'The Travellers'

The Travellers / 30x40 / acrylic on canvas

For some time I have been wanting to incorporate folk art inspired images into my work as they are so similar to the pictographs and petroglyphs that I love.  The stylized birds can resemble such a variety, from swallows to magpies to ravens, and I like the idea of the migration of both birds and people.  Migration and moving replicates my personal history as, after my parents immigrated from South America, I travelled from southern Manitoba a few years into my childhood to the north, which still lives in my blood.  From there I moved west to northern Alberta, back east to the prairies, and finally landing west once again, this time to a place which has been my home for almost 20 years.

Travelling is also reminiscent of a spiritual process...moving gently from one set of beliefs to another.  Not necessarily opposite but certainly different over many years of experience, both good and bad, and growth.  Every time I allow these experiences to shape me instead of fighting them, the transition is so much lighter and welcome.  So this piece represents all of that for me...the transitory nature of this life.