Emergence 2010-2012

In 2010 I began a transitional stage of production. I call the next few years and the work I created in it my Emergence period.

I sought the guidance and support of Nathalie Garceau, an artist colourist who practices an intuitive approach to her art. I took classes with her for the next three years, experimenting with non-representational studies, portraits, still life, and figure painting.

I dove into this liberating way of drawing and painting wholeheartedly, reveling in this newfound freedom of creative expression. I began to play with more vibrant colours, looser brushstrokes and a more intuitive, expressive approach.

Selected Images:

Haliburton - Documenting Memory Series 2013

I’m inspired by history, specifically by stories of the past and how we remember them.  I believe that our memories play an important role in how we live our lives in the present.  I’m curious about what memory is, what we do with it, how it affects us and how we respond to it.

I explore how we respond to memories by experimenting with drawing and painting media in combination with paper, photos, aluminum foil, burlap, wallpaper and upholstery fabric, all materials that have their own strong textures and physical memories. 

I observe and document how the memories of these materials respond to my manipulations.   I layer, crumple, mold, rip, wet, soak, undo, strip, mark, and assemble them.   The pieces carry and hold the evidence of what was done to them, reflecting the story of their experience.  Similarly, we carry the effects of our experiences and those of our parents and their parents and so on.  We become a reflection of how we have been impacted by the past events and circumstances of our surroundings, our families, our histories, and how our present may still be affected by them.  

Selected images:

Haliburton 2012-2013

In 2012 I enrolled in the Visual and Creative Arts Diploma program and Integrative Media Studies at Haliburton School of Art and Design. During my 18 months there, I learned to appreciate and value the process of creating. I was able to let go of the burden of making a product and find the satisfaction of simply creating, changing direction, stopping the chatter in my head and listening to the deep, gentle voice of intuition.
I can't say I didn't struggle through it though. My mother had just died a few months before, and there were a lot of other things going on in my heart and in my head. But I think that being there and focusing on my art helped me get through it.

Selected photos:

2000-2010

 My early works were an attempt to capture the feeling of being in a place, or relating to a particularly meaningful symbol.
Selected images:

General Artist Statement

Using an intuitive based approach, I address themes such as identity, belonging and memory.  I deconstruct and reconstruct symbols related to these themes in order to explore their meaning. 

I use a variety of disciplines such as word art, drawing, painting and assemblage to explore my ideas.  Symbolism and colour translate meaning into my works and the use of papers, fabrics, found objects and photographs add texture and depth to the narrative.

Exploring new techniques and experimenting with innovative uses of new and recycled material helps me consider new ways of perceiving and responding to these materials and to my themes.