Returning Light

  Light. I started noticing it in January. It's slow incremental return. It's searing cold beauty on fresh fallen snow. Now it has warmth.  Light and dark. I talk about it as a painting instructor. It can make a painting dynamic and exciting. That could be said about life as well I suppose. Light can't exist without dark, but the struggle between the two at times seems to eclipse all else. Who wins or can they both. Why is it that art is so often a metaphor for life. "Life is short, Art endures".  Maybe. Perhaps the important thing is to create, feeling alive and vital in the struggle to give light and value to what has meaning in the moment. Standing back from the painting the dark helps shape and bring out forms and colour, but it is the light that awakens the magic and warmth. Welcome Spring!
With spring's return comes a new series of classes starting March 19th and 21st. Check classes for more information.
The Beach Studio Tour is the first weekend of May. It is always a fun event.

Happy New Year

New Year's Resolutions



I never make New Year's resolutions. The main reason is that they're broken or forgotten within hours of making them. That's not to say I don't think about the direction or flow in which my life is going. I find it easier to talk about intentions and being a painter it relates I suppose to how I view painting. I often see it as a journey, an exploration. What do I want to learn, how do I want to play, experiment or explore a certain theme? Sometimes it works in wonderful ways beyond my expectations and sometimes not. The most important thing is to create. A favorite quote of mine is: "Curving back into myself  I create again and again." Ovid.
My New Year's intention is to allow myself the space and time to curve back into that infinite source of being and create........... no judgment, no expectation.

Some of us like to create on our own, but some like the motivation of a class setting. I have new classes starting in the Beach on Tueaday evenings,  Jan. 15th and Thursday evenings January 17th. There is a 4 week Saturday class in the Yonge-Lawrence area at Fairlawn Neighbourhood Centre starting January 19th. Beginner or more experienced all are welcome.

Fall Beach Studio Tour

Beach Studio Tour

October 19th , 20th and 21st
Friday 6-9pm

Saturday 10am-6pm

sunday 11am-6pm

You are warmly invited to my home studio for a wine and cheese opening Friday night October 19th. The exhibit and free tour  at my location (17 Fernwood Park) and throughout the 12 other locations continues Saturday and Sunday. 

A variety of new works will be on display. A fairly recent series of mine is inspired by Pine River, a small magical river that runs throughout the Mulmur Hills area that will be affected by the the Mega Quarry. This year coinciding with the weekend of the tour there will be two other events: Soupstock in Woodbine Park and Artists against the MegaQuarry at Essentia on Queen St. A great weekend to have some soup, see some art and enjoy the Fall coulours in the Beach.

The Pine River series of watercolour and acrylics on canvas will be based on my frequent stay in a little cabin owned by a friend, surrounded by trees on the edge of the river. A true artist's retreat that I loved. When I grew tired of water and trees I took a drive and enjoyed the rolling hills and beautiful vistas of the surrounding area.

The inspiration and images stayed with me and influenced my painting through sketches and photos I brought back to my studio. These paintings will be on display with a percentage of the proceeds going towards www.ndact to support efforts to save the water and farmland in this beautiful area.
Along with plein aire paintings will be my usual whimsical mix of flowers, angels, goddesses and abstracted explorations. It would be great to see you.

Meet the Artist and the art

"They're angels now" - a comment I heard more than once around the tragic accident that took the lives of my two beautiful granddaughters. The comment rattled around in my psyche and more than once hit my angry mental response that I didn't care, I just wanted them in physical form that I could see, touch and hug. And of course this all found it's way into my painting and probably has been there all along. Artist's are often terrified of showing their work  because it is so intertwined with their heart and soul and  it feels that way about this show but I felt challenged to do it somehow. Saturday morning September 22nd at Fairlawn Neighbourhood Centre between 9:30-11:30am there will be an exhibit of paintings  "A Question Of Angels". The centre is located at 28 Fairlawn Ave. 5 blocks north of Lawrence, just west of Yonge St.. The paintings explore the questions and like a poem or a strain of music, whisper images that evoke but give no answers. We are human but it is through the arts that we can sometimes touch other realms our logical brains cannot. I feel truly grateful for the wonderful support that has been offered this past year and the people whe make up the Fairlawn Neighbourhood Centre have been terrific. I have taught classes at the centre for many years and feel adopted by the Yonge-Lawrence neighbouthood. I would love to see you if you can make it.

The Watercolours of Fall

Finding colour harmonies whether subtle or bold and experimenting with what colours work to achieve the results you envision is often the challenge of Fall. It's hard being an artist and not be inspired and challenged by the brilliance of the reds and golds as the leaves change. Achieving a balance within a painting so that more subtle browns and greys support the bright colours and not allow them to overwhelm a piece gives rise to the desire to know more about colour. There are several colour theories and the study and mastery of colour is an ongoing joy. An exploration of colour and how to use them and combine them seems to be an area of  study that comes naturally with the arrival of Fall in my classes.

Fall classes will be starting soon. I run six week sessions on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and they will be starting September 11th and September 13th. The classes are small and my approach to teaching is to inform but also support each student in finding their individual expression. Developing skills are always important and an ongoing endeavor, but equally important is being creative, intuitive, having fun and exploring watercolour as a medium. I welcome beginners and more advanced to bring their imagination and artist child. If you'd like more information please phone or email shamanstree@gmail.com.

   As the breath of light awakens colour

 may the dawn annoint your eyes with wonder"

Pine River Retreat

The light dances and shimmers on the trees and river and it feels  magical on a warm Summer afternoon. It's quiet and peaceful as I paint , read a book, or stare at the water. This beautiful place is a friend's cabin located on Pine River in the Mulmer Hills area northwest of Toronto. Pine river is one of many small rivers and streams whose existence could be threatened if a large mega-quarry opens in the the surrounding area. It will go far below the existing water table for the area, thus affecting many small rivers and streams, not to mention that it will destroy prime Ontario farm land. Much of toronto's food comes from this area.

There is an effort to bring awareness of the situation to Toronto. Coinciding with the Fall Beach Studio Tour this Sept 19th, 20th, and 21st there will be a "SoupStock" and also an Artist's against the Mega-Quarry art exhibit. Studio Tour artists if they wish will be offering support and aligning with the effort. At my home studio for the weekend I will be donating proceeds from certain paintings to ndact. These paintings will be those specifically inspired by the  beautiful scenery of the affected area. In a year of drought and crop shortages study and thought needs to be given to any mega-Quarry that could so profoundly affect our food and water.

Summer painting classes

Summer is nearly here and some are asking about art classes. Scheduling is hard with all the coming and going we do during this time so I'm trying a couple of different things. One is a Thursday night drop-in for watercolour painting classes during July. If you're free please come with a phone call first. The fee is $25.00 per class which includes materials.

If you have a week of free time I'm offering two painting sessions (Summer art camp for grown-ups), one in July and again in August. 

The Dates: 

 July 9th-13th and August 13th-17th 

Monday through Friday morning 9:30am-12:30pm

 This gives more time to immerse yourself in the creative process. The class will have the lake, the beach and my cool backyard if too hot to move.

The fee is $195.00

Please contact me to register.