'Breaking Dawn'

'Breaking Dawn' / 10x10 / acrylic on canvas

Lately I've really been enjoying working with my palette knives, which was a no-no at school as they were to be used to mix paint, not apply it.  I like the random and interesting accidents that occur and when I scrape the paint back the under colours show through which is really beautiful.  Glowing.

So often I find I wake at night and end up thinking of the most brilliant ideas (in my haze they always seem brilliant) and yet I forget them come morning.  I live with a very light sleeper so writing them down isn't an option.  At times I wonder if it really matters that I remember?  Or does the thought process in the night visit me at some point in my work anyway?

I'm currently working on three projects which I can't wait to share...one will be made public on Monday, another near the end of the month and yet another in autumn.  And on Thursday I am heading back into Calgary to join the Beltline Boys & Girls Club to talk about my journey as an artist and to begin a mural project with the kids.  I'm very excited for it.  There is just something fantastic about working with a group of kids who need art in their lives.  I was always one of them.  Though I was tiny and shy and often felt I blended into the background, once I had the opportunity to contribute to an art project I was in my element.  It was there I definitely belonged.

And it still is when I am in the creative zone, painting in my studio or in public, that I feel so connected, so grounded, at peace and focused on the here and now.  Oddly enough these are the times there is no condemning voice in my head, just experimentation and play.  That experience is my hope is for everyone, whether they are viewing my work or creating something of their own.