BRIEF HISTORY
I was born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba. After graduating from the University of Winnipeg with a degree in environmental studies, I moved to the south west coast of B.C. with my husband. It was on that trip west that I fell in love with the Rockies.
TODAY
Now we live just above Crescent Beach where I have a beautiful spacious studio where I spend a lot of time with my constant companion Ajax my dog. Although art has always been a part of my life, with kids grown and volunteer time spent at the schools and coaching finished I am now able to give my art work my full attention.
The Canadian wilderness and natural landscape that we are blessed with, is more than an inspiration for my art, it feeds my soul keeps me well and grounded in the rest of my life. When I was young I would often want out of the house, so with a hop on my bike I would be in the open fields beyond the train tracks. Today I hike the mountains, walk in the forest and wander the shorelines.
It is not surprising that the Canadian landscape inspired so many artists. Emily Carr, the Group of Seven,and Walter J. Phillips are some of the artists I admire who spent time capturing what they saw in this amazingly diverse country.
The wilderness that exists in this country has a limitless array of challenges it can throw at you. The grandeur of the mountains and its sudden mood changes demands respect and humbles those who visit. The trees sculpted by the climate, the pikas, the marmots, and the delicate wildflower displays, show us the will to survive in an often severe climate. The tall ancient cedars of the rainforest show us how small a part we play in time. The power of the waterfalls coming off the snow pack wearing down rock or the waves on the shore grinding pebbles into sand, this is what my art is about.
“ Though I like to travel to different places it is always with great peace of mind that I return to the big trees, the moss and ferns of our rainforest.”
Today my work is in private collections in England, across Canada and the U.S. It is also on display in several galleries in B.C. and Alberta.
TECHNIQUE
Although I have taken a few theory courses at Emily Carr School of Fine Art and other Vancouver Art Schools, I am basically a self taught artist.
When I go on my journeys in the mountains or hikes in the forest I take camera, sketch pads and pencils. In the future when more time allows I hope to start taking my paints with me. I take hundreds of photos to give me reference material for my work. I spend as much time as possible on the move to see all I can and experience everything in the time I have out in the wilderness.
Feeling the wind on my face, taking a deep breath of the moist forest air, rain bouncing off my hood, catching snowflakes on my eyelashes, hearing the sounds of the birds, crashing waves, the smell of the salty sea, this is what I take back to the studio with me.
I work on stretched canvas gessoed with often 5-7 coats. I use a limited palette. I use oil or acrylic paint. My main colours include burnt sienna, ultramarine blue, cadmium yellow light, ivory black and titanium white. I will often sketch the painting in raw umber to get the values and composition right. Then each painting may require the addition of a guest colour to give a needed effect. These often include yellow ochre, cadmium red, alizarin crimson in oil and quinacridone crimson in acrylic. My goal is to emulate what you see in nature’s palette. The forest greens vary from the warmest yellow green to the coolest blue green - a challenge for all artists. The extra punch is added when you play with light and shadow.
I often have a number of paintings in a nearly finished stage in my studio. I will go back to them to either add a signature, add a finishing touch,or decide it was a learning experience and move on.
Although I usually go in to the studio with a plan, once started I allow the act of painting to take over. The magic of the brush guided by the spirit within help me to paint the landscape I love. That to me is the excitement of the art process.