I love textiles. The feeling of the cloth in my hands, the textures, the colours, combining to calm my senses and soothe my soul. Each painting composed of hundreds of pieces of cloth, each piece a brushstroke of colour, the strokes combining to tell a story, evoke a feeling, trigger a memory.
The wild and stunning beaches of the west coast of British Columbia are the most special part of Canada to me. On the way to Tofino, from the first sight of Long Beach to walking for hours along the edge of the sea, every moment is pure treasure. The raw splendor of these beaches is spectacularly beautiful, whether it’s a stormy, grey day, a brilliant blue sunshine day or somewhere in between.
As a teen growing up on Vancouver Island, I was extremely fortunate to spend my summers with my parents on their sailboat (admittedly I only realized how lucky I was in my later years!). We would travel to remote areas of the west coast of Vancouver Island, and north towards Haida Gwaii to avoid the busier coves and bays closer to civilization.
Etched in my mind even 40 years later are the experiences of arriving in the anchorages of the various First Nations villages all along the B.C. coastline. These abandoned sites would be overgrown, but the totems, no matter what state of decay, nor how simple or complicated the carvings, would exude a powerfully haunting, yet stately presence. In most cases, there was no trace of paint, the silvery grey of the weathered cedar the only discernible colour, other than moss and lichen accumulating on the totems. The figures painstakingly carved into the totems were beautiful, ravens, eagles, salmon, bear, orca…..
Often times the totems begin to lean as their bases succumb to the punishing wind, rain and salt spray they are exposed to day in and day out. The first artwork in this series is a tribute to the totems at Ninstints, on Anthony Island, Haida Gwaii. Unfortunately, I have never seen this particular group of totems in person, but my parents have beautiful images they were able to capture on a visit many years ago.
21"x21" - cotton, dye, thread watercolour pencil
$660
22"x27" - Cotton, dye, thread
SOLD
10"x20" - Cotton, dye, thread
$800
10"x20" - Cotton, dye, thread
$800
11"x20" - Cotton, dye, thread
$830
10"x19" - Cotton, dye, thread
CURRENTLY AVAILABLE at Ryan James Fine Art, Seattle, WA
24"x20" - Cotton, dye, thread
$720
20"x16" - Cotton, dye, thread
$500
16"x20" - Cotton, dye, thread
$800
20"x23" - cotton, dye, thread
$690
12"x12" - cotton, dye, thread
$220
21"x24" - Cotton, dye, thread
$760
24"x26" - Cotton, dye, thread
$930
Balance...mine was profoundly damaged more than a decade ago. Ever since, my every day is orchestrated to stay on one side of the fine line where I become overwhelmed and unable to cope with the chaos in my brain.
18"x20" Cotton, dye, thread
$540
'And then there were three' developed during one of the most personally challenging times in my life, leaving behind shattered dreams, holding on to the vision of a brighter future.
16"x17" Cotton, dye, thread
$410
One of my life lessons has been about learning to say no. I'm still in progress on this one. When I forget to use the power of those two small but mighty letters, my ability to cope fractures and eventually breaks.
14"x16" Cotton, dye, thread
$350
When you have been on a certain path for a long time, or even a short time, those first steps deviating from that path can be very scary. Let the light which is showing itself draw you towards it.
23"x23" - cotton, dye, thread
'Between the sky' speaks to that place where I am searching for center, but it's so elusive. I can see the blue sky just…over…there…yet as I try to make my way there, my path is jagged, and the course corrections are too extreme.
24"x22" - cotton, dye, thread
$800
Have you ever felt like you were attracted to something, something unyielding perhaps, yet you are pulled there anyway. But just as you come close, it all falls apart, sometimes in a rather spectacular way.
13"x18" - cotton, dye, thread
$360
Sometimes it can be really hard to let go of the framework we've created around ourselves. When we can reach deep for the courage inside all of us, we can choose to let go of the noise and find that which matters most.
15"x16" - cotton, dye, thread
$360
Like most people, I had a picture in my mind how my life would unfold. But then…..it went sideways.
19"x9" - cotton, dye, thread
$260
Living on the edge of balance…..learning the lessons of no…over…and over….and over
19"x30" Cotton, dye, thread
SOLD
30"x24" (diptych) - cotton, dye, thread
$1090
Aiming for the unachievable ideal of balance, taking joy in every moment, even when it seems impossible to achieve.
37"x11" - cotton, dye, thread
$620
When you don't pay attention to the cues…..it's easy to get burned.
21"x20" Cotton, dye, thread
$630
Taking steps, moving forward, sometimes it feels impossible
21"x23" Cotton, dye, thread
$730
Finding the horizon, searching the sky, desperately seeking a new foundation
6"x8" - Cotton, dye, thread
SOLD
13"x15" - Cotton, dye, thread
$400
14"x18" - Cotton, dye, thread
$510
12"x12" - Cotton, dye, thread, mounted on gallery wrapped canvas
$300
