My theme “AS I SEE IT” is an exploration of the profound inspiration drawn from Vancouver Island's landscapes. As I view landscapes, seascapes, urban settings, woodlands, plants, and animals in a state of curiosity, the interactions make me aware of the delicately balanced relationship between each specific location. Each piece in this series—whether a sketch, a painting, or a collage—is connected by a common theme and represents what I've been observing while I walk around nature. What distinguishes my artistic practice apart is the tactile journey I take with each piece. By including natural elements into my acrylic paintings such as sand, branches, bark, and shells further enhanced by fiber paste, fine pumice, or photograph transfers, I feel as though I am bringing nature itself into the paintings. I encourage the audience to examine the textures in these pieces of art up close up imaging themselves to be in that space. I choose a more simplified colour scheme to create a stronger effect. Drawings are added to my collage pieces to produce a contrasted aspect.

“Birds” features drawings of birds from the past 5 years. These diverse works offer a unique opportunity for visitors to see the natural world through the eyes of an artist. One of the reasons I am so intrigued is because Birds come in so many colours and shapes, some are found in the form of carved wooden detail as I observed on a very old temple in Nikko, Japan. Through my extensive traveling I have observed so many different species of birds. Some of these highly detailed drawings are rendered with charcoal or graphite, coloured chalks and pencils while other drawings have been scraped into an abstract painting. My flower and vegetable gardens are strewn with bird feeders and birdhouses so that I can constantly observe these wonderful creatures. These artworks provide a platform for visitors to explore the exhibition by considering their own experience with the natural world.

“Flowers” features drawings of flowers from the past 5 years. These diverse works offer a unique opportunity for visitors to see the natural world through the eyes of an artist. One of the reasons I am so intrigued is because Flowers come in so many colours and shapes, some are found in the form of carved wooden detail as I observed on a very old temple in Nikko, Japan. Through my extensive travelling I have observed so many different species of flowers. Some of these highly detailed drawings are rendered with charcoal or graphite, coloured chalks and pencils while other drawings have been scraped into an abstract painting. My drawings capture the fleeting moment that they are present. I try to capture the metamorphosis that flowers go through from first sprout to final full blossom. These artworks provide a platform for visitors to explore the exhibition by considering their own experience with the natural world.

STILL LIFE AND LANDSCAPES