Where do the landscapes originate?

A common trait/ theory of landscape artists is their work flourishes due to connection of a specific region.Think Monet & his water lily pond, Gauguin in the South pacific or Emily Carr’s Northwest forests.
Modern day landscape artists may reserve focus for places close to heart.

I questioned a famous global traveling painter about his life work devoted to a specific provincial region.
“In other places I am merely a visitor. In this region, I am home,” expressing it would take decades to form emotional attachment to other places.

He wondered what would inspire me to paint diverse landscapes, even, places I had never seen.

Born to nature loving parents, my upbringing was unique.I have no doubt this is the foundation of how I relate to and paint nature.


I feel we are all visitors on & caretakers of this planet, and, yet, also in it’s entirety, earth is our home.

Dad’s career as a Conservation officer ( & Park Superintendent/ Manager) for Saskatchewan parks required us to live within the park.

Staff were transferred frequently to experience the Province’s diversity firsthand.

These parks were often located near First Nation communities. My parents first home was in a northern reserve.
Thou I was young, I still feel the whispers & influences of these wonderful people.

It was amazing living within these glorious parks that ranged from southern peaceful valleys with pristine lakes rich in fishing & birds, to northern boreal forests teaming with wildlife, skies lit with aurora borealis. Summer holidays we would camp & explore other parks.


Often living remotely, we grew up, as my brother says “running wild in the bush”. It was a glorious freedom we still treasure.
Moving frequently taught us an appreciation of landscape (& human) diversity and adaptability. I could fall in love with a new home as quickly as drawing in a breath.

It’s this deeply rooted connection that comes thru in the work, and the diversity that you see.

In adulthood, I have lived in some spectacular regions of Canada. I roamed the Yukon’s arctic tundra, ran Vancouver Island’s ocean beaches and rain forest paths. I wandered Okanagan orchards and Ontario’s Bruce trail in autumn and snowy winter.
International traveling took me walking Australia’s outback, witnessing blooming Scottish heather fields, swimming with stingrays in Cayman and cycling mountains of the Smokeys.

I can still fall in love and feel connected with a ‘new’ landscape in one breath.


~
“We want the background story.
What is your connection to these places?
How can you can paint landscapes you have never seen?”
~

New “Windy Day” 8×8 oil on canvas $400
“Forest Nook” 14×18 oil on canvas $825

Who do you live with?

“We are consciously selective of who we invite into our home. It’s our sanctuary.”
My client wasn’t referring to a specific person, rather a painting she had just purchased.
She spoke of teaching their family about conscious consumerism, awareness of valued, ethically sourced items. “And yes,” she said, “ when I place your painting in our home, I am inviting you in to have a place in our family. To influence us, those who visit and our surroundings.

Glenn Adamson former director of the Museum of Arts and Design, NY says “ People have dogs because they give them so much back. Our culture has not forgotten why you’d want to have a dog, but I feel it’s forgotten why you would want to have well made things in your life. That’s something we have to get back in touch with.” ( Psychology Today Aug. 2018).
Referencing his own environment, “I want every object that passes thru the door to deserve to be in the house. Not because its expensive, but because it makes sense. I want to know where it came from, who made it, and ideally, to have met them.”

You invite acquired pieces to engage you daily.
The quality of engagement depends on your selection. Thoughtfully chosen, they can have a positive impact to your health, and the environment.

Living with handmade unique items inspires original ideas, concepts, and stimulates creativity to flourish in those engaging with your collection.You encourage conscious consumerism, community, individuality, sustainability, legacy & innovation.

We are directly influenced mentally, physically & emotionally what surrounds us, and yes, that includes art.

Art & craft exhibit what can be formed from human mind, body & spirit. Empowering not just the creators, but those in their midst.

Trend on social media expresses ‘you can have the items in this room & design from ‘mass produced #bigbox.’
You weren’t made from a mold, perhaps the things you hold dear shouldn’t either? Original & handcrafted doesn’t necessarily mean expensive, and it usually holds or increases in value.

Express your individuality by celebrating, engaging in and living with original art & craft made by a master creative workerbee.

An original table will likely never see a landfill. It will serve your family, and hold loving stories for generations.

“If you don’t care about how something is (made) your are not likely to understand why its worthy of respect and why you’d want to have it. But it’s not just an heirloom you are refusing, you literally lose continuity with your familial past, and thats much more than failing the objects.” Glenn Adamson, author of ‘Fewer, Better Things.

Is your room designed for a magazine or for your life? We spend the majority of our lives indoors, perhaps we need to stop ‘filling spaces’ and begin creating custom healthy environments to thrive in.

Who do you live with?

~
“SunDance” 5ft x3.3 feet (40×60) oil $5300.oo

“Valley” 24×30 oil ~ will be avail. for purchase at the Hambleton Gallery in Kelowna BC. ( It will be shipped next month).

“Sunset Cloud” 11×14 oil on canvas ~$600.oo

~ P.S


As well as our own art&craft, our home is infused with beautiful work by friends & artists, who’s work we feel so fortunate to engage with and be inspired by daily.

Furniture all handcrafted by Marc Banning. Tables original design.
Pottery Candlesticks- Al Pace- Pace Pottery, ON
Pine needle basket – Yukon.
Original glasswork landscape & pieces shown – FyreGlas Studio – NC
Original pottery bowl ( and all dinnerware) Potterycupboard, ON.
Woven tea towel- Crossnore weavers, NC
Original soapstone carving, Helen Herr, SK.
Original handmade print- David Windrim, ON.
Blue glass plate- Prairie Glassworks, SK
Wooden bowl- gift from local woodcrafter.
Iron birds- Dirk blacksmith, NC ( tile block Motawi tile).

SunDance~ shown in progress ( last photo).

The Path

Ask 3,000 marathon participants why they run, you will hear nearly 3,0000 unique answers.


Question artists why they create, responses will vary as much as their art.

For runners, it may be dedication to a loved one or charity, health, fun, a calling, for the challenge or community, or one thing on ‘THE list’. Some stumble into the sport in retirement, or thru a friends’ avid interest. (It can be delightfully contagious.) It may be a one-time goal, or grow into a lifelong pursuit.

A creative may have no desire for a professional life in art, instead, the goal may be to master one subject( like that one-off running goal) such as drawing the best tulip ever. It’s like perfecting a basketball dribble, without worrying about the game.

Emotional connection to the subject isn’t a necessity for creatives. It can be joy for process itself, love of shape & form, passion for making a difference, cultural exploration, education, sharing visual history or story. The emotional content can be honouring the legacy of a family member or creatives that came before.

My career in art didn’t arrive in a giant epiphany. Rather, it’s a life born in curiosity and persistence.
I am not a natural, nor technical painter. A kindergarten report card stated my lowest mark in ‘colouring’.
Dad says, “She liked to draw, and for a long long time, it didn’t look like anything. Then one day it did.”

Emotional content is the primary strength in all subjects of my work, from animals, people & now, to landscape, where I began, with a history deeply rooted in nature, raised in Provincial parks.

This career is a joyous, challenging, scary, rewarding, winding solo path. It is filled with, among the doubt & loneliness, moments of deep clarity & gratitude.
Thanks for traveling on this colourful loving journey with me.

~
NEW. Revisiting subjects with renewed style and engagement.
New- Windswept – 11×14 oil on canvas $600.oo
New- Forest 24×30 oil on canvas $1800.oo
Mountain – 3ftx4ft oil on canvas $3950.oo

~
“They think we are all flow-y inside, that it flows from us like wine without effort or intention. Why is this misconception of ‘it happened accidentally by birth, like magic,’ is more highly regarded than hard work?” Creative colleague.

Other Photos Above:

Participating in the London Marathon & Early drawings I did when a teenager- foot & people studies 1984. Park photo with my brother.

 

Energy Potential

~Energy flows where attention goes.~

In the colourful beautiful animated film “Monsters Inc.”
(spoiler alert) Sulley and Mike discover love & laughter are the most powerful energy sources for fueling their city rather than a previous fear based method. The film portrays a wonderful image of collecting energy from positivity.

This image came to mind while watching a powerful demonstration how loving thoughts provide humans with superior strength in comparison to anger.
The demonstration was by an Oncologist, who’s work focuses on hypnosis (when applicable) instead of anesthesia for patients undergoing cancer treatment.
“Just like Mike & Sulley,” I thought, positive thought, laughter & love are measurable energy strengths.

Startling recent science suggests ‘thought energy’ affects humans on a cellular level.
“Some of the most powerful external signals that influence the health of our cells are the energetic messages which emanate from our thoughts.
Positive or negative, our thoughts have the ability to literally change our bodies and alter our physical health and well being.”

“A renaissance in cellular biology has recently revealed the molecular mechanisms by which thoughts and perceptions directly influence gene activity and cell behaviour.. Energy psychology, through its ability to rapidly identify and reprogram limiting misconceptions, represents the most powerful and effective process to enhance physical and emotional well being.” Bruce H. Lipton author of “Biology of Belief”.

Clients pose the energy question by referring to ‘mood.’
“Do you have to be in the right mood to paint?” or state “ Creativity energy must flow from you like water.”
Professional artists know how much energy it takes to create daily under pressure. Which is why a well known artist recently asked, “I follow your work, and have one question for you…“ are you exhausted all the time?” “Because,” he said, “I know what kind of effort it takes to put out the amount and calibre of work you do.”

Creative energy doesn’t ‘flow like water’ but learning what feeds it is part of the process. Thou Individuals handle this uniquely, as people vary on what sparks or tires us, some universal elements affect energy in artists and non artists alike.
As Mr. Lipton and his colleagues suggest, frame of mind and positive energy are huge factors in health, creative productivity & longevity.

Aside from being conscious of thought, energy generating habits focus on time outdoors in nature, exercise, sleep, mediation, nutrition and balance.
Expanding on this foundation is how I stay on track. Here are three additional tips below.

Tip#1. Know Thyself.
Be aware of what fuels you, what drains you. Focus on the former.
When dealing with difficult people or situations, structure your time for recovery and self care.Set boundaries.
Healthy habits sharpen your instincts. Tune in. Why are you tired? Is it time for a break or a hard run? Listen to your body & spirit.

Tip#2 Declutter and Restructure your space/ furnishings/.
One weight loss theory is to clean your closets.
“Stuff” literally mentally, emotionally, and physically can weigh us down.

How do you move in your spaces? We respond energetically to ‘stuff’ in our environments.
Think of yourself as a swimmer with smooth flow and rhythm in your stoke. Suddenly you encounter a wall, need to climb over the wall, get back in the water, swim, another wall, and over and over again you go.
A swim without barriers is more efficient with less energy spent. Plus it’s way more fun.
Cluttered furniture & items you constantly adjust around disrupts creative flow and energy. Pay thoughtful attention to organizing your dwellings. Have tools/ supplies readily available.
Plants, light, art, colour, scents, music, sound and free flowing spaces all fuel energy. ( The scent of peppermint increases energy for long distance runners wearing tiny vials during a run.)

Tip#3 Take stalk & channel energy. Everything in life requires energy, including creating, focusing on projects/ solutions or conversations that need to take place.
Reframe how you approach tasks & goals. Are the deadlines daunting or wonderfully challenging?
Are you nervous about the presentation, or excited? Do you have to go for a run, or do you get to go for a run?

Think of daily energy as sand in an hourglass. Recognize available amount daily and where you will spend it. How much time will you worry about things you cannot control, how much energy goes down the chute when you do? Electronics can be especially draining. What is sacrificed when you allot to unnecessary screen time on FB? Experts say head position gazing at phones/ tablets puts an extra 60 pounds of pressure on our neck. Imagine how much energy this costs and how it affects overall health. Additionally, for artists, screen time is wearing on eyesight and dexterity.
Be conscious of how you spend your time, apply what increases your positive fuel cell like those in Monsters Inc.
Shawn Anchor, author of “The Happiness Advantage” writes “It turns out that our brains are literally hardwired to perform at their best not when they are negative or even neutral, but when they are positive.”
“Because positive brains have a biological advantage over brains that are neutral or negative, The Happiness Advantage teaches us how to retrain our brains to capitalize on positivity and improve our productivity and performance.”

Perspective changes our energy. You are in the driver’s seat of possibility.
~
Further reading:
Biology of Belief by Bruce H. Lipton
The Happiness Advantage Shawn Anchor
Hardwiring Happiness by Rick Hansen

New Work: Island 8×10 oil on board $455.oo
Waterlily Garden 12×36 oil on canvas ( infused with new palette!) $1200.oo
Summer Lake Diamonds 18×24 oil on canvas $1100.oo

Note: Studio/ store will remain open for art purchases, thou likely my LAST post till Mid august. Until deadline, focus will be on painting & writing documentation for the exhibit.

Power of Colour

The human eye can distinguish up to 10 million colours.
How on earth can anyone choose a favourite?

People react universally to colours found in nature, like moss greens, aqua blues, and earthy umbers.
The jury is still out to what intensity, because we all experience colour uniquely.
The next time you view a Van Gogh, the person standing next to you in the museum may be seeing an entirely different version.

Colour affects us psychologically, emotionally, and physically.
It can be used to treat obesity, invoke productivity, and calm patients with mental illness.
Universal human reactions include green and blues as the most calming, while the most stimulating are reds & oranges.
Aside from these, everyone has unique colour connection or sensitivity. Colour can stimulate memories, hunger, communication, strength and serenity. You may be drawn to robin’s egg blue, the colour of your childhood blanket, or comforted by rose pigment because of Grama’s rose water scent.

Thou you may not list “yellow” as a favourite colour, its psychologically the strongest, and the first colour the eye sees.


Yellow ochre, a natural clay may not be great for a blouse, but wheat fields shine with it in the sun’s golden glow. Against a cobalt sky promising welcome rain, it can be dramatic and powerful.


Still not sold?
It’s the colour of dijon mustard in your favourite sandwich, golden retrievers, and one of the earliest pigments found in prehistoric cave paintings.

Artists may balance strength of colour with subject.
For instance, a softer palette is paired with a dramatic ocean scene of strong pattern and shape.

A stimulating tangerine palette applied to a less active composition doesn’t overwhelm, inspiring serenity in the sunset lakeside vista.

The Amaryllis flower, painted in cad red’s contrasts with beautiful sensual line and the irony of a feminine subject displayed on large canvas.

We may react differently to colour at different phases or even days in life. People arriving to the studio stressed are usually drawn to serene, less detailed paintings. Others looking for cheerful powerful stimuli will respond to full pigment paintings. I switch my own personal collection around to support life events & changes.

Delving into your experiences with colour, you may be able to embrace more of the spectrum without judgement.
I cannot remember ever using hot pink pigment. Recently wearing a cycling jersey this colour kept me road safe and feeling spunky. It just may find it’s way to my palette.

Inquiring about the Amarylis painting a client said “I am drawn to red at this point in my life.” It’s an exciting time for her filled with wonderful new beginnings.

Here’s to summer friends! May mossy green forests, golden ochre fields, cobalt skies, tangerine sunsets and happy red flowers light your life.
~
Robert Genn Aug. 7th. 2012.
“Some painters nail the exact colour they need on the first go. I’m not one of them. In my experience, 90% share my problem. Colours change as the colours change around them — and you can’t know the colour of a passage until you’re picking up what you’re putting down. The situation is  compounded by the presence of (or desirability for) reflected lights, silhouettes, local colours, broken colours, cast shadows, equal intensity lay-bys, etc. Finding the right colour can be like looking for the Higgs boson.Understanding how colour works is largely a self taught skill.”

Colour is a power which directly influences the soul” ~ Wassily Kandinsky.

Sunset – 8×10 oil on board $455.oo
Lakeside 16×20 oil on canvas $935.oo
Ocean – 4ftx3ft oil on canvas $3950.oo
Evening Light 4ftx2ft oil on canvas $3600.oo
Amaryllis 30×40 oil on canvas $2700.oo

Exhibits and Mountain Cycling

Building a body of work for an exhibit is like road cycling in the mountains.


Unlike running where they need longer recovery, legs find a rhythm in the mountains, building strength day after day on the bike. It’s a unique phenomenon.


Tough challenging grades are targeted after several days of mountain cycling. Achieving this daily requires proper fuel and rest, walking, stretching, balancing endurance climbs with shorter ascents .

The Saskatchewan project feels like riding in the mountains. It is requiring great focus, physical, mental, and emotional endurance. The deeper I get into the work, each painting builds and evolves from the last. More ideas follow. The strength of the collection begins to take shape upon the cumulation of work.

Thou not in the beloved mountains these days, cycling helps to create great physical distance from the studio and find balance with work. With one  week totally 505k’s earlier this month, it’s helping me be productive and find confidence in the art.

On mountains excursions, days are limited, with so many to climb and explore.
Like this art project, reducing thousands of subject choices to a handful is a huge challenge.
Ideas now flow like thundering waterfalls. It’s peak days with the sands of time ebbing quickly.

In the words of the Beatles “I will get by with a little help from my friends.”
Thanks to Award winning Artist Julia Hargreaves for ongoing assistance curating the exhibit, honest feedback and endearing friendship.
To Dad for your steadfast support, allowing me to ship & store paintings at your home before transport to the gallery. To friends, family and clients who have marked their calendars to attend the exhibit. To Donna for her touching gift of a dress for opening night.
To the Hambleton Gallery for giving me space to work on the collection, allowing me to work on paintings for your venue later this summer.
To Marc, for making a wide berth of the studio, endless support and positive feedback.

Thanks to you, for collecting & sharing the work. Without you, this art would cease to be.

~
Keep busy while you are waiting for something to happen.”
Robert Genn.
~

The Mountain 3ft x 4ft oil on canvas ~ available to purchase

Sunset Cloud ( NEW) 11×14 oil on canvas ~ available to purchase

(work for exhibit is under wraps, hence the blurry studio photos.)

Note: Happy Father’s Day this weekend to all the great Dad’s!

Mine is a wonder of steadfast love, endless patience, and strength. A tremendous role model as father, husband, son, neighbour, friend, conservation officer, musician, avid reader, global citizen, humanitarian, and athlete. Thanks for the belief Dad, and letting me use the hammer.

)

 

Art’s Purpose

Art is meant to abundantly serve you.
If it was simply self expression, the work would never be released to the world, like private journals kept under lock and key, stuffed in drawers and closets.

The instant art is released to the world, its purpose is to deliver, nurture, guide, indulge, comfort, support, sustain, gratify, benefit, accommodate, and engage you.

Her images invite us to celebrate this world, to imagine that which lies on it’s outer edges, and to participate in a world moving in light” D.L

In the work, I am connecting to what’s outside within, not the other way around.
Drawing on energy around us, finding a way to channel that dimension and deliver it to you.
To connect and share story, experience, life. A universal language spoken in nature’s tongue.

A photo may capture the light, a painting beckons you to bath in it, drenched in colour and warmth.
It’s tangible living experience. The brush, a caress brought to life in pigment and energy.

The moment you acquire art, you become woven into the fabric of it’s story, of it’s legacy.
It’s journey truly begins the moment it finds you.

~
Note:  Similar powerful thoughts struck experiencing Van Gogh’s work in person. It was as thou I was sitting on a wooden stool in the field right beside him.
So you see it? He asks. Do you feel it, with the clouds overhead, violet shadows dancing before you? Here we are, together, in the field under the summer sun by the olive trees, centuries apart, reaching thru time in this moment eternal.

P.S
I am knee deep working on the Sask Exhibit collection, cocooning now toward a deadline. This journey is by far one of my most challenging. So excited to share this new body of work with you in the fall! The new paintings released today have the flavour of what’s to come. Enjoy!

New Work:

Windswept 11×14 oil on canvas $600.oo CAD
Morning at the Lake 12×16 oil on canvas $700.oo CAD

 

Room with a View

Do you yearn for a view?
Opening the exterior wall, what would you see? offices? concrete? a neighbours house? nature?

What if you could control that view? Choose it.

Knocking out a wall might not be feasible, budget friendly, or the view you pine for.
Art may be your answer.

Unlike a window, art is portable, will outlast furniture, flooring, wall paint.

Infusing your space with colour and reflective light, art will awaken your senses similar to a spectacular view.

Art breathes life into a room, and to the people within it.

“If you want something to match your couch, buy a pillow.” a famous collector said.
Art isn’t a fixture for walls. Forget trend and ‘matching’ fashion.
It’s your view, make it your own.

We are beyond the restrictive mythical belief that art is decorative.
Humans engage in, respond, interact with art in powerful ways.

Our pupils actually vibrate when viewing art, offering evidence of a direct energetic response. ( further reading on habitat vitamins ~ click here )

And that is just the beginning.

This article suggests the area of the brain that experiences not just emotion, but goal setting is activated when viewing art.
From Visual Thinking Strategies:
“We also found that given certain key elements in the design of aesthetic encounters, growth in critical and creative thinking accompanied growth in aesthetic thought. In other words, in the process of looking at and talking about art, the viewer is developing skills not ordinarily associated with art. These findings were consistent over a wide range of cultural and socioeconomic contexts.”

Orchestrate your view, illuminate a world of possibilities. ‘See’ what unfolds.

What’s your view?

~

New Work available for purchase:

North 14×18 oil on canvas

Sunup 16×20 oil on canvas

Behind the Scenes

Successful career Artist Philip Harris’s contribution to a Visual Arts post,
“A day in the life of an artist” tallies his daily activities mimicking some of the Greats.
Expressing his wit, he states,
“I’m convinced that friends and family believe that I spend my days wearing a smoking jacket and swapping witty aphorisms with the characters from a novella by Oscar Wilde.”

Thou you may not picture me wearing such a jacket, your recent inquiries about exhibits, work habits, what am I up to, hint of mysterious smoke.
Let’s clear the air, go behind the scenes for a moment, and tackle these burning questions, friends!

1. Do you paint everyday?

I work every day.
I paint 4-6 days a week depending on scheduling. Being prolific doesn’t mean it comes easy. I don’t have a smidgen of so called ‘natural talent,’ (see my Mother’s Day card below. My brother did the printing).


I am prolific because I work really hard. I keep routine to conserve headspace for the canvas, have developed some proficiencies, like prepping boards, organizing tools, reference filing, etc.

If not in the field, I work in my home studio, a lovely space with amazing light thru the day, built by Marc. At times, visitors come to sit in the rocking chair with tea, remarking it’s a ‘sanctuary space.’ I would agree.

Being self employed -full time, like other business owners, I wear a lot of hats. (or jackets). Responsibilities beyond painting include inventory collection, gallery visits/ calls & updates submissions, field research, sourcing new venues, social media, website updates, exhibit research, industry research, press release writing, marketing& sales, ( some clients may purchase one painting in their lifetime, it’s a necessary cog in this wheel to always be sourcing new collectors.) logistics, deliveries, wrapping & shipping ( it can take half a day to wrap a painting for shipping).

The blogs have attracted attention from Fitness & Health magazines in the US and Australia, dealers, gallery owners, investment collectors, new & veteran collectors, artists, neighbours and cousins, people from all walks of life from 8 – 92.
Because the newsposts are a big part of my business, I spend a lot of time researching ideas and writing. At any given time I have a dozen newsletters half written. If I am crunched for time, working on the art, I can finesse a post I had begun previously.

2. Do you ever run out of ideas for painting?

No. Never. I run out of supplies. Literally.
To paint more, I need to sell more, it’s a business balance.

3. Since the exciting Sask Exhibit announcement, questions filter in weekly.

How did it come about?
After meeting Bill 8 years ago, and handing him my card, he mentioned the possibility of showing my work. I didn’t let that idea die, and was in touch regularly with him after that. It was years before I was accepted. The last two have been sorting out details of timing, inventory requirements, etc. Exhibits never happen overnight, certainly not in a reputable gallery like the Shurniak. A few artists have written since,“ It’s every Artists dream to show there.”

How will the Exhibit work?

The show will run from Oct. 1, to Nov. 30. I will attend the opening, then return to close up the show.
They have asked for up to 30 or so pieces, depending on size. With a solo show within the gallery ( the permanent collection is always on display) ,I am allowed to have my own theme, choose sizes, subject matter ext. It’s a wonderful freedom, as for most showings the artist has to meet gallery criteria of sizes, themes, etc.
Shurniak Gallery is a non-profit. Any sales will take place after the exhibit with collectors getting in touch with me directly.
Work has to be complete at least a month- 6weeks prior to the show for drying purposes, shipping and cataloguing.
I won’t publicly show the collection for the exhibit until after the show opens, thou you have glimpsed two pieces.
~ in the meantime, I need to work on new inventory for my representing gallery in Kelowna, and inventory I can keep selling thru the months until Oct.

This brings me to the next question.

4.“If we don’t see a post from you we think you have quit painting.”

This news blog is an interesting phenomenon. Over a dozen clients mentioned this when the post was getting blocked by the web server. If you don’t check the website for recent posts & work, with dates listed, and contact me, I have no way of knowing who may or may not be getting the posts.

For the record, I am painting a lot, and with this new body of work being kept under wraps, please know I am here for you, even if I am quiet. Quiet is when I do my best work. :))
There is a great selection of paintings available for purchase. I would love to help you with your collection.

5. “You must feel so rewarded when you finish a painting”.

I never feel like the work is finished until it finds a home. Because of this it can be a roller coaster of emotions at any given time. The work itself is always developing, and that’s pretty cool. I am pleased with the momentum and look forward to continuing the trek.Its utter joy to be creating something that has never been before, every day. .

~
What else?


Once in awhile I help Marc design furniture. He is an incredible craftsman with an engineering mind, whose creativity continues to grow. It’s amazing to see one of my sketches come to life in 3-D.


He is super passionate for music, kindly getting us out of our respective studios to see wonderful live original music. Music replenishes the soul! In my spare time I can be found on my bike, running, wandering trails, reading, etc.

Thanks for your letters, continued interest & collection of the work, and lovely cards!
Wishing you all good things from the studio!

~
P.S ~ You’ve asked about my role models.


My Mom was a huge influence in my life. She was my creative sounding board, compass and BFF. A self proclaimed badass, she was my hero in every way. I miss her every single day, and like to believe a light that shone that bright, never really goes out.
The Daisy painting was donated to Watrous Hospital in her memory.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the amazing Mom’s out there.

~

New Work  all avail for purchase~ Daisies & Hydrangea- 11×14 oil on canvas
Evening Light – 4f x2ft oil on canvas

Other Photos:
Paint box. Mother’s Day card drawing _ not recent. :0)
Studio
Shipping material :One of three rolls of varying materials I use for shipping.
Birch painting on display in Anchor Coffee House avail. for purchase
Drawing new chair design- Marc’s  previous work and new chair in progress, half finished.                                                                                                                             My bike
Mom, Mom & Dawn
Daisy painting donation 22×28 oil on canvas

Ancient Beckoning

I began to crave nature. A soulful yearning for the quiet voice of the wind without urban interruption.
A desperate ache to hear rainfall on leaves & trickle in creeks running pure, birds greeting the day.

I longed for the invigorating scent of woods draped in morning dew, mingled with pine.
My feet desired soft moss underfoot, lungs to drink fresh air.
I needed to feel the heartbeat of the earth and breath of the sun.

I wondered, could I feel it in the paint? Could I return there, to the quiet hush, and feel nature’s breath?

and if I could… would other’s feel it too?

~

In art, nature communicates a connection requiring no language, nor explanation, and constructs no barriers.
It universally unites.
I hope you feel it too.


~
New Work:
Wilderness wander – 24×30 oil on canvas
Waterlily garden- 12×36