When did you realize you had the need to create and develop your skills?

I think I was born an artist. I have been creating ever since I could hold a crayon. My mom actually made a note in my baby book "Very artistically able from the age 2". I searched out every class that gave me the opportunity to create throughout school, and had a library of Walter Foster books, and others, at home to learn from. In my mid-twenties I quit painting when we moved to a small country house. I didn't have the room to have art supplies and work laying out. However, I went into the fibre arts then so was still creating - just with a different medium.

How do you know when your art is complete?

The only time I know for sure the art is complete is when it goes to a new home. Pieces in the studio often continue to talk to me long after I've set them aside and considered them finished. It's almost become part of my process to rework paintings that have sat in the studio, or come back from a show or gallery. The more my skills improve, the more I can see better ways to communicate the story in older works. So everything sitting in the studio is fair game to be moved from complete to more work needed!

Where do you gather your inspiration from?

My inspiration is mostly from nature and living in close proximity to the forest and wildlife that calls this place home. There is a connection I have with nature which I think is important for humanity, and which so many people are disconnected from. I also find a lot of inspiration in other forms of art: ballet, theatre, opera, movies, music and literature. In a more traditional sense, I am inspired stylistically by the Russian, Dutch, and French impressionists.

Where do you typically create art?

Most of my work is done in the studio at home, but I also love getting out to work in nature. However, I struggle to focus on the story when I'm painting outdoors, so find most of that work gets reworked in the studio to lose the details and reality that comes from working plein air.

Right now, what is your medium of choice and what is your favourite subject matter?

I work mostly with oils but if another media will work better, I'm not afraid to use it, or to mix medias. I often use acrylics for larger canvas paintings and for mixing charcoal drawings within the painting. I am currently focused on the landscape, but have started to incorporate the figure more to help tell the story and make it more relatable and alive.

All artists at all stages of their career want to try something new, what other medium or subject matter do you see yourself experimenting with?

I love animals, and although I've done some figurative animal work, I know I will eventually do more of this. Birds, wild, domestic and farm animals are all something I'd like to paint. Especially if I can create paintings which tell a story featuring them.

Continuing education, do you partake and if so what did you learn?

I am a strong believer that in order to grow and evolve as a human, you have to keep learning. So yes, I do take workshops and such. But I also find there are lots of non-art related ways to learn that help me in making my art. Learning about nature and the land helps develop the sensitivity to better understand the connection man has. Learning about weather helps me understand light.

Have you ever taught a class or done an artist talk? If so, what did you talk about or teach? Can people sign up for your workshops and how?

When I was involved in the fibre arts I was doing quite a bit of teaching and writing. I found that this work required so much time I had little left to do the creative work I loved the most. It really burned me out, so when I switched back to painting and photography I said I would not teach. I am extremely protective of my time now.

Have you ever painted en plein air? What was the biggest hurdle for you? Environmental challenges, wildlife, people, weather?

As I mentioned above I love to paint en plein air, but it is hard to not focus on the details and realistic depiction of colours and scene. This isn't where I want to go with my work, so my plein air pieces are often reworked or used as a base for other paintings. Painting in Alberta means the weather is always a big factor. As a woman often painting in wilderness locations I do have to be concerned with people and wildlife as well. We have a large duck habitat on the property which is a favourite spot to paint. It is not uncommon to have wildlife sneak up to see what I'm doing. So far this has just been birds, deer, and small woodland creatures, but I have to always remind myself to pay attention to what is going on behind me. We have all the large predators and have seen them all on the property - bears, cougars, and wolves.

Do you do commissions? If so, what is your process?

Not really. I have done a couple in the past, but this isn't something I advertise or promote. Commissioned work doesn't really fit in with where I'm wanting to go with my paintings.

What is your favourite art related quote?

Oh gosh. I have so many. One artist who really resonates with me is Edgar Degas, so I will share a couple of my favourite quotes from him which help explain where I'm going with my work. "It is very well to copy what one sees; it's much better to draw what one has retained in one's memory. It is a transformation in which imagination collaborates with memory." "A painting requires a little mystery, some vagueness, some fantasy. When you always make your meaning perfectly plain you end up boring people."

Do you have a favourite artist and what do you like about their art? Have you ever met them?

Like the question above there are so many. I seem to have an affinity for quite a few British and Russian artists right now. Closer to home I would have to say Ingrid Christensen. I think she's one of the best painters in North America right now, and deserves way more recognition than what she's receiving. I have been privileged to have taken a few workshops with Ingrid and hope to take more in the future. She's brilliant!

Did they inspire you to pursue a career as a professional artist?

I was already working full time as an artist when I met Ingrid, but was more focused on photography. I first met Ingrid in 2008 or 2009 when we were both juried in to the Alberta Society of Artists and had to give a presentation of our work to the society. I instantly fell in love with Ingrid's work. It had a quality that really captured my heart. When I saw Ingrid's work I knew I needed to find my way back to painting.

What is most challenging to you when starting a new project?

I have changed how I work in the past year. I am working more on visual stories and linking them to poetry, so I start by doing some concept sketches to clarify how to tell the story. I may have some reference photos that I'm working with, but still try to do the sketches and work more from that sketch than the photo so that I can be freer with my interpretation of colours and details. A lot of times I'm working totally from imagination, which presents challenges in making sure the light reads authentically and that the scene tells a believable story.

What advice would you give to an artist starting out?

Draw, draw, and do more drawing. You can compensate for a lot of things stylistically within painting - colour, composition, mark making can all evolve to become part of your style, but a lack of drawing skills will hold you back and can't be easily hidden, even if you are making abstract art. Although I'm always trying to work on and strength all aspects of painting, I give extra attention to trying to improve my drawing ability. It is a continual struggle.

What keeps you going forward with your art in this very competitive industry?

It's just that inner need to create that keeps me going. The work and passion exists regardless of whether I'm able to make a career of it or not. The sales, shows, publicity, and everything else is just gravy. I'd be doing this even if everyone hated what I was doing and I never sold a thing. But it's because of such a deep rooted passion that I have the drive and discipline to work so hard at it and keep striving to be better and better. Other artists often make comments on how prolific I am, and I often feel like it's said as a kind of insult, but I don't see it that way, and I certainly won't apologize for devoting the majority of my life to painting.

In your studio, right now, what is your most important tool that you would be lost without?

My Oakblade palette knives. Whenever I find myself getting too bogged down in the details I know it's time to put the brushes away and paint with the knives. They allow me to let go of the details and focus more on the mood and story of the painting, and bring back some more abstract qualities to the painting. They are great for laying down heavy paint, but I also use them to blend and lay down fine lines.

What is your favourite piece of work you have created, thus far?

That's like asking who your favourite child is, because really the paintings are all like children. You give birth to them and nurture them to maturity, then set them free to live their own lives. They are all endearing for one reason or another. A couple of pieces that do stand out is a painting of two gorillas I did for my grandson several years ago. It turned out particularly well and really stretched my painting abilities at that time. Plus there is the love that went into creating it knowing that it was for my grandson. I have several First Nations paintings that I really like; partly for the story but also for the way they turned out. Lead Thee Weeping is also a favourite because of the emotional attachment I had while painting it. It's a bit different stylistically from a lot of my work, but represents that balance between abstraction and representation that I'm always looking for in my work.

What is the most well received piece of art you have created?

I just finished a landscape painting featuring bison which has been generating a lot of buzz so far. I've had several inquiries on it already, but it's destined for one of my galleries. I don't expect it to last long!

Do you have a favourite gallery or museum that you visit?

For museums it's hard to not favourite any that have exhibitions of historical works. I have to say my love of western art was amazed at the art and artifact collection, and shear size, of the Buffalo Bill Center Of The West, And Whitney Western Art Museum in Cody, Wyoming. The center is far too large and extensive to try and tackle in one day. Very impressive historical and contemporary western art is represented in the Whitney I have to also give a nod to two of my galleries: Fallen Leaf Gallery in Canmore and Gust Gallery in Waterton. Both of these galleries contain a beautiful collection of two and three dimensional art and craft to appeal to anyones aesthetic sensibilities. Plus they are both inspiring locations to go for a visit. Two other galleries which I really enjoy but are not affiliated with are Gainsborough Fine Art in Calgary, and Gallery421 in Kelowna.