Brita Housez was born in Germany and grew up in France and
Quebec. She attended high school near Montreal and subsequently got her BA from Acadia University. Brita then moved to Grenoble, France to pursue graduate studies, and ultimately resided there for several years. Upon returning to Canada, she worked as a communications consultant for a public relations firm; raised her two daughters; and, upon moving to St. Catharines over 30 years ago, began what has become long-term interests in food and nutrition, and painting and design.

The former interest led to the publication of four cookbooks beginning with the national bestseller Tofu Mania. This was followed by The Soy Dessert and Baking Book and Pleasures Pure and Simple, an all-purpose cookbook. Brita's most recent cookbook Sweet Potato Mania was published in 2021.

In pursuance of her art, Brita's painting style has evolved from realistic nature scenes to unique impressionistic and abstract designs. Her current creations, which are painted primarily in acrylics, are characterized by vibrant colours and multi-layers of paint which give her paintings depth and a richly textured look. More recently, she has been incorporating her own colourful collage designs and enjoys experimenting with pastels. While every painting is an original 'one-of-a-kind' piece of art, many express a social message or convey a basic human emotion.