My journey in Art is delineated by two distinct periods; the first being my formative training as a youth and the second being my return after a 32 year hiatus. With each being bound together by my desire to paint.
I spent eight years studying at the Art Gallery of Alberta, The Shepy National School of Art and the University of Alberta. The most intensive training in representational rendering and painting was at the Shepy National School of Art. It is this period of education that would become the basis of my current work. My education at this time was of two distinctly different genres; representational oil painting and abstract expressionism.
My work in abstract expressionism was selected for a juried exhibition but I was never comfortable or drawn naturally to this genre. A true highlight during this period was being awarded the Harold Garry Award for artistic excellence amongst a field of 600 peers. My commitment to Art grew during these years and I knew with certainty what my future would be; as an artist immersed in the beauty of Art and the creative process of painting each day.
Little did I expect the twists and turns my path would take in the coming years. Life intervened and single motherhood would shape my life for nearly a quarter century delaying my return to painting. As I faced the challenges of everyday life, I often retreated to art. Visiting museums and galleries, studying the techniques of the masters. I was drawn to figurative work and in particular the complexity of human emotion intertwined with the representation of a given historical time. When I returned to painting I knew this would be my focus. To that end I continued my studies and training at the Florence Academy of Art, Academy of Realist Art, Edinburgh and the Charles H. Cecil Studios, Florence.
My Art has been selected and shortlisted for exhibitions internationally. Closer to home; the National Gallery of Canada considers my work a cultural asset to be archived and maintained. I do not know where this journey will lead but know it is where I have sought to be for a long time.
