Emily Honderich

Wild Poppies in Bloom

As summer wanes, the final flourish of the Syncing Space residency blooms into reality. Visual artist Emily Honderich and Syncing Space collaborators, celebrated for their inclusive, sensorial approach, have created Night Regatta as part of “Floral Bloomers for Syncing Space”, a culminating exhibition born from this unique online residency.

A Glimpse Into Night Regatta

In this captivating acrylic on canvas (24 × 36 in), three sailboats drift across a swirled horizon of blue-green water, their sails rendered in coral orange and bubblegum pink. The composition dances between sea and garden—nautical subject meets botanical energy, evoking blooms in motion. The interplay of the water’s rhythm and wind’s unseen melodies feels emblematic of the residency’s ethos, moving together in quiet communion.

From Process to Bloom

My work throughout the residency has been a journey of expansiveness and depth. My digital illustration, Georgian Bay Swimmers, stitched together memories and shared presence with layered textures that invite curiosity, softness, and listening to the collective tempo.

In a thoughtful reflection, Emily maps leadership onto the attentive energy of a dog—“servant leadership” that plants seeds of trust and cultivates growth, mirroring how collaboration blossoms in Syncing Space, where creative exchange isn’t hierarchy—it’s garden-like tending.

Anticipating the Exhibition

Set to open on August 22nd, Floral Bloomers for Syncing Space will showcase Night Regatta and related works born from the residency’s final phase. Working within Syncing Space—a residency designed to create accessible, online collaborator‑led environments for artists with disabilities, I thrived in a stretch of studio practice, leadership coaching, experimentation, and exhibition preparation.

Why Night Regatta Resonates

• Visual Poetry: The painting harmonizes bold abstraction with organic motifs—a collision of sail and petal.

• Residency Reflection: It embodies the syncing of artists, elements, and ideas happening online through creative bravery and leadership.

• Sensory Invitation: Whether in brushstroke or colour, it calls viewers to feel rhythm, space, and shared breath.

Join us in watching how Emily’s Night Regatta sets sail into exhibition—and how “Floral Bloomers for Syncing Space” offers not just images, but a lived metaphor for collaboration, care, and blooming together in shared creative rhythm.

Night Regatta

Title: Night Regatta
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas 24×36 inches
Exhibition: Floral Bloomers for Syncing Space
Opening: August 22nd

As the summer wind carries whispers of water and dusk, Night Regatta captures the dreamy choreography of sailboats gliding under a swirling, star-soaked sky.

This piece is part of my final project for the residency and will feature it in my upcoming exhibit, Floral Bloomers for Syncing Space.In this painting, three boats drift across a body of soft, rippling blue-green water—each one anchored by bold, geometric sails in shades of coral orange and bubblegum pink. 

The pattern of the sails mirrors some of the floral motifs explored throughout this residency: layered, organic, bright. Though the subject is nautical, the energy is botanical—echoing the central theme of bloom and expansion.

Inspiration-wise, I was exploring the intersection of water and wind, and how both elements create their kind of rhythm. This idea of “syncing space” feels especially potent here: boats becoming part of the sea, sails catching the unseen, and everything moving together in a kind of quiet communion.

As we approach the final week, I’m continuing to post progress in the studio and will be refining this series with a few more experiments in colour and form. I’m so grateful for the energy in this residency space and am super excited to share this work on August 22nd.

Attentiveness in Action

This week in the studio, I’ve been reflecting on a question that’s been nudging at me since our last session: What’s my leadership metaphor?

At first, I didn’t think too hard about it. But then I looked down at one of my recent digital paintings—a warm-toned, abstract dog with oversized ears and gentle, observant eyes—and I realized the answer was right there.

My leadership metaphor is a dog.

Dogs are loyal, comforting, and often curious—always sniffing out new trails, new places, and new perspectives. That’s how I show up in creative spaces too: with a steady sense of care, an openness to exploration, and a strong instinct to tune in to what others need. I try to lead by being attentive, just like I do in my art practice—whether that’s noticing subtle shifts in colour or holding quiet space in group dynamics.

Sarah also suggested metaphors like wind or water, and those resonated too—especially with the fluid way I move between media, such as watercolour, acrylic, and digital illustration. But something about the dog—its groundedness, its mix of play and purpose—feels especially true for me right now.

Attentiveship in Action

This drawing of the dog came out of a playful place—broad lines, deep browns, no perfect symmetry, just the intention to feel my way through. That, to me, is also leadership. It’s not about being the loudest in the room. It’s about noticing. It’s about making intentional choices and being present.

When I think about the seven elements of leadership, here’s how I see them show up in my creative and leadership practice

1. Choice – I choose to stay soft, even when things feel uncertain.
2. Talent – I bring an instinct for texture, detail, and noticing what others might overlook.
3. Belief – I believe in accessibility in the arts and in slowing down enough to see each other honestly.
4. Passion – Time disappears when I’m creating. I get completely absorbed in colour and movement.
5. Identity – I value quiet representation—making space for nuance, for softness, for attentiveness.
6. Vision – For the August 8th exhibition, I’m planning a series called Floral Bloomers—a digital/painted collection exploring how beauty emerges in dark or unexpected spaces.
7. Purpose – My purpose is to listen and create in equal measure. To let attention become action.

Exhibition Plan: Floral Bloomers

Theme: Creative resilience, quiet strength, and transformation through attentive mark-making.

Mediums:

• Digital painting
• Watercolour with ink
• Acrylic on paper

Series Concept:
The Bloomers series will feature portraits of flowers, sailboats, and landscapes that thrive in shadowed, overlooked, or harsh spaces. Each piece will pair vibrant colour with textures and bold lines—representing quiet power and artistic emergence.

Presentation Format:

• Virtual gallery slideshow
• ALT text written for each work
• Brief voiceover or artist notes accompanying selected pieces
• Optional artist Q&A on launch day

As I prepare for the August 8th exhibition, I’m leaning into this idea of “attentiveship.” These works will be intentional; they’ll grow slowly, like flowers finding the sun.

Thanks for following along.

In colour and motion,
Emily

Where the petals pause

Hi Syncing Spacers,

Today, I’m sitting with some bold feelings about art, leadership, and how we choose to show up in both.

I wanted to share one of my recent pieces for this week’s studio reflection. It’s a digital painting of orange lilies, created in broad, messy strokes, rich in texture and contrast, at the Coutts Centre in British Columbia. I didn’t clean it up or make it too tidy—because honestly, boldness isn’t always neat.

That’s when it hit me: if I had to name my leadership style, it would be “Attentiveship.” For me, that means leading through paying close attention to textures, and silences. I lead by noticing both in art-making and in group settings, such as my work at the National Access Arts Council in Calgary.  I try to hold room for subtle cues—like a soft wash of colour beneath a bold outline.

This drawing was inspired by watching the way lilies unfold slowly and confidently. There’s no rush. They just are. And I think art-making can be like that too—a slow blooming, grounded in attentiveness.

This painting came from a place of unapologetic mark-making.

For the upcoming online exhibition on August 8th, I’m planning to create a digital series which includes portraits of flowers, sailboats, and landscapes thriving in dark or unexpected spaces. Each one will use vibrant colours and layered textures to tell a story of creative resilience. Looking ahead to the online exhibition on August 22nd, I plan to explore this same idea of “attentiveness”—pieces that evolve from observation and process. My final work will be a series of floral sketches, digital prints, watercolours, and acrylics, focusing on the theme of listening through form and colour.

In colour and motion,
Emily

Color Sync, Acrylic Painting, 24x36 in

Opening

What if leadership looked less like a boardroom and more like a painting? When I first stood in front of this abstract work—bold swirls of colour, spontaneous lines, and soft clashes—I wasn’t sure what I was seeing. But I felt something unmistakable: movement, connection, and a deep sense of presence. This painting reminds me of what it’s like to lead in the real world—not from a script, but from instinct, not in a straight line, but through a beautiful, messy blend of ideas, people, and colour.

Colour as Communication

In the image, colours push and pull at each other, some loud, some muted, some in contrast, some blending. That’s leadership. Different personalities, energy levels, and emotions all coexist, each contributing their unique frequency. Colours in this painting include bright yellow and cyan, which evoke bursts of innovation. Deep navy and black create a structure both mysterious and grounding. Lastly, soft pinks and peach convey warmth, care, and a listening ear. 

Shapes Without Boundaries

There are no perfect circles or grids here, each form is imperfect and organic, much like honest conversations and real people. Leadership is rarely symmetrical. Great leaders get comfortable with ambiguity. They know that flow matters more than control. Overlap is not about conflict; it’s collaboration. Mess is often a signal of emergence, not failure.

Texture of the Work

Look closely: this painting has layers. Some colours peek from underneath others. There are places where the brushstroke is heavy, and others where it feels light, even rushed.

Leadership, too, has texture; some decisions are heavy with history, while others are fluid and intuitive. Some interactions leave a mark, while others quietly support the whole.

To lead well, you must become aware of this texture, not just of your work, but of the emotional layers people carry into the room.

A Canvas of Leadership in Sync

To me, this painting reflects the syncing space of leadership: It’s not top-down—it’s surrounding. It’s not polished—it’s honest. It’s not about being in the brightest spot, but knowing how to place yourself in the system.

Closing Thought

When we stop trying to “master” leadership and instead learn to paint with it, moving with colour, emotion, and rhythm, we create space where others can show up as they are.

And that’s the real masterpiece.

Leading in Orbit

In an era of constant motion—where teams are distributed, time zones overlap, and strategy must remain adaptable—leadership itself must evolve. No longer fixed, hierarchical, or rigid, leadership today resembles something more planetary: dynamic, layered, radiant.

The artwork above captures this spirit perfectly. A vibrant Earth, segmented and swirling, set in a sea of glowing stars and energy fields. It’s not just beautiful—it’s instructive.

Let’s use it to explore five metaphors for leadership in the modern era, where syncing space—not dominating it—is the new power.

1. The Swirl as Strategy: Flow Over Force

Notice the swirling clouds in the image. There’s movement, direction—but no rigidity. Likewise, strategy today is not just a fixed plan, but a swirling dance of trends, feedback, and intuition.
Just as the atmosphere flows, excellent leadership guides with adaptability. It tunes into feedback and trusts the wisdom of momentum over micromanagement.

Leaders are influential, responsive to change and constantly in motion.

2. Segmented Earth: Lead with Multi-Layered Awareness

This Earth is fragmented into visible sections, suggesting time zones, ecosystems, or diverse viewpoints. Great leaders recognize that no team, market, or issue exists in one dimension. Leadership requires seeing the layers—cultural, personal, emotional, logistical—and responding to all of them.

3. The Aura: Culture Radiates Beyond the Leader

The planet glows. Colours ripple outward. Although the Earth is central, its energy extends far beyond its boundaries. Culture is the aura and centre of leadership. It’s what people feel in the space you create. Whether it’s clarity or chaos, purpose or fear, it radiates from how you lead. Leadership isn’t just what you say—it’s what others sense and observe.

4. The Stars: You’re Part of a Bigger Ecosystem

Look closely—stars scatter across the canvas. They remind us that this planet doesn’t exist in isolation. Leadership, too, isn’t about being the “center of the universe”—it’s about understanding your place in a larger ecosystem. Modern leadership means syncing with external systems—clients, communities, stakeholders, and the natural world. Your gravity affects others. And theirs, yours.

5. The Light Source: Illuminate, Don’t Control

There’s a glow just beyond the Earth’s edge. Not overpowering, not blinding, but present. That’s what modern leadership looks like. An artwork viewer’s responsibility isn’t to control every action—it’s to create clarity, energy, and trust. Be the light that sets the tone—not the spotlight that steals it.

Conclusion:

Leadership today is cosmosyncing, not steering and orbiting, not overpowering and cultivating space, but instead creating it. This swirling, radiant Earth reminds us that good leadership is not about control—it’s about creating gravitational coherence—a place where teams, ideas, and systems find their flow around a shared center of gravity.

Winds of Change

Leadership styles are not a rigid set of instructions. The watercolour paintings above, full of movement, reflection, and possibility, invite us to consider two vital leadership styles that mirror the grace and strategy of navigating open water: 

Transformational Leadership: Setting Sail Toward Vision

In “Sailing Toward Possibility,” we see vibrant, upward-reaching sails that seem to stretch into the unknown. This image embodies the essence of transformational leadership—a style grounded in vision, inspiration, and inspiring change.

Transformational leaders chart a course for a brighter tomorrow. They are dreamers and doers, empowering their teams with energy and enthusiasm. The traits of transformational leaders include establishing a clear and compelling vision, igniting passion that drives action, focusing on individual growth and purpose, and a willingness to challenge the status quo. 

In a synchronized space, this leadership style helps unify diverse contributors under a shared vision. Each person becomes a sail catching the same wind, individual yet aligned.

Situational Leadership: Reading the Waters

Top traits of situational leaders include flexibility, the ability to determine readiness, the use of different behaviours based on content, and strong emotional intelligence.

In a syncing space, this style ensures resilience. Whether you’re in a storm of deadlines or smooth waters of creativity, situational leaders help the team adjust sails, not abandon ship.

Bringing It Back to Your Team

Whether you’re painting bold visions or navigating subtle shifts, both transformational and situational leadership bring essential energy to shared creative environments, such as a syncing space. Apply them by setting your vision, staying adaptable, and reflecting.  

The sea will change. The wind will shift. However, with the exemplary leadership, your journey will be just as beautiful—and just as impactful—as the destination itself.

Floral Blooming Space

The Garden of Collaboration – Cultivating a Servant Leadership Style

Image Title: “A Blooming Space”

The watercolour floral painting above depicts a vibrant tangle of watercolour blooms and greenery, embodying the essence of servant leadership—a leadership style grounded in nurturing, support, and collective growth.

Servant leadership is a philosophy that prioritizes serving others. Rather than people working to serve the leader, the leader exists to serve the people. It’s a style that’s less about commanding and more about listening, empathizing, and empowering.

Syncing Space with Servant Leadership

In a syncing space, servant leadership helps cultivate trust and better communication. Like the watercolour artwork above, it acknowledges that collaboration is often nonlinear and messy, yet it becomes beautiful and full of life.

Key Traits of a good leader include empathy (supporting one’s well-being), listening (absorbing ideas and feedback without rushing to respond), foresight (anticipating challenges while keeping purpose and potential at heart), and good stewardship (taking responsibility for one’s growth and success with integrity). 

The Blooming Impact

Just as the painting doesn’t place one flower above another, servant leadership values contribution over control. It asks: How can I help you grow? Instead of What can you do for me? The result? A syncing space where creativity flows freely, voices are heard, and collective success is our priority.

In today’s dynamic environments, we need more gardens. We need leaders who plant seeds of trust and watch their teams bloom.

Reflect & Grow:
How can you bring more servant leadership into your space this week? Whether it’s offering quiet encouragement, really listening during a meeting, or helping someone overcome a barrier, small acts of service build the most vibrant teams.

Let’s lead like gardeners—and let our syncing spaces flourish.

Georgian Bay Swimmers – Procreate Digital Illustration

Hi everyone, I’d like to share this digital illustration as a visual representation of how I arrive in a syncing space, both as an artist and a collaborator.

This piece, a digital collage of layered textures and fluid colour, mirrors how I hold space: expansive, alive, and grounded in sensory richness. The landscape is abstract yet intimate—stitched together like memory, with elements that invite curiosity, softness, and presence.

The swimmers at the bottom evoke one of my core orientations: being in process with others. I see myself in both the floaters and the divers—sometimes submerged in shared movement, observing from stillness, always listening for the tempo of the collective.

Syncing, for me, means co-shaping an ecology of care and responsiveness. It means tuning into more-than-verbal communication—gesture, rhythm, intuition—and co-composing meaning across bodies and boundaries.

This image represents the kind of world I’m invested in building and exploring with you: one that is textured, relational, and full of possibility.