Refreshed

Wow! I am so refreshed by this new website! Thank you to Harry Gils, my husband. He’s a talented web designer & photographer. There will be new art works posted so please take a gander as you remember me.
This year I am switching back to my beloved oil paint. It has been a long season of acrylic paint since I became a mom. And my children are still little but I think they are ready to not place their hands in mommy’s palette! So back to oil. There really is no comparison. Oil is rich and glossy and tactile. I am so excited to paint more and more – if only there was enough time!!
This year my focus is on the Niagara Escarpment in Hamilton – especially near my neighbourhood of Kirkendall. It is an ever present backdrop in my  life. As I go through my days, walking around the area with my family I enjoy it’s patterning of trees and foliage set straight up in the background like a set design on a stage or in a shop window (reference to my past career as a window display artist). I love to watch the escarpment change. It’s colours and textures as the season roll by. It really is beautiful. The architecture in our area is so nice as well so I often depict that in my work including other daily elements such as cars and people.
I started this exploration with a tiny painting of crushed leaves and twigs under layers of mud and ice fallen on the Bruce Trail. Then I painted a small piece of Tiffany Falls. I’ve also made a painting of James St. South leading up the “mountain” with the escarpment as the backdrop and a house and a winding pathway. Cozy. My next piece will be a nigh time depiction of the Dundurn Stairs.
I’ve also been painting some neighbourhood pieces including the Village Shoe Clinic in Westdale. Going in there is like a step back in time and if you know me – you know I love old things and old people!!
Singing off,