Anemos

Anemos

12x24"

Mixed Media on Canvas

Painting #114 - I wasn't sure what to call this painting so I asked my husband for help. He told me the white flowers are called Snowdrop Anemone. I took this picture when the flowers were blowing in the wind so I wanted to capture that in the title. After some research I found out that Anemone got their name from the greek work, "anemos" which is the Greek work for wind. Perfect title I thought!

Footloose and Fancy-Free

Footloose and Fancy-Free

12x12"

Mixed Media on Canvas

Painting #113 - Ahh, to be young again and have time to stare at your toes! My niece took this picture. I love it and thought it would be fun to paint.

Predictable Patterns

Predictable Patterns

18x18"

Mixed Media on Canvas

Painting #112 - I completed this painting for the Fine Arts Council's Third Annual Art Exhibition for teachers and students. Our exhibition will be titled, How Do the Arts Strengthen Communities? Each painting submitted will be accompanied by a narrative. Here is mine:

The arts strengthen communities economically and culturally. Twice a year my business holds an art exhibition and sale in the community of Bridgeland-Riverside. Our show brings tourists and visitors to the area who not only spend money at our venue but also at local businesses. Additionally, our art exhibitions build community identity and pride. With two annual shows it’s become a meaningful event for community members. People come out to celebrate and support the arts and to enjoy the wonderful neighborhood. Our biannual art event adds to the vibe of the Bridgeland-Riverside community.

The flowers in my painting are called Checkered Lilies. Their checkered pattern is as predictable as the benefits the arts bring to a community. The arts increase the attractiveness of an area to tourists, businesses and people, and they promote a sense of collective identity and efficacy.

Backyard Bouquet

Backyard Bouquet

8x10"

Mixed Media on Board

Painting #111 - This painting comes with the glory of accomplishing my goal. I wanted to complete eight flower paintings for my spring show and I did it. I also wanted to experiment with a medium called resin, which is a hard, high gloss finish. I used resin on all my flower paintings and I love the richness that it brought out in my colours.

Love Me Love Me Not

Love Me Love Me Not

8x10"

Mixed Media on Board

Painting #110 - This is my favourite painting of my flower series. I especially like the way the light hits the daisies.

Asiatic Lilies

Asiatic Lilies

8x10"

Mixed Media on Board

Painting #109 - I like this painting too. It looks better in real life. My challenges were achieving the correct values while working with my greens.

Alberta Crocus

Alberta Crocus

8x10"

Mixed Media on Board

Painting #108 - I like this painting. I like the way the flowers are nestled in the grass. Thanks to my neighbour Gwyn for the photograph of the flowers.

Backyard Lilacs

Backyard Lilacs

5x7"

Mixed Media on Board

Painting #107 - Who knew lilacs were so hard to paint? I like the light shining on the left side of the flowers. I will get some good pictures of lilacs this spring and attempt to paint them again.

Nasturtium

Nasturtium

5X7"

Mixed Media on Board

Painting # 106 - I didn't use really thick paint on this painting, which I think works better with the resin.

Spring Clematis

Spring Clematis

5x7"

Mixed Media on Board

Painting #105 - A continuation of my flowers series. I've learned that maybe its not such a good idea to paint thickly if I want to use the resin. I love the shiny finish!

Bluebells

Bluebells

5x7"

Mixed Media on Board

Painting #104 - I thought I'd create 8 flower paintings for Beacon Original Art's next show. I wanted my paintings to be loose with thick paint. I used photoshop to manipulate my pictures. I also wanted to try, for the first time, using Resin - the glass-like finish that's so shiny. I'm happy with my results.

Reserved Land

Reserved Land

11x14"

Mixed Media on Canvas

Painting #103 - I continue my exploration of the landscape despite my difficulties. I'm hoping one day those leaves will come to me intuitively.

Soul Access

Soul Access

24x36"

Mixed Media on Canvas

Painting #102 - This painting was so hard - I really need to start getting myself reference photos.

The In Crowd

The In Crowd

40x40"

Mixed Media on Canvas

Painting #101 - This was a fun painting but it would have been a lot easier had I had a photo. I just liked the idea of the birch trees on a big canvas and I wanted to project the feeling of a calm, warm summer day in the woods.

In the Thick of Things

In the Thick of Things

40x40"

Mixed Media on Canvas

Painting #100 - wow, I'm at 100! I've actually done more as I didn't post everything I painted - but just about. Anyway, this painting was a pain in the butt! I'm not sure if I like it, if its finished ... everyday I change something and I'm at the point where I'm tired of changing things. Today I want to add red leaves in the front??? I think I'll just leave it and do a red, black and white birch tree painting - something nice and modern.

Summer Dawn

Summer Dawn

9x12"

Mixed Media on Canvas

Painting #99 - I just wanted to play around with an orange sky in a landscape. I was surprised that this painting looks more like a summer landscape rather than an autumn one. It must be the splashes of pink!

Leaving Our Mark

Leaving Our Mark

20x20"

Mixed Media on Canvas

Painting #98 - I've been playing around with many types of mixed media and applied quite a variety of them to this painting before I began. Several textures are visible and thus, these patterns reminded me of how people should respect the environment. We should leave nature the way we find it. The only thing we should leave behind is our good energy.

Midnight Stirring

Midnight Stirring

11x14"

Mixed Media on Canvas

Painting #97 - This painting was originally inspired by a photo my neighbour gave me, however, the painting ended up taking on a life all of its own. I like the movement and the sense I fun and freedom I felt while painting it.

Spirit Land

Spirit Land

20x30"

Mixed Media on Canvas

Painting #96 - This painting was completed for an exhibition I'm organizing for teachers and students called, How Do the Arts Help Me Grow? Below is my narrative that will accompany my painting in our exhibition catalogue.

             I’m an artist, educator and a small art business owner. I consider these roles to be interrelated and equally dependent aspects of my creativity. I’ve been teaching art to preteen and teenagers for 15 years for the Calgary Board of Education.

            The arts support my cognitive and affective development. Given that my mind and senses are connected by the same bloodline, I know I must nourish both to support my growth. Painting provides a platform for me to reflect on what I know, to research what I need to know, and to create new knowledge. It engages my senses, emotions and imagination, and it refines my perceptions. Through the act of creating, I become more qualitatively intelligent.

            Spirit Land was created from a photograph taken while on a field trip to Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park. The soil is as important to the land, as arts education is to our students. The arts provide learners with the multiple forms of literacy that they require to participate in our culture and that do justice to their broad and exuberant minds. 

African Pulse

African Pulse

36x48"

Mixed Media on Canvas

Painting #95 - This was a commissioned piece, which was to represent strong women, dance and Africa. I'm happy to report my customers loved it. We still haven't "really" decided the name of the piece - so, its African Pulse for now.