Artist Statement

Born and raised in St. John’s Newfoundland, the island has always been a great source of inspiration, whether it be the colours, the landscapes or the contrast of the horizon where the sky meets the sea.

I have always enjoyed drawing, even as a young child but never really thought of being a working artist.  After completing a non-art related course of study at Memorial University, I decided that art making needed to take a more important part of my life.   I attended art classes through university extension courses, completed a commercial art certificate, worked as a graphic artist at an advertising agency in St. John’s and attended the Nova Scotia College of Art & Design in Halifax.  Before completing the program at NSCAD, I returned home to be married and then focused on raising a family.  After a necessary move to Ottawa a number of years later, I completed art school at The Ottawa School of Art., majoring in Painting Studio.   Since graduation I have entered numerous shows in and around Ontario and most recently St. John’s.

I currently work from my studio in Conception Bay South, within a short walk to the Atlantic Ocean.

My most recent artwork explores methods of laying down paint, mark making and most importantly, colour theory.  Since learning how colours interact with each other and their relationships, I have found myself focusing on all aspects of colour in my work.  Colour is capable of so much more than one realizes. I started making abstract work in 2017 after having a representational focus for many years.   Today, I paint intuitively, putting down marks, adding and subtracting with large or small areas of colour without any planning as to how the canvas will look when it is finished, observing the story as it appears.  Knowing when the painting is finished is a critical skill for all artists.  It is only once a canvas is finished that the whole story appears and can demand its own presence.

As for my influences, I am intrigued with the way William Turner portrayed the land and the sea. I am as equally intrigued by the work of Josef Albers and his theory of colour.  Using numerous media I am enjoying the freedom in making work that touches the soul.