When I walked into the gallery Monday morning I immediately gravitated to the newest arrivals: Patti Normand's playful sculptures. These nostalgic and witty works have played in my mind all week.

On the surface the miniature worlds I create seem safe, but look closer and it becomes apparent all is not as it seems. The settings in my pieces range from city parks to the Canadian wilderness. Carefully chosen, they play an integral part in narratives that are frequently disquieting and absurd. Inspired by my memories and fears, they examine our relationship with nature, both our indifference to it and each other.

Patti Normand has been a visual artist in Ottawa for over twenty years. She has worked professionally for many years as a sculptor and model maker for area museums, notably the Children's Museum at the Canadian Museum of Civilization