Blog

Have you ever walked into a good wool shop and been blown away by the exuberance of the colour overload? The intense saturated dyes all in one place can take your breath away. It's like hearing an operatic voice, live for the first time. Overwhelming. The power and...

Oh the dreaded MIDDLE. Exciting concepts are great. The energy of inspired beginnings sweeps us away with big expectations. Visualizing the spectacular ending is oh so satisfying.  Until the mire and frustration of being bogged down in the Middle. Discovering...

Through the years I have belonged to many organizations for various reasons. Some for networking, some for the resources they could provide, some because of what they stood for. Gradually I have pared this down to just a few in Nova Scotia that focus on my current...

Maybe it is because I am a visual thinker/learner/listener, I feel most grounded and the wheels turn more smoothly if I have a pen in my hand and paper at the ready. Don't ask me to remember vital information or how to start the generator or how to navigate the new...

In my on-going wish to keep my painting loose, I have been known to just load the paint on the brush, close my eyes, and let the paint fly... No intent. No direction. What happens, happens. Forcing me to deal with it. To be more intuitive. This is usually when I am...

Why do we have the compulsion to create things? What drives us? Is it a sense of gratification and fulfilment? Self-esteem? This compulsion starts early. Little children pick up crayons and fill sheets of construction paper with colours. Unfortunately for some of us,...

I have no interest in painting randomly. I would rather take a deep dive into any given subject matter and see if I can learn from it. Painting using a series of related images works for me. I never have to wonder what I am going to work on next and often I will work...

I usually paint from photos. I greatly admire the breathtakingly detailed work of artists like Susan Patterson https://susanpaterson.ca. It astounds me. But I don't want to paint that way. Painstakingly, with small brushes, sitting close to the easel. A looser...

There is nothing like unleashing your inhibitions to create. Putting the editor part of your brain on pause. Setting aside expectations. Banishing doubts, insecurities, inadequacies, outside opinions, and reason. Making the big leap into the unknown, onto the blank...

I find it interesting how each of our brains function differently. I am someone who has to practice repetitively before absorbing a new skill. I need to take notes. I need to check those notes, follow those directions each and every time, until, hopefully, I can...