie. “We’re hoping to launch some new products when RGC’s schedule permits.” But if, as Cicero says, art is born of the observation and investigation of nature, geology provides a plethora of artistic inspiration. u
