Layers of time and experiences inform the current state of who we are – layers of meaning and interpretation add to the perception of the whole.
Inspiration comes to me through the layering of physical experiences, technical skills in handling materials, absorbing teachings of various thinkers and her intuition. Listening to my internal voice, a fragment of life catches my imagination, my mind wants to know more, seeking knowledge about its structure, texture, feeling, weight, smell, visuals; researching the elements history and historical significance, evoking my personal meaning.
The paintings are constructed and assembled rather than simply painted. This seems intrinsic to me, as I have a very extensive background in textiles, where the assembling of elements and the stitching together to make a whole is very important. Layers worked on top of one another, each adding to the one below. The philosophy that all humans are just layers of experiences added to the materials of our bodies.
When deciding to work on a new painting, I might spend considerable time on preparing preliminary sketches, or just sit down to begin drawing into the wax. When deciding on a new pose, a large number of drawings are made to simplify the lines, to find the essence of the figures. When working into the wax I need to be very confident where to place the lines, as there is no room for error.
I am an avid reader of esoteric books. Topics such as “what is our purpose in life”, reincarnation, hypnosis, alchemy, ancient symbolism, mark-making, human interconnections, living without boundaries, lifecycles, have led me to read many books on these subjects.
Spending time in nature – gardening in my vegetable patch in our city back yard, hiking on the Bruce Trail with my husband and son, riding my friend’s horse just outside the city limits, taking the ferry over to Toronto Island and whiling away a day amongst the majestic trees – fills my soul with much needed clarity to produce my work. I also spend time working on textile based works such as knitting, waldorf-inspired doll making, wet-felting, sewing to fulfill my need for tactile experiences. Some of these subjects I also teach in adult workshops.
While working in the studio I listen to audiobooks – stories, biographies, non-fiction topics. Then there is the dancing with colour-filled brushes to 80’s tunes (but that we won’t elaborate on).