Blog

During the Covid-19 pandemic isolation period, I had to accept my big plans for 2020 were not going to happen the way I had hoped. My list of aspirations seemed pointless and unimportant, so I changed direction and took a complete about face in how I approached my work. All the tasks and goals on my whiteboard were rubbed off. I slowed down and took some time to explore painting with new tools and mediums. I signed up for an online art class. My affected psyche and confused mind complacent and uninterested in my reference materials dragged me to a world of abstraction, mark making and scribbling.  Since models are not readily available during this time of isolation, I began to paint from memory or from intuition interlacing my skills with imagination. I slapped paint around making horrible messes and extremely ugly paintings. I struggled through attempting new colour combinations, pushing the limits of composition and contrasts.

I found making little black and white studies on a sheet of taped off paper helped me to create compositions that are pleasing to my eye. I discovered squeezing out a selection of colours, I would never have considered using together, pushed my limits as I strived to maintain an aesthetic pleasing to myself. I covered miles and miles of paper and canvas over a period of two months and, as yet another situation impacted my life, I began painting figurative narratives about the current happenings in my life. I naturally progressed toward painting figures which have always been a preferred subject. I love the psychology of humans, the mechanics of movement of the body, and I am intrigued by the suspense of the unknown, and enjoy mystery in the narrative.

This current series began out of a desire to share the bond that developed and grew between a close friend and I. The work tells the stories of the experiences and unexpected adventures we share as we walk twice per week. I began to write as I recalled some details of our escapades and ideas came for paintings. Through this, a very personal collection of artwork and writings has emerged from which I have made a book. It is titled "Walking Stix - A journey of two dear friends". Walking Stix is the name we gave ourselves to remain anonymous on a GPS tracking app which records our route and other statistics on our walks. View the collection here.

Here are some examples of the images in the book along with a few excerpts.

Kurios and Curious

 "...We did head stands on the benches against mirrored walls in the hotel foyer. We had a childishly fabulous time and the Circus delivered all that it promised..."

Make a Wish

"We've sat on the bench at our favourite ocean lookout point and gazed at the distant city lights, comets and shooting stars."

Fresh and Free

"We've waded in deep muck, watched frogs and tried to remember what tadpoles are called in French. Têtards... I was calling them pétards, but I was reminded those are firecrackers."

I hope you enjoy these and they ignite memories of past or present friendships. I believe care, kindness and reverence prevail in a time where our planet and all living things are possibly experiencing the greatest strain since the beginning of the 'convenience evolution'. I mentioned earlier I erased my white board of its goals, however, for 2021 I've written only one aspiration on it and that is:

Bring more joy and beauty to the world!