Through vibrant colour and myriad forms of life, I attempt to present a unique view of the underwater world beyond the Newfoundland and Labrador shoreline, icebergs, the seabirds along its rocky cliffs, its bogs, forests and fields inland and the arial vistas that show the form of the land. The surface teems with details from the natural environment, but captures the duality of its fragility and durability under the harsh conditions on this edge of Canada. The subtlety of the sparkle of the sunlight, delicate petals, the sheen on a fish’s side are captured in the freshness of watercolour, acrylic, egg tempera and oil. Through continuous observations of the surrounding environment, I build up a storehouse of experiences, memories that are supported by an expanding collection of reference photographs and scientific facts that, through contemplation and emotional response, provide the stimulus for my work. When the world’s natural environment is threatened on so many fronts, it is time to look at what this province still has, to delight in its unspoilt variety and to preserve in my work some of the beauty and diversity that still remains. My works in egg tempera are on a traditional gesso ground on cradled boards; works in watercolour are on arches paper and those in acrylics or oil are on linen.
I live in the community of Shoe Cove, north of St John’s on the east coast of Newfoundland looking out over the Atlantic Ocean.
In 1996 and 1999 I painted a series of works for the Birthing Centre and the Cancer Centre of the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula in California, USA.
During1998 and 1999 I worked with students in Hopedale, an exposed, bleak yet vibrantly warm Inuit community on the north coast of Labrador, producing art to decorate their new school. This truly enriching experience was made possible through an “Artist in the Community” grant from the Canada Council and the Labrador School Board. In May 2000 I had a solo exhibition , “Icebergs – Castles in the Sea”, at the Christina Parker Gallery in St John’s. At the opening we launched the children’s book of the same name which I illustrated.
In May, 2000 I was elected to the national organization, “Canadian Society of Painters in Water Colour” at their AGM. From June to October 2000 I designed and painted 26 silk hangings depicting the Labrador environment; a herd of caribou on the tundra, creatures and plants of the forests and rivers and a run of arctic char down river and into the ocean with its own sea birds and fish. The works are hanging in the atrium of the Labrador Health Centre in Goose Bay.
In 2001 I have been an “Artist-in-Residence in Gros Morne National Park”, a World Heritage Site on the west coast of Newfoundland. In May 2002 I had an exhibition of watercolours mostly done “on site” and silk paintings at Christina Parker Gallery in St John’s. In March 2003 I was part of a four person show, “Fibre Connections”, in Argyle Fine Art in Halifax. In April 2004 my solo show, “From Away” was shown at the Christina Parker Gallery in St John’s. In October 2004 my solo show, “Internal Landscapes”, opened in Summerside, P E I
In May 2005 “Light–Stream”, a 2 person show opened at the Christina Parker Gallery in St John’s. I am part of the 80th anniversary exhibition of the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour in the Roberts Gallery in Toronto, Ontario and in August I was an Artist-in-Residence in Terra Nova Park in Newfoundland where I did on site watercolours based on the geological features as a basis for a new body of work in egg tempera.
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