Artist Statement:
My style spans a range of surrealism and abstraction because emotions are more powerfully expressed with a central subject acting as a focal point for personal identification. The use of human faces or eyes in some pieces provides clarity and emotional impact. Other pieces can be wholly abstracted, inviting the audience apply their own interpretation, which may change each time they view the artwork.
Bio Info:
I started painting in oils at the age of eight and sold pastel and charcoal portraits from the age of fourteen. I used the profits from my portrait sales to fund private art lessons with two professional artists on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Their styles differed vastly; one was a realistic painter with a semi-tight style that concentrated on portraits as her main area of interest. The other artist painted in a vivid, complementary colour scheme style that was loose and vibrant. Somewhat reminiscent of Emily Carr and Tommy Thompson.
My mature style integrates both approaches into itself in different ways. Other artists that I was very influenced by were H.R. Giger, Salvador Dali, Emily Carr and Gervaso Gallardo.
Another obvious aspect in my artwork is the similarity to Indian art. This had developed naturally as time went on and led me to question my own roots. Upon investigation I found out in my early twenties that my great grandmother was a Cree Indian in Manitoba.