A little about me…

I am a professional artist and art therapist, painting has served throughout my life as a way to illuminate and ground my connection to wildlife and nature. Since moving to British Columbia eight years ago, I have been captivated by the landscape and the lives of the creatures it holds.

My work attempts to capture the personalities and the stories of both my animal and human subjects. I want to bring the nuances and the wonders of our world to light through the expressions and the energy in my paintings. I attempt to depict the energy and sensitivity of the natural world by using big and bold brush strokes and focusing on the feeling beyond the detail.     

My current work is inspired by the wildlife of the local mountains around the Kootenays, where I live. I adore this landscape and feel very privileged to share it with the creatures peoples that live here. I acknowledge that these lands on which I practice are the traditional territories of the Sinixt, the Syilx, and the Ktunaxa peoples.

IMG_5626.jpg

Beyond Canada it is the wildlife of Africa that has largely captivated me since I was a child and has been evident in my art throughout my life.

I have been fortunate enough to follow my curiosity to the continent a number of times: travelling through South Africa, Namibia, Botswana; working in Nairobi and Kericho, Kenya; and completing an Art Therapy placement near Livingston, Zambia - where I was building an understanding of the complexities, nuances and ethics of cross-cultural art therapy.

Through my travels I have also explored and confronted some of the intricacies of wildlife conservation in an ever more industrialised and busy world. I see our connection to other animals and nature as central to our wellbeing as a species, and fiercely feel the detriment of us losing touch with the world’s interconnectedness. Through my paintings, I aim to bring forward this connection and depict the innate familiarity that exists between the wild and ourselves.