I was inspired to create a painting on canvas after looking at paintings of various Renaissance Artists from a book I had borrowed from the Public library. Something inspired me as I flipped through the pages of these Renaissance books. The imagery. The realism. It planted a seed that perhaps even someone like myself; without attending an art school or studied art in a university could possibly produce what one would deem as “Art”. It sprung hope.
Back in 1997, struggling with the demands of having a young family, it wasn’t financially feasible to purchase art supplies and canvases. My husband offered to make a frame and we stretched canvas over it. I purchased affordable acrylic paint and used a couple of cheap brushes. We didn’t have that much room, so out in the back yard I went and created my first painting. To this day, that painting still hangs in our house. I dabbled with acrylics for a while until I received a set of oil paints. That expanded my possibilities of paint blending and all sorts of techniques that I fell upon by accident. As one famous painter used to quote,”A Happy Accident. ” I often start with an idea, then it becomes something else.
It wasn’t until I explored the sanctuary of beauty found in and among the wondrous forest trails that surrounds our little town of Pinawa, that I dove deep into the creativity of my paintings.
In the busyness and demands of this fast-paced world; we often overlook the chance to submerse in the majestic peace and tranquility found in the divine beauty of our Creator. Whether it be the gentle breeze whispering through the limbs of the sturdy pines or the glowing sun sparkling on the still, quiet waters of a desolate pond ~ it’s the calm serenity that I claim to capture on canvas in both my traditional style and contemporary abstract oil paintings.