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“The Grief Project has helped me, and is still helping me, work through the death of my father. I don't get a lot of opportunities to talk about and celebrate him, and The Grief Project helped me do that. It was a truly unique experience." – Vicky, Grief Project Participant
A special collection of paintings, inspired by you.
The Grief Project is proud to partner with Grieve Leave, a grief community and education platform, to create artwork inspired by your grief story.
This project is a unique way to share your story, create more space for conversation around grief, create community and ultimately, an opportunity to live with an artwork that captures your grief journey and memories.
We all have a story of loss intertwined with beauty, pain, and growth — a story of grief. And I would be honoured to create an artwork from yours.
There are no fees associated with submitting your story; to participate. Share your story with Chanelle and and the Grieve Leave team via our submission form and if selected, the artist will create an artwork inspired by it.
To learn more about the process, click here.
*due to the high interest in this project, only a limited number of participants can be selected at this time. Your story may also be shared by Grieve Leave.
Submissions close September 26th, 2026
250+
submissions
42
artworks created
115
waitlisted
1
Use the link below to your email and get access to our simple submission form. We'll ask about the pieces of nature that speak to you, colours, and for more information about your story.
It is FREE to submit your story. Know that any form of grief can be shared. We recognize that there is grief in every part of life and any loss.
2
Chanelle and the Grieve Leave team will read every submission
Chanelle and Grieve Leave will read every submission.
Names are removed from submissions before the selection process begins. Stories are chosen for the project based off of Chanelle's creative practice and if she feels her work would represent your story well.
Due to a large interest in this project and the capacity of the artist, only a limited number of stories can be chosen to be painted at this time. However, your story may also be shared by Grieve Leave.
Please note, if your story is not chosen at this time, it may also be selected in the future.
3
Keep a Close Eye on Your Email!
We will respond to every submission. Hang tight! It may take us a few months after you submit, for us to reach out.
If your story has been selected for the project, you will be invited to attend a 30 minute, 1:1 meeting with Chanelle. During this time you'll meet the artist to discuss your piece and vision. Don't worry, you don't have to prepare anything for the call.
4
Chanelle Works Her Magic ✨
Chanelle gets to work painting and preparing for the release of your artwork.
Make sure to follow along on her instagram, where she often shares the process of her pieces.
5
Your Artwork Reveal
Based off of your selection in our survey, your artwork will be revealed to you by an online, private video release or, an in person release event.
Why the Grief Project?
I created this project because of my personal experience with grief. Growing up in an abusive home, I lost my dad at a young age through a difficult divorce. Because I didn't experience the most common form of Grief - death, the loss of my father wasn't recognized and I felt unsupported throughout my grieving process. As I moved through my grief journey and multiple losses throughout my life, I constantly found myself both painting to process and spending time in nature.
In 2024, I sat in the garden that was tended to by my friend's sister, who had recently passed. I collected inspiration from her garden and created an artwork for the family that included all of the flowers she once grew. It was there that I was once again reminded of how nature carries us through life, provides us solace and acts as an anchor within our memories. The Grief Project was then created and what was once a call for 6 submissions, quickly grew into the creation of over 42 pieces to date.
My hope is that no matter what form your grief takes, that this project captures your story (or your loved ones) and supports you in transforming the beautiful moments into permanent memories by being on the canvas.
"Being a part of the Grief Project just felt right, all the tiny connections along the way to making it happen, as though our son was tapping me on the shoulder urging me to go for it.
The final painting was stunning, everything I didn't know I wanted but Chanelle somehow knew. We felt held every step of the way and honoured to have been a part of such a heartfelt project. The piece now hangs in the heart of our home." - Scherri, Grief Project Participant
Previous Artworks from The Grief Project
FAQ about the Grief Project
Grieve Leave is a global grief education and community platform helping people and companies better understand, talk about, and support grief. Through events, resources, and creative collaborations, Grieve Leave explores new ways to make space for grief in our everyday lives, whether it comes from death, divorce, or everything in between.
Grieve Leave believes there are many ways to tell a grief story. We’re proud to partner with The Grief Project and support Chanelle’s deeply personal approach to interpret lived experiences of grief into art, opening up new ways to see it, talk about it, and understand it.
Chanelle Jefferson
Chanelle is a contemporary artist and certified practitioner, born and based out of the South Shore of Nova Scotia. She is recognized for her use of line throughout her work as well as the spaces she creates for meaningful and conscious connection.
Her subject matter focuses on themes that connect nature, everyday observation and healing through her use of blind contour methods. She creates her line drawings without looking at the paper as a daily practice of meditation and mindfulness.
Chanelle's work helps its viewers connect with their heart while reminding them to slow down and discover the beauty within the mundane.
She is a graduate of Concordia University (Montreal, QC) with a BFA in Studio Arts and a minor in Environmental Geology (2021), author/illustrator of My Nova Scotia Cookbook (2018) and host of the yearly, Finding Awe Within the Ordinary retreat.
Her work is held within the private collections of Pete Luckett and the MacKay-Lyons family. Jefferson's work has been shown at Museo Bellini (Florence, Italy) and was accepted as the Lunenburg School of the Arts, 2023 Artist-in-Residence.