Let me introduce myself

Artist's Statement

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I paint because I can't imagine doing anything else. I began this journey within the field of graphic art and print ads, but my true love is painting. I grew up next to the inspirational ocean coastlines and forests of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. As an adult I lived in the Annapolis Valley and Halifax, in the historic city of Quebec and then I made my way to the beautiful Niagara region. It was here I experimented with seascapes and landscapes, eventually falling in love with painting just water, in all of its timeless beauty and just trees with their mysterious healing nature.  Lake Ontario and Lake Erie are captivating to paint, but the pull of the ocean had me returning to my home province to paint what I love most. Living in Nova Scotia means never being without an inlet, a harbour, a bay, a beach, or crashing waves; a pine or spruce or maple forest; all perfect settings for what I like to paint more than any other subjects.

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I start each painting with a knife, wet on wet, and usually with a limited palette. Then I add washes and texture to create viscosity and transparency. Acrylic paint is my preference because I am patient and yet impatient, meaning I work endlessly to get the painting just the way I want it, but I have no patience to wait for paint to dry.

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I want my art to catch your eye. I want you to be drawn to the brilliant greens, the swirling white foam and the mysterious dark depths. I want you to feel the movement, the undulating waves, the enigma of the sea. I want you to almost hear the whisper of the trees speaking their own language, the language of Mother Nature. I always say, “Trees are life, and water is home.” I believe we all have an innate desire to be close to water, whether that is a lake or ocean, or surrounded by trees in an aromatic pine forest.  We love the smell, the sound, the way the waves make us feel, the way the trees soothe our chaotic souls.  I want to capture that feeling as best as I can with my paintings. If you can explain why you like it then I have been successful and if you can’t, then I have been successful as well.