“I look at your paintings and it’s so, so hard to say which is my favorite because there is something in each one that forces out a variety of emotions. I love the masculinity and femininity of our painting.” Jessica
NOTES FROM THE ARTIST
Art can be a powerful connector. It can evoke memories, emotions and yes, sometimes playful humour.
This poetic collection focuses on the human form immersed in nature. In August 2017 to celebrate Canada’s 150th, my husband and I paddled 170 kilometres down the remote Missinaibi River in northern Ontario. It was the longest and hardest trip planned to date. It turned out not to be a trip, but a journey.
After returning home my paintings took a drastic shift. For over a week I dreamt in vivid colour; woman was the tree, birds of all kinds flew. I had felt a part of the Missinaibi land, not just a paddler on it. My experiences become embedded in my art. I woke before dawn one day, opened new paints, spread out smooth new Mylar I had never used before and began to paint. As morning light began to shine the human form appeared in my free strokes.
For days I painted before dawn accepting what appeared from some sixth sense. I saw a unique story being told in each painting and was compelled to write prose and poetry.
We are both dark and light. We are emotion. We are life experiences. We are connected to the invisible.
