gratitude + love = pure joy

THEIR EXPRESSION OF GRATITUDE IS LIKE NOTHING YOU COULD IMAGINE...

It was powerful and overwhelming, and it was a trip that will be forever etched in my heart.

In May 2015, I was honored to travel to the Netherlands with my father, then a 90-year-old WWII Canadian veteran. We were invited there to celebrate the 70th anniversary of their liberation, and I experienced firsthand what it is like to be immersed in the kindness and gratitude of the Dutch. They value their freedom, and they feel it is their duty to thank the people who fought for it.

In 1945, my father was witness to the horrific impact war had on the people of the Netherlands. He was there at the end of the war and also experienced the jubilation of their freedom. During his subsequent trips back, and also in 2015, seeing survivors and their families and children celebrating in the streets, brought him much joy and brought me to tears.  

It also made me realize I needed to create a body of work inspired by those emotions. 

The piece above is comprised of photographs I took on that trip in 2015.  It is intended to recognize the continuation of generations and pay tribute to those children who did not survive the war. My father was keen to shake the hand of this young girl in the crowd at a parade in the city of Apeldoorn. The cherubic image at the top left (a photo of a bronze sculpture also taken while there) represents those children who lost their lives and are viewing the exchange between soldier and survivor's family. 

The things we experience in life have so much meaning. When we take the time to preserve those moments, especially the moments that land in our soul, they can be enjoyed generation after generation.

Preserve what matters most.

 
 

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one great Momma!

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!

 
 

receding snow

20170323-blog-receding-snow-branded-post-jpg.jpg

Dreaming of growth and renewal

Here in the Northeast, we are shedding slush, sand, and salt knowing that beautiful things will emerge.

Fresh back from a family vacation in Tobago, my daughter Lena and I discussed the pros and cons of living in an area of the world where the climate stays pretty much the same vs our four seasons.

For me, despite the hassle of snow, the changing seasons inadvertently provides a time to evaluate what I'm working on, and gets me excited about next steps, next seasons, and renewal. It reminds me that life is ever changing and I better get my butt up and in motion if I'm going to capture and create something inspiring.  

I continually pay attention to and capture what's in front of me, from the mundane to the beautiful, and turn that into art print collections. I think of them as "my stories". Here are some things I've captured and the resulting prints:

from the Gerbera Daisy Collection: grasses, gerbera, final print

 

from the Butterflies Ascending Collection: grasses, carpet design watercolor, final print

 

What are the "stories" you love and are part of your life?  Can they be translated into artwork? (If you doubt that, please read about the By the Numbers project)

What grows and evolves can surprise us. Whether it be experiences or vegetation, growth occurs. What inspires you as winter recedes and green appears? Pay attention to that.

 
 


I'm on a quest to put my work out there to the world, and if you'd like to help, please forward this post onto a friend. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

WHAT DO YOU LOVE?

 

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.