Monica Reekie

Monica has had a love of animals, nature and art since childhood and loved to read about far-away lands.

Throughout many years in the nursing profession, and owning a successful award-winning B&B, she met a multitude of fascinating people from all over the world and from different walks of life. Some were famous, some wise, some funny, others had endured unspeakable horrors, but most were ordinary. All of them have inspired Monica to reawaken her childhood dreams and aspirations for travel, art and photography. Having travelled to 40 countries in recent years, a chance meeting in 2018 has enabled her to fulfill a life-long dream of visiting Kenya and photographing “Endangered Species in Endangered Spaces”. She now returns there annually and has fallen in love with the peaceful wide open spaces and close encounters with truly wild animals. Although she describes herself as a realistic artist, many of her images have an almost mystical beauty bordering on the abstract. Even her photographs of cars draw the viewer to see light reflections, contrasts, colour and form, not necessarily a car, per se, nor does she use digital manipulation in the creation of her images if she can help it.

“The natural world needs no enhancement.”

Monica’s photographic subjects vary widely from animals to architecture, floral details to expansive vistas, chandeliers to cars; the beauty of the world around her provides her constant inspiration. Her work depicts the world and its wonders as she sees them through the lens of her camera, often focusing on the details. She considers herself fortunate to be able to pursue her passions.

“For all things achieved or attempted were done simply for the joy of doing them, and the joy is enough”.

Proceeds from the sale of all of her work are donated to animal and wildlife organizations here at home and around the globe: the BCSPCA, the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya, and the Galapagos Conservancy to name a few.

I am fortunate to be able to pursue my love of animals, nature, art, travel and photography, combining all of my passions into my work. A flash of beauty, a deep emotion, or color patterns, my objective is to infuse wonder and joy into life, finding something beautiful, something to be grateful for, give pleasure to the senses and exalt the mind simply by taking a closer look at the world, and seeing every opportunity with new eyes. Elaborate details or sleeping puppies, I endeavour to capture moments in time with my camera without using photo-enhancing technology in post-production. Nature needs no enhancement. With a photo-journalistic focus on wildlife and respectful habitat preservation and conservation, I hope to foster an appreciation for the past and present, and perhaps give pause for reflection toward the future.