Former CTV broadcaster moves from a TV studio to an art studio

A former CTV Ottawa broadcaster is headlining an art gallery with landscape paintings this weekend. 

"The Late Bloomer" is Leanne Cusack's first art gallery exhibition. It started Thursday and will continue until Sunday in the Gordon Harrison Gallery at 465 Sussex Drive.

The paintings reflect some of the important landscapes of her life, she told CTV Morning Live. One of her pieces of art was inspired by her grandmother's farm. She started with a black and white photo of the farm. She says the picture was taken in the 1940's.

"This is based on my grandmother's farm in Antigonish, Nova Scotia," Cusack said while talking about her paintings.

"The foreground of the piece is based on many of her favourite flowers. She used to call us floral nicknames."

In her paintings, Cusack also wanted to bring a feeling of nature inside through different "energy of plants," and flowers.

"A lot of my perspective is a low perspective of meadows and the landscape behind and it's really that sense of wonder that I think starts as a child and carries on where just the colour is electric or ecstatic," she said.

Cusack is a lifelong lover of art and nature. She was a fixture at CTV Ottawa for decades. Her deep roots continue to blossom in the community, as her brush meets the canvas.

All the pieces in the "Late Bloomer" collection are for sale and Cusack will be on hand to meet the public and talk about her creations throughout the weekend.

On Saturday and Sunday, Cusack will be meeting with visitors from 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

With files from CTV News Ottawa's Shaun Vardon