Jane Samsonova

A small note from the road.
I remember standing there with the wind in my face, listening to the birds and the ocean at the same time — and feeling completely quiet inside.
It’s always surprising to me how that happens.
Sometimes peace doesn’t come in silence.
Sometimes it arrives in movement, in weather, in wild places that ask you to be fully present.
This trip through Québec gave me more than references for paintings.
It gave me a new way to listen.
Map of Quiet is my way of bringing those moments back — and sharing them with you.
Have you ever felt calm in a place that was actually loud?

The place vs the feeling.

Bonaventure Island is known for its bird colonies —
thousands of wings, constant movement, endless sound.

It is not a quiet place.

And yet, standing there, I felt a deep stillness.

Maybe it was the rhythm of the waves,
the cliffs, the wind, and the birds —
all moving together, like one living breath.

I didn’t paint what I saw.
I painted what stayed.

Where the Cliffs Breathe
Map of Quiet — Chapter II

Which do you feel more — the movement, or the calm?

Map of Quiet — Chapter II: Where the Cliffs Breathe

Bonaventure Island is known for its bird colonies — thousands of wings, calls, and constant movement.
It is not a quiet place in the usual sense.

And yet, standing there, I felt a deep stillness.

Maybe it was the rhythm of the birds, the cliffs, the ocean, and the sky moving together — like one living breath.

This painting became my way of holding that moment:
wild and full of motion, but peaceful at its core.

from the series Map of Quiet
Oil on canvas · 2025
31.5 × 47.2 inches (80 × 120 cm)

Status: Available

DM me “Colony” for collector details, price, and a close-up video in natural light.

When you look at this piece, do you feel more the movement — or the calm?

Most of my paintings exist in my mind long before they exist on canvas.

They begin with a feeling.

My name is Zhanna, and I’m a landscape artist based in Canada. I paint places and moments that stay with me — sometimes from travels, sometimes from small, everyday experiences that unexpectedly touch the heart.

I rarely sketch beforehand. Most paintings start as an image somewhere in my mind, and the canvas simply becomes the place where it finally appears.

Recently I also became a mother to a beautiful baby boy, and this new chapter has changed the way I see the world — noticing details, light, and emotions I might have passed by before.

Here I share the places, memories, and moments that slowly turn into paintings.

If you’re new here — where are you from, and what landscape feels most like home to you?