I have been passionately painting in diverse media and subject for the last 35 years, and have earned signature status in the Federation of Canadian Artists (AFCA) and the International Plein Air Painters (IPAP). My art is about my love for the landscape, filtered through my extensive background of colour and design, to express the joy and freedom I find in the subject. Eight years of painting ‘en plein air ‘(in the actual environment), allowed me to be able to really absorb myself in it, not only the visual input, but also through my other senses. The feel of the breeze, the smell of the earth and foliage, and the sounds of nature were also able to be captured within my work, and that made all the difference. My experience on the land was by now in my soul, and I felt the freedom to begin to express myself in less representational ways. Over the last three years, I began to seek a more personal and contemporary expression. That experimentation began in the studio using acrylic paint for its quick drying and ease of radical shifts in direction. The new aesthetic that I have developed focuses on a limited amount of very interesting shapes; strong decisive brush marks; inventive, pushed and gradated colour; flattening of the picture plane; pattern, and strong value contrasts. I have been teaching art for the last 25 years to artists at all levels. I am so excited to help other painters find the gift of creativity allowing them to express their hearts desires through their art. It is an incredible journey filled with frustration and joy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!