I grew up in Edmonton, Alberta, the only girl among six boys. In a household full of boy noise, I remember spending many hours in quiet creative pursuit: drawing and coloring, then painting in my teens. Although my parents did not consider art to be a viable career option, my first artistic mentor was my Dad who, although busy raising and providing for a large family, found time to join me in “quick draw” challenges on quiet weekend afternoons. I was also inspired by watching television artist Bob Ross create half hour paintings with effortless technique. These techniques were later to both hinder and influence my artistic journey.
After high school I enrolled in the fine art program at Grant MacEwan Community College. I didn’t have a specific direction in mind, just that I wanted to be an artist. I don’t remember receiving much instruction in how to paint. Classes were geared more towards the process of developing ideas. I had a great time, but still hadn’t developed an understanding of how to paint.
After Grant MacEwan my husband and I moved to south-eastern British Columbia where we pursued an interest in photography. We set up a darkroom in the apartment and experimented with various black and white techniques.
When my Dad died in 1999, I was devastated by the loss of my mentor. I had looked forward to spending his retirement years painting together. This loss influenced me to decide to seriously pursue an art career. I joined the St. Albert Painters Guild in 2001 and started showing and selling my work at the Guild’s Spring and Fall shows. In 2007 I joined the Studio Gallery Artist Co-Op and I began working full-time at the studio.
In November 2008 I had my first solo show, “Out in the Ordinary”, featuring paintings inspired by the Hubble space telescope images. This show was well received, garnering many positive reviews and the sale of more than half the paintings exhibited. This series continues to be popular with 18 of 22 paintings sold.
Sixteen months later, in March 2010, I presented my next series in a solo show “Brush the Sky”. Inspired by the prairie sky, this series featured 19 paintings of clouds. Leaving out all terrestrial references, these paintings encouraged the viewer to determine their own orientation and imagery, recalling the times of our childhood when we imagined shapes and characters in the clouds.
I have been fortunate to have patrons support me by purchasing pieces at each step along my journey. Through them my work is on display in both local and international collections.
I currently work and teach out of my studio in St. Albert. Since the 2010 solo show I have been working on smaller, individual pieces and commissions. I am focusing on more representational images – landscapes, still life, wildlife and animals – to strengthen and expand my painting skills.
I continue to be active in the St. Albert art community donating my artwork and time for various causes. I am a member and past director of the Visual Arts Studio Association of St. Albert (VASA) taking workshops and participating in group shows.
I have an open door policy at my studio, offering mentorship and guidance to visitors as they watch art in process and engage in dialogue.
