one great Momma!

April 18, 2017

Well, this is special.

It's not every day you and your family get to celebrate someone's 89th birthday.

If you are blessed with having a parent in your life for that long, you might know how I feel.

My mother embraced technology and owned a computer before most of her children did, and her grandchildren asked to come over to do their homework on it. She is a talented editor, an organizing queen, and at one time she knit like a pro and was one of a few braillists in Canada to translate music for the blind. She spins circles around us all in Scrabble and this cruciverbalist speeds through crossword puzzles, Sudoku, and does a fine job with Jeopardy questions every weeknight at 7:30 (don't phone her then).

I'm in awe of her remarkable and unwavering love for my father, her husband, the guy she's been married to for nearly 70 years after he asked her to wait for him when he went off to war. That whole "'til death do us part" thing was put to the test after my Dad had a serious fall last year that immobilized him, and she nailed it - with patience, care, and love.

I love my Mom for her smarts, her companionship, her strength, her wisdom, her practicality, and the unending love and support she continually shows me and my family. She is truly an inspiration I am lucky to have.

So today, I'd like to honour and celebrate her, because that's what matters most.

Happy Birthday, Mom!

WHAT DO YOU LOVE?

February 15, 2017

I wasn't expecting the answer to be "tax form numbers"...

That was accountant Kathleen Collette's response during a meeting before I began working on custom artwork for her office.

I rose to the challenge to make tax numbers interesting and captivating enough for both Kathleen and her clients, playfully hiding the tax numbers within images of textures and everyday ordinary items. It was a rewarding adventure for both of us, and revealing the final artwork was such fun with friends and family present. For more photos of this "By The Numbers" series, please click here.

Being creative is what I love. My visual "stories" are shared on my website homepage and the images there are things or places that matter to me and bring me joy.

What do you love? What matters most? Put that on your wall.

If money were no object, what would put there that you could look at every day?

Imagine it so.

2017... make it your best year yet!

January 15, 2017

How will you make your 2017?

The hustle of Christmas is gone, and what lies ahead is patiently waiting for us. What will you do? How will you spend your precious time?

My brother died suddenly last month. As I move beyond grief, I know that the relationship I had with him, and the memories I treasure, will inform my artwork in some way. I'm not going to stress about the details of how and when, but instead let it show up and become what it will.

I have great hope for what this year will bring - deeper friendships, new relationships, new work, new paths. I continue to add pieces to my collections, and will let you know when they are ready to go (you can check out my website by clicking the link below). Coming up very soon, my family and I are traveling to the small island of Tobago next month for the trip of a lifetime. I know the lush rain forests and spectacular views there will be inspiring!

What has occurred in your life that will help you make and take the next steps? I hope you know now or are open to finding out soon.

And I hope you live your life fully aware of, and surrounding yourself with what matters most. My brother certainly did.

reflecting on beer, love and creativity

November 15, 2016

What are you THANKFUL for?

When you are a Canadian living in the US with a husband and children, you get to celebrate Thanksgiving twice. I love having two turkey dinners, and I love recognizing the things we're thankful for and saying them out loud.

In this season of Thanksgiving, what do you feel blessed to have in your life?

Some of the things that made it onto our big page of gratitude - hung on the wall and written on through the day, not in any order - included: healthy parents, a husband who helps out with everything, beer, the goodness in people, laughter, chocolate, time, love.

I also wrote "creativity" on that paper. I cherish it like I cherish my children and relationships. For many years as I focused on raising a family, I barely did any artwork. I'm so grateful to be using these inherent skills again and to have my life back in balance.

The article above is something that I came across from my past (should I write 1987 out loud?), working as an artist in southern Ontario. I was thankful for the media coverage at the time, and while I don't paint on fabric now and the designs have evolved, seeing this made me realize how far I have come and how far I have yet to go.

Thanks for coming along.

What you are grateful for is what matters most.

with gratitude,