A Journey Down Memory Lane- A Week of my Favourite Paintings!
Dear friends and fellow colour enthusiasts!
2020, what a year! Need I say more!?
Originally I had thought that this year was going to be super productive for me. However as the months unfolded and the world changed I’ve found myself taking more quiet time this year.
As an artist I know that these times of rest are just as important as those of production. It is time to gather, rest, resolve, and reflect. It is a time to honor the space I am in.
I’ve been quiet around these parts and on social media because I haven’t been producing much NEW things to share. So I thought it would be fun to revisit the abundant catalog of my past creations!
For this coming week, starting today, each day I will share a favourite painting of mine from over the years- in no particular order.
So please check in on this page each day where I will share the painting, the story behind it and other photos/reflections to go with it. I’m really excited to share my art history in this way!
Day 1- Beautiful Moonlit Mountains - 2006
In 2006 I moved from Perth, Western Australia to the foothills of the Blue Mountains, NSW. It was the same time I truly dedicated my life to creating art. I set up a humble little studio with the few art materials I had on hand. Out my window I looked onto the Sydney sprawl below. The leaning tree was always filled with beautiful King parrots. It was a sweet little home to nurture me through this great upheaval and homesickness I felt for my friends, family and west coast ocean and time of creative discovery.
“Beautiful Moonlit Mountains” was one of the first pieces I created during this time. It was about 8 x 10 inches and is a symbolic combination of the ocean that I left behind and the mountains where I now lived. You can see how my style has developed since then- dots were just once a feature in my paintings.
A few months into creating small paintings I joined the Windsor Art Market. I had a tiny set up with my paintings, prints, cards and even some beaded jewelry I made.
I believe that this painting was among the very first that I sold at the market.
I remember feeling really ambivalent about it! I was thrilled that I had sold a painting- that someone wanted my art to adorn their home! I was also sad to see the painting go- I was deeply attached to it! This was a process I’ve to learn to make peace with. Because I pour so much of my heart into my art- of course I am deeply attached and connected what I make! However, I make my art to share with the world.
It is in the sharing where the magic and medicine is.
Day 2- Sunset Divine - 2013
In 2012 I emigrated from Melbourne, Australia to Vancouver Island, Canada to live in Adam’s home country. He’s a musician and his career is very much based and dependant on Canada where as for my art all I need is the internet, a post office and a little bit of table space to call my studio.
We moved to a rural coastal community called Otter Point. We lived in a tiny duplex with a fantastic view of the ocean and the Olympic Mountains. My studio space was in the lounge room facing the fantastic view. It was tiny, humble, quirky, and ours for the next 2 ½ years.
The sunsets we witnessed were never ending inspiration for my paintings in both subject and colour palette. Some of my favourite memories of that time are working at my table when a pink or orange glow would wash over me making me look up to a brilliant beaming sunset.
“Sunset Divine” was inspired by an evening when I was driving home with my Mother-in-law. We were on the home stretch, a flat and straight piece of road right by the ocean and lined with colourful beach shacks. All of a sudden an otter ran across the road in front of us- at quite a distance and safely- but it made me giggle- we were in Otter Point afterall. I looked and to my left was this very sunset. I knew I had to record this special little moment and to this day the painting brings back warm feelings and memories.
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Day 3 - Autumn Blossoms - 2013
One of my biggest delights and discoveries of moving to Canada was autumn. In Australia our seasons aren’t so defined and while we do have some deciduous trees that give an autumn spectacle they aren’t as common. The return of the cold weather is a hard one for this sun loving Aussie, but I do look forward to the autumn colours and spending time sitting underneath colourful trees.
I love Albert Camus quote -
“Autumn is a second spring where every leaf is a flower”
It perfectly captures what the autumn is to me- another kind of blooming. There is what I wanted to express in “Autumn Blossoms”. It is one of my favourite names I’ve chosen for a painting. Although this painting wasn’t inspired by any particular tree, my desire was to capture the essence of autumn. Although the season feels fleeting, the season is a nice breath of rest between the busyness of summer and the slumber of winter. There is something so luminous and uplifting about this painting in both colour and composition and even all these years later I am filled with calm and joy whenever I look at it.
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Me with “Autumn Blossoms” before sending it off to its new home.
Day 4 - Beautiful Arbutus - 2015
Most of my scenic paintings are influenced by something I’ve seen that I’ve interpreted in my own way. Not often is a piece a direct inspiration/representation of a place. “Beautiful Arbutus” breaks away from my imaginings and is a painting I created of a place very special to me.
When we lived on Salt Spring Island for a year and a half we were quick to find an oceanside walk at “Ruckle Park”. It is only about 10 minutes long and begins with a winding path through the forest. Soon you come to a trail high above the water's edge. Wildflowers grow here in the spring. The path leads to a point where rocks are covered in grass and moss and it reminds me a lot of England/Scotland. At the very tip of the point is a beautiful arbutus tree.
The arbutus, also known as Pacific Madrone, are Canada’s only broad-leafed evergreen tree. The trunk and branches are often twisted and covered in the most beautiful bark that glows red/orange in the sun. The arbutus reminds me a lot of the Australian eucalypt so these trees immediately became my favourite. The arbutus is featured in my book “Jewels of Nature” showcasing the stunning berries that appear in autumn. I also created a stone with the bark for the book but it didn’t make the cut.
Adam and I would visit this spot often, where we would have picnics in the summer and bundle up and brace the winds in the winter- including New Years eve! In this painting I wanted to capture the magic of this place and the beauty of the magnificent arbutus tree.
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Day 5 - Goddess of the World - 2014
I was inspired to create this piece by the “Spirit Weavers Gathering” that takes place in States each summer. It was an event I hadn’t attended yet but had many friends who had and spoke highly of it for the sense of community and skills that are learnt and exchanged. In 2014 there was a call out for art to be the event poster. Although my piece wasn’t selected it led to the creation of one of my favourite artworks ever!
The central goddess represents the divine feminine, creation, life, birth, and nature. The spiral connects her to the sacred land that she is part of. Illuminated around her is a rainbow flower of life. The flower of life- a sacred symbol in many cultures- its structure is the building blocks of the universe. It is considered a symbol of the unity of all life within the universe. I wanted this piece to uplift and empower women.
It was a very powerful experience for me creating this piece and it has connected me with many wonderful people since. It is an artwork with a life of its own!
In 2017 I was able to fulfill my dream and not only attend the Spirit Weavers Gathering, but I attended as a skill sharer. I was involved in 2 workshops. In one I shared mandala stone making. It was such an amazing, challenging, humbling and elating experience. I had the honour of leading 16 women in my process. The second my friend Melissa McConnell and I led a group on the “Art of Collaboration” where we shared our experience and process of collaborative art making. It was SO much fun! The Gathering was life-changing. I got to meet so many people I’d be in touch with for years through Instagram as well as many more new friends. I will carry that time in my heart with tender fondness for life.
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Day 6 - Arizona Dream - 2014
I had always dreamed of visiting Arizona, drawn to its desert landscape. In 2014 Adam and I took our first non-work holiday there! (Adam is a touring musician so a lot of our travel is based around his tours) We spent an amazing glorious week in Arizona where we travelled the state and its many stunning national parks. We explored underground canyons, the Grand Canyon, swam in desert rivers, especially fell in love with the rock formations of Zion National Park, walked among wildflowers, and kayaked a desert lake.
On our last night Adam asked what I wanted to do. My reply was I wanted to see “a sunset, mountains, and saguaro”. Adam is a master of google while travelling and we ended up at Superstition Mountains near Phoenix surrounded by ancient saguaro and the most spectacular sunset that changed colours every few minutes. We were in heaven!!! We set our camera up and snapped one photo of the two of us posing with a saguaro. It turned out brilliantly and remains one of our favourite photos of us ever!
When we got home, I described our trip, artistically, as “mind-blowing” and that it would take time to put it all togethe to be able to express my experiences. Months later, an image came to mind to capture our time there. In my tree top Salt Spring studio I created “Arizona Dream”. It weaves together all the elements that I wished for that last night- sunset, mountains, and saguaro. The piece is warm and vibrant and is very sentimental to my husband and I. So much so we have kept it! I do keep select pieces of my own work and yes there are paintings I regret selling and we weren’t about to let this piece be one of them.
Thank you Arizona, you are magic.
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Day 7 - Rainbow Mandala Stones - 2015
To end our week of revisiting my favourite paintings from over the years, today’s one is a bit different! It’s not one of my “paintings” but it’s a photo of mandala stones that I painted! I’ve created a lot of mandala stone photography/images over the years but there is just something about this one that feels extra magical. It is also one of the first mandala stone group photos I created.
It was 2015, the year my stones went viral. It was a big year full of lessons, connections, and learning. I had a period of burn out so I closed my shop for awhile and painted stones as I pleased. This resulted in quite the collection so I was able to create a rainbow group photo. My Salt Spring studio had windows on three sides and a sky light so the lighting was absolutely perfect and radiant!
This image ended up going viral as well and has led to some fun opportunities- like my puzzle with Ravensburger. (Available here) I am so humbled it speaks to so many of you. For me, it really represents following your heart, taking your own time, and the beauty of creativity.
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