People of Georgian: Ontario small towns inspire clerk’s painted postcards

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The Georgian community is full of unique, inspiring perspectives —and we’re sharing them as part of an ongoing series.

People of Georgian: Meet Pallavi Gupta

I travel with a sketchbook in hand so I can make handmade watercolour postcards.

I collect postcards from every place I go as a memory keepsake, but I don’t always find ones I like, so I started designing some for myself to remember the places I’ve been to and mail some to my friends.

Then one summer I worked for Ontario Waterway Cruises and explored many small Ontario towns. They were so beautiful, but I couldn’t find any postcards of them, only of major cities.

A person sits cross-legged on a bed surrounded by artwork, a paint palette and booklets. — *Pallavi travels with a sketchbook so she can draw and paint.*

I once went into a shop in Bobcaygeon, a small village I visited, and asked if they would be interested in selling postcards if someone created some. They were willing, which gave me my first push to consider creating some of my own for sale.

Craft fair jump-starts artistic side hustle

I was very shy at first to show my designs to other people and try to sell them. Even if somebody peered over my shoulder when I was sketching, I would get very self-conscious.

But then I heard about a craft fair at Georgian, and I took it as a sign that I should go for it. Worst case scenario, the postcards wouldn’t sell and I could still give them away to friends.

So, I created a few postcard varieties and set up a stall at the craft fair. The response I got was overwhelmingly positive! I didn’t imagine that would happen at all.

A person stands behind a table covered in red flowers and framed artwork. — *Pallavi sold some of her artwork at a craft fair in January.*

The community at Georgian is so great. The support from students and faculty members and even President and CEO Kevin Weaver himself is one of the best things about the college.

I was told I should reach out to Georgian Stores to see whether they might be interested in selling my postcards. I didn’t feel like it was a very feasible idea because we have so much merchandise at Georgian Stores already, but I thought, “Let’s give it a go. It doesn’t hurt to write an email.”

I heard back right away, and they were very interested in the postcards. I already have one design for sale through Georgian Stores of the Barrie Campus cenotaph, and now I’m working on a T-shirt and sweatshirt design for the Owen Sound Campus related to Marine programming.

A close up of a hand holding up a postcard of buildings and a cenotaph with the same scene in the background in real life. — *Pallavi created this postcard of Georgian’s Barrie Campus cenotaph, which is for sale through Georgian Stores.*

‘Being at Georgian and being open to new experiences has given me a lot of confidence’

My favourite artistic medium is pencil sketching and watercolours. I also recently invested in an iPad to colour my postcards digitally to help maintain the vibrancy of my prints, which can otherwise be dimmed from scanning and printing.

I never thought I could make financial advancements from my hobby, but the kind of art I’m creating feels so liberating. There’s no intense client, it’s just whatever I want to create. I’m really excited that people are liking my art; it feels really good.

And now, to come full circle, I’m also working on postcards and bookmarks for Ontario Waterway Cruises where my inspiration began.

Since coming to Canada, I’ve realized there’s a culture here where it doesn’t hurt to ask if you want something.

Being at Georgian and being open to new experiences has given me a lot of confidence.

Pallavi Gupta (she/her), Testing Services Clerk and alumna of Georgian’s Project Management program (class of 2024).

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