My art is about the abundance of interconnectedness in all things.
PROCESS:
For me, painting is a way to combine an exterior life with the inner life.
When the process is flowing well for me a dialogue ensues between my hand, the medium and something else. Paintings take a process of adding, subtracting, experimenting and trusting.
In the studio I work in the oil medium in a layered way, focusing on the idea but letting intuition lead the way.
When I’m outdoors painting, its more about direct observation, light, form with an attitude of spontaneity on the side. My plein air paintings often inform my studio works.
“emotional connection is intangible,
But somehow art engages an energy that connects us.”
For a while I owned a studio gallery at my country farmhouse in Elginburg Ontario:
The Gallery At The Porch Door
I absolutely loved showcasing local artists as well as my own, and interacting with clients was a joy for me. Some stopped in from long drives just to visit the gallery, and see new work. It was bittersweet when we decided to move west to BC five years later when I closed it. That little gallery was a part of my life that I really enjoyed.
BIOGRAPHY:
Born in Nova Scotia; I grew up in Canada & Europe. I loved sketching & creating. At college, I received an honours diploma from a 3 year Fashion Design program, landing a job in the industry, though it wasn’t long before I left the rag trade behind. I loved painting more. My starter medium of choice was watercolours. I took several professional workshops with Zoltan Szabo (Hungarian American) and Robert Wade (Australian) to name a few.
We moved around the world because of my husband’s job. Painting was the one thing that felt like a constant for me; it grounded me and made me feel at home no matter where in the world I was. I painted exclusively in watercolours for about 20 years.
While living in Australia (1999-2002) I studied art history and oil painting south of Melbourne. I fell in love with the Australian Impressionist paintings; so full of light and atmosphere.
I could not wait to try my hand at oil painting. For a while I thought I would continue painting in both mediums, but in the end I pretty much switched mediums and started working exclusively in oils. The alchemy and the process of oil painting completely seduced me.
I love the slow meditative process of oil painting, and its ability to achieve soft passages. I now live & work in Victoria BC.