I spent today with a group of exceptional grade 4 and 5 students that once again reminded me just how impressive kids can be when encouraged and given the right tools to succeed. Their attention to detail and enthusiasm for art and the act of creating far surpassed many adults I know. A wonderful day it was.

INSPIRATION: STAINED GLASS

One of my favorite things about getting back into market season, is the opportunity to talk with people about my art, the process involved and where my inspiration comes from. I am continuously inspired by the west coast landscapes, my own experiences in nature and Canadian artists like Ted Harrison, Roy Henry Vickers and Emily Carr. An art form that I grew up around and have always had a strong interest in is stained glass. It is an art form that has truly influenced my personal artistic style and hope to try my hand at it in the near future.

Recently I stumbled upon some beautiful work by New Jersey based glass artist Mary Tantillo at Swell Colors Glass Studio. In particular, I was drawn to her series ‘100 Waves of Summer’. She says this of the series…

   “Each stained glass panel in the “100 Waves of Summer Series” is a limited edition of   five panels per day of summer. In the summer of 2007, I walked up to the beach every day gaining inspiration, then went back to my studio and designed a wave in stained glass. There are actually only 95 days in summer, so the series continues into autumn; a beautiful time of year.”  
                                      
Check out her beautiful work here —->         http://swellcolors.com/home.html

Happy long weekend friends!

WHATS GOOD FOR THE SOUL: food, family, puppies and island time.

I was able to make it over to piers island this week after work for some family time and home cooked food. So wonderful to be able to go home to a place like this.. i am always reminded when i visit, how this place really serves as my biggest source of inspiration. Bring on the summer, kayaks, paddle boards and happy hour.

GALLERY GALA: JAMES BAY

 Last night was the gallery gala event put on by james bay school and james bay community centre. This spring i was lucky enough to be chosen as one of the featured local artists in the artists in school program and had the opportunity to go into classrooms and teach a specialized art project over a series sessions. These pieces, and many others done with other talented artists,  were complied and sold last night at this event in order to raise funds for the school.

  Last night i worked with the lovely Tania Singh to put on a craft corner at the event. It was a really unique event and to see how excited and proud the students were of their work was really special.

TRYPTYCH : a 2011 journey

Last summer I met a local couple who were looking to develop a custom piece to suit their home and love of the west coast. It was a great project that allowed us to take a look back at some old favorites and incorporate elements from past paintings into a fresh piece in a tryptych format. Completed, the piece was 3 feet high by 4.5 ft long.

Creating comissions is one of my favorite parts of this job, pairing with individuals to bring their vision to life. Together we discuss, consider special meaning, look back through personal photographs and past works and create sketches. Hoping for more chances to create custom work this summer!

LOOK ART SHOW: victoria… you never fail to impress.

So the Look Art show is up and in full force and it always amazes me how much talent we have here, at home. If you get a change.. go check out some new and emerging artists and some local favorites on the lower level of the bay centre.

Show is by donation and is open until May 12th.

ARBUTUS.

Cloudy days, mean studio days. No better way to spend an early morning than a pot of coffee, new paints and lots of ideas. Without fail, I always feel a new sense of creativity come spring and as of now its in full force!

UNDERWATER PLAY.

While I was on vacation i had the chance to play with the underwater feature on my new camera. So much hilarity testing it out but once we got the hang of it we got some cool shots! Take a look… cant wait to capture some west coast summer moments with this little camera.

Over the course of my life, Hawaii has become a very special place to me and my family and being in and around the ocean always fuels my creativity. Here is a peek into my sketchbook from my time spent in the islands. Lots of experiment with natural, flowing lines and color.