Natalie V. Bochenska (Natalie Very B.) is a Polish-Canadian illustrator, muralist, and educator. She is currently concluding her studies at the Toronto Art Therapy Institute (TATI) in pursuit of a graduate diploma in Art Therapy, a sophisticated form of psychotherapy that offers introspection, insight, building coping skills and strengths, and processing of difficult past events. Having grown up in a country with a strong patriarchal regime and an obvious system of inequality, she strives to use her art to educate people about the importance of anti-oppressive practices. Her bold and bright murals depicting the themes of nature and modern female empowerment can be found all across Ontario. She makes public art with the goal of changing preconceived notions of feminism by promoting self-love and body neutrality in the world. She painted her first mural at the OCAD building in 2015 and has been working on large scale pieces ever since. Her experience in painting on a variety of exterior and interior surfaces including concrete, brick, metal, wood, and glass has collaborated with the City of Toronto, City of Hamilton, Arts Etobiocoke, East End Arts, Lakeshore Arts, Stonegate Community Health Centre and Collective Arts Brewing; in addition to her work with the Junction, Mount Pleasant, Queensway, College West, and Duke Heights BIAs, as well as dozens of private clients. Natalie’s made murals for local skateparks and laneways, storefronts and electrical boxes. “With my art, I hope to reach people who can use my work as a tool for healing and empowerment,” she has said.

Julii McMillan, based in Montreal and a frequent collaborator with Natalie Very B, is a freelance illustrator, muralist, and visual storyteller working with both digital and traditional tools. She provides creative solutions through her demonstrated experience in poster design, product design, character illustration, visual development, mural production, public arts and art collective facilitation, art direction, and assistant art direction in film and television. She also has experience in storyboarding, costume illustration, social media management and content creation. McMillan, who is especially skilled in traditional painting on canvas, also frequently paints on walls multi-stories high. Equally adept at digital painting, mockups and photography retouching, her work is rooted in research, and shaped by context, ideas and storytelling. Her clients include: Disney, CBS, Festival Silhouette Court Métrage Paris, Haïti Design Co., Oasis Hostels Spain, the City of Toronto, City of Peterborough and the City of Oshawa.