“Breaking Chemo Fevers”…by “Breaking a Blank Canvas”…And introducting my electric blue sky mini collection.

Titles from left to right.

“Moments of Stillness”, “Still, Life”, “Chasing Stillness”, “Hold, Still”, “Balanced in Stillness”, and “Captured Stillness”…

Thankfully, cabin fever hasn’t started quite yet this year...phew. But there are often several variables, aside from extreme temperatures (both weather and human -fevers), that fuel my creative prolificness and passion for painting. Art is how I process my life and the world around me, and I get so much enjoyment out of the process. I love the idea of solving problems and having a feeling of “fixing something”….Each of these minis was a brilliant problem waiting for me to solve, while getting lost in each moment of making choices in colour and marks that I love. I was the one that started the equation out of nothing but a blank canvas… and that is super exciting to me! I painted what was lighting me up and the resolution of each composition provided a huge dopamine spike… A necessary chemical process that I seek out daily…However, this year is a little different -with my best friend going through a roller coaster of chemotherapy right now, I have been wanting to escape my empathy pains and dive into an art process I love. Art is so powerful like a form of meditation….where I can forget about the heaviness of the world, and find calm, hope and joy through colours and textures and the act of creating. I started painting these 4” sq “mini paintings” on canvas as my escape. I have small tubes of acrylic paint that I’ve had for years and never used… Before letting them dry up (learned from my mistake in my younger years!), I decided to go through all of those tubes and mix and match them with my favourite neons and brights to uplift the mood (my mood). Not only do I get a brain chemical boost from solving my art equations, but also from finding use for something that otherwise may expire or be wasted. Using up so much of the paint provided a gorgeous texture for my backgrounds… Oh, and I forgot to mention one of the most important additions to the art piece- Alberta wild flowers from my parents garden at my childhood home sweet home. I loved the free and loose process of the chunky under painting, and contrast by finishing each piece with a delicate thin wild flower from nature…. Each of these “Electric Blue Sky” minis are very special and were a gift to create.

Thanks for being here… And a special note to my incredible collectors from the U.S- I am in the process of sorting out the tariffs and my small business shipping with Canada Post… We are just getting through the 3rd strike in a year, and it has been very tough on my sales. Once I have recovered from the shipping headaches, and can sort out the new process, I’ll be sure to send out a newsletter notification! I am also working on a second collection of these mini still life paintings, titled “Cream of the Crop”… and of course, I just keep painting and more pieces will be available when the time is right.