Portrait of an artist Mona Youssef by Jacqueline Easby
“Arts in / a Gloucester & Cumberland”, volume15, number2, March2001

  When Mona first began to paint, she lived in the warm climate of Cairo. The first painting she sold (albeit by accident) was of a village scene “There were woman carrying a water pot on her head and walking under palm trees, clay building, and a path disappearing into the distance. I still remember it clearly. My mother took it to a framer who promptly bought it, and I haven’t seen it since” She did find painting from about the same time, however.
It shows a tree in winter, in a landscape of snow- a quintessentially Canadian scene. Mona says” I always liked the feeling of snow in that painting”

  Today, Mona lives in Ottawa and is part of the snowy scenes she so loves. She is also a part of history. In 1982, she was commissioned to commemorate the signing of the Canadian Constitution Act. The oil painting, which shows the Parliament Hill on the occasion of signing of the Constitution, was presented to Pierre Trudeau on his retirement. In 1999, shortly before Mr. Trudeau became ill, Mona and her husband visited his home in Montreal to have the painting photographed. She received a personal note from Mr. Trudeau on this occasion, telling her how proud he was to have it hanging in his home. It is one of her most precious keepsakes.

  While Mona was in Toronto during the 90s, she completed a Certificate in Applied Arts and Technology at George Brown College, and an Accounting and office Systems Diploma From Heritage College in Hull Ottawa. “I thought that making a living from painting was, perhaps, not the most practical thing.” She laughs, but she hasn’t used those diplomas and certificates much. In 1996, at an exhibition in aid of the Women’s Opera Committee, At the O’Keefe Centre, she sold two out of three paintings, and decided that perhaps she could make a living out of art.

  Today, Mona is a full-time visual artist and a private art instructor, teaching seven to ten students. She finds great joy in painting and loves to teach art. “It lets me give something back, and has shown me the power of art to restore the soul.” She herself constantly paints in oil-polar bears, moose, bobcats, birds, flowers....and trees. A glade of tall trees in summer with ironically, a path disappearing into the distance, sites on her easel.


  Mona’s work can be seen at the Ottawa Little theatre, and will be exhibited at the Gloucester Arts Council offices in March and April.