Ink, acrylic, poppy seeds on canvas.

30x12x1.50"

Whatever is planted will grow. The sun and rain and earth don’t discriminate. The most beautiful of flowers will break through the layers of ground cover on the forest floor. The most wretched weed covered in thorns will grow from the tiniest crack in the concrete. Whatever you are planting will grow, make sure your seeds are worth sowing.

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Just because a story was told, does not mean it was heard.

The Pieces Of The Whole collection explores story-telling and how narratives about women are rewritten/edited/retold to benefit the listener, whoever that may be, for better or for worse. The idea that women are not always in control of the narratives of their own lives, or how their stories are shared with others, depending on context, is expressed through this collection using the unifying imagery of peaches.

This series began as studies of peaches for an upcoming collection entitled She’s A Sweet Peach (working title). As the artist’s work is performative in nature, these paintings were part of larger canvases that were later cropped and assembled with both intentional and unintentional approaches to editing - an exercise for the artist in detachment regarding the need to control the narrative. This physical re-assembling of canvases on smaller frames is an attempt to explore how many smaller stories can contribute to the “bigger picture”, and it can still be beautiful, even if there are parts missing.

Intriguing parts of certain paintings were left behind while other parts were included due to dimensional limitations of the frame. These limitations that were beyond the artist’s control reinforced the importance, as well as the potential harm, behind censorship.

Acrylic, flashe, pastel on canvas.

40x54x1.50"

Because sometimes it just is, and there’s no reason as to why. It just is. And we strive to find meaning, to give more or less weight to a situation by attempting to understand the WHY behind the situation, because it will make us feel better to understand, to know why. But after it’s all said and done, the why won’t change anything, and it won’t necessarily bring you peace. Sometimes it is just because it is, and there’s a way to find peace with that if you’ll allow it.


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The Dreamscape collection is inspired by the intangible way we experience past memories and recall dreams. When you’re actively dreaming, it’s impossible to distinguish imagination from reality. The subconscious presents this dreamscape dimension vividly: shapes are defined, faces are recognizable and settings are clear - but after waking and reflecting on the narrative, everything that seemed solid and realistic suddenly seems hazy, uncertain, unclear. Memories are like this, too. Depending on our perspective, or the mood we’re in when we conjour them, memories are ever-shifting: they can move from sweet to sour, from truth to lie, the extreme moments stand out from the mundane. Both dreams and memories exist in the extremes. They’re usually labelled in our minds as clear vs. confusing, good vs. bad, joyful vs. painful…but this is simply our human experience attempting to make the most sense of a subconscious experience. In reality, both recollections are held together by a baseline of “grey area”. This collection serves to explore the tenuous tie that binds paradox, and how it is whimsical and fleeting in its existence, ever-changing and dynamic.

Acrylic, flashe, pastel on canvas.

40x54x1.50"

You tried to escape, to run away, to seek solitude or company, to get out of your own way or the way of others. You have been on the move in an effort to outrun yourself and your pain, until you realized that yourself is always with you. And for once, instead of this feeling like a burden, it became a deep comfort, a relief; to know that no matter where you go, there you’ll be. Now you travel with this sense of self, nurture this self, love this self and are so thankful to be at peace with this self that you can barely remember a time when you tried to evade your very own heart. No matter where you go, there you’ll be, and you now know that even when you’re by yourself, you’re never alone.

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The Dreamscape collection is inspired by the intangible way we experience past memories and recall dreams. When you’re actively dreaming, it’s impossible to distinguish imagination from reality. The subconscious presents this dreamscape dimension vividly: shapes are defined, faces are recognizable and settings are clear - but after waking and reflecting on the narrative, everything that seemed solid and realistic suddenly seems hazy, uncertain, unclear. Memories are like this, too. Depending on our perspective, or the mood we’re in when we conjour them, memories are ever-shifting: they can move from sweet to sour, from truth to lie, the extreme moments stand out from the mundane. Both dreams and memories exist in the extremes. They’re usually labelled in our minds as clear vs. confusing, good vs. bad, joyful vs. painful…but this is simply our human experience attempting to make the most sense of a subconscious experience. In reality, both recollections are held together by a baseline of “grey area”. This collection serves to explore the tenuous tie that binds paradox, and how it is whimsical and fleeting in its existence, ever-changing and dynamic.

Acrylic, flashe, ink on canvas.

40x60x1.50"

To dive so deeply into one’s self that the process of self-discovery becomes an experience of meeting someone new while simultaneously being overcome with a deep sense of familiarity. A sense of nostalgia for a lost self that has returned after a long time away, only to be reminded that this familiar self is not familiar because you knew them before, but reminiscent of the person you always wished to know. You have become the person your own dreams always hoped you’d be.

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The Dreamscape collection is inspired by the intangible way we experience past memories and recall dreams. When you’re actively dreaming, it’s impossible to distinguish imagination from reality. The subconscious presents this dreamscape dimension vividly: shapes are defined, faces are recognizable and settings are clear - but after waking and reflecting on the narrative, everything that seemed solid and realistic suddenly seems hazy, uncertain, unclear. Memories are like this, too. Depending on our perspective, or the mood we’re in when we conjour them, memories are ever-shifting: they can move from sweet to sour, from truth to lie, the extreme moments stand out from the mundane. Both dreams and memories exist in the extremes. They’re usually labelled in our minds as clear vs. confusing, good vs. bad, joyful vs. painful…but this is simply our human experience attempting to make the most sense of a subconscious experience. In reality, both recollections are held together by a baseline of “grey area”. This collection serves to explore the tenuous tie that binds paradox, and how it is whimsical and fleeting in its existence, ever-changing and dynamic.

Acrylic, flashe, pastel on canvas.

44x44x1.50"

The response we give to the most commonly asked question means nothing at all. How many people actually ask this and expect a genuine reply? How many people actually have the mental capacity to be honest in answering? Why has it become so exhausting to tell the truth about our state of being right now?

Is it because we’re continually being told how we’re SUPPOSED to be feeling? That we should be happier, more joyful, grateful, sadder, angrier? Is it because our responses are never accepted for what they are because we’re not allowed to just FEEL whatever we’re feeling?

Your anger is valid.
Your joy is valid.
Your fear is valid.
Your frustration is valid.
Your excitement is valid.

Every single one of your feelings and emotions are valid because they’re yours. Enough is enough, we don’t have to pretend we’re feeling a certain way to please other people anymore. We're done with that. We're leaving that in 2021.

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This painting is part of the Enough is Enough collection that features stories about betrayal, manipulation, abuse, control and a lack of rights for women.

Inspired by the current state of affairs in the USA after the overturning of Roe v. Wade in which men are once again making decisions for women and their bodies in order to keep minorities controlled and silenced - this type of manipulation and abuse is something that women, the trans community and other minorities have experienced in the home for years. Disguising the criminalization of abortion as a pro-life decision is a disservice to the people who are losing the right to live their lives on their own terms. Abuse, neglect, gas-lighting and manipulation are tactics used by the oppressor to maintain control over a person, or in this case, an entire group of people. The name Pat is used to address the Patriarchy throughout this collection.

This collection is an expression of rage directed at those who have the audacity to claim to be acting in the best interest of those whom they are controlling.

Acrylic, flashe, pastel on canvas.

54x40x1.50"

The stories you tell become a part of you. Are you sharing them to be seen? Or are you sharing them to stay hidden? Are you sharing the truth, even when it hurts? Or are you choosing to remain a performer, an entertainer? Do you fancy yourself a poet, an artist, a philosopher? Or are you just another jester trying to keep the masses distracted and misled? The funny thing about stories is that you get to choose how you tell them, and you get to choose the audience.

There is always a choice to be made, and as the storyteller, you hold the power.

You are welcome to keep your stories. May they bring you peace and joy, and when the day comes that the words that make up your tales begin to taste like poison in your mouth, I wish you the courage to change your story to be closer to the truth until the only words you can bring yourself to speak are those of honesty, drenched in golden light, void of fallacy and full of honor.

____
This painting is part of the Enough is Enough collection that features stories about betrayal, manipulation, abuse, control and a lack of rights for women.

Inspired by the current state of affairs in the USA after the overturning of Roe v. Wade in which men are once again making decisions for women and their bodies in order to keep minorities controlled and silenced - this type of manipulation and abuse is something that women, the trans community and other minorities have experienced in the home for years. Disguising the criminalization of abortion as a pro-life decision is a disservice to the people who are losing the right to live their lives on their own terms. Abuse, neglect, gas-lighting and manipulation are tactics used by the oppressor to maintain control over a person, or in this case, an entire group of people. The name Pat is used to address the Patriarchy throughout this collection.

This collection is an expression of rage directed at those who have the audacity to claim to be acting in the best interest of those whom they are controlling.

Ink, acrylic, poppy seeds on canvas.

30x12x1.50"

Guarded behind the softest skin and the strongest rib cage lies her heart. It is more than an organ, it is the keeper of secrets, the provider of warmth, the creator of magic. It is the definition of safety, the origin of beauty. It can be broken a hundred times and come back stronger than ever.

____
Just because a story was told, does not mean it was heard.

The Pieces Of The Whole collection explores story-telling and how narratives about women are rewritten/edited/retold to benefit the listener, whoever that may be, for better or for worse. The idea that women are not always in control of the narratives of their own lives, or how their stories are shared with others, depending on context, is expressed through this collection using the unifying imagery of peaches.

This series began as studies of peaches for an upcoming collection entitled She’s A Sweet Peach (working title). As the artist’s work is performative in nature, these paintings were part of larger canvases that were later cropped and assembled with both intentional and unintentional approaches to editing - an exercise for the artist in detachment regarding the need to control the narrative. This physical re-assembling of canvases on smaller frames is an attempt to explore how many smaller stories can contribute to the “bigger picture”, and it can still be beautiful, even if there are parts missing.

Intriguing parts of certain paintings were left behind while other parts were included due to dimensional limitations of the frame. These limitations that were beyond the artist’s control reinforced the importance, as well as the potential harm, behind censorship.

Flashe, acrylic, pastel, pencil crayon on canvas.

40x60x1.50"

The protector, the provider, the fighter. The get-it-done, the just-do-it, the go-for-it attitude. Strong, in control, in charge. A mask she was never supposed to wear, a part of herself that she has learned to switch on and off. All confidence, no regrets, all lessons, no failures.

_______
The Mirror collection is an exploration of who people are according to themselves vs. who people appear to be to others, and whether these two "identities" are actually one in the same or entirely different personas. The artist asks the question of whether or not one's sense of Self can exist without the context of who she is according to other people.

The reflection one sees of themselves in a mirror is an inverted image of what others see - a mirror, the tool we use to view ourselves, is not even an accurate depiction of what we look like to others.

The mirror is an unreliable source of reflection but it's ironically used daily to ensure "we look our best" or "look like ourselves" before facing other people. The artist is exploring the concepts of truth and perception as it relates to the Self, and whether or not the identities people claim as their own are naturally formed and inherited at birth or fabricated and curated over the years as a result of life experiences and the influence of other people.

The artist used personal items including clothing, shoes and cosmetics to create these pieces, focusing on the juxtaposition between line work and fluid forms to express the tension between the varying degrees of masculine and feminine energies the artist has identified in herSelf.

Flashe, acrylic, coloured pencil on canvas.

20x36x1.50"

Without a thought, there’s an inhale, an exhale. One count. Two. Three. Four. Easily disrupted, easily controlled.

Without a thought, there’s a beat, a filling, a releasing. The systolic and diastolic in perfect flow, mindlessly, lovingly; your own heart beating only for you; your own heart living just for you.

Without a thought to your thoughts, they can build a cage around your mind, set the bullseye for your heart and strike in the dark.

To make a home of your own heart is a choice, a meditation, a practice; the ultimate rebellion to hate; an act of pure love.

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Displacement: The act of being removed, displaced, rehoused, relocated; to result in a state of disorganization, confusion, elation, inspiration, disruption.

The Displacement collection explores the post-adrenaline lucidity that settles in after having been rearranged, moved, shifted, altered, either in place and body or spiritually in heart and mind, or in most cases, both.

The artist is asking questions about what results in the heart, mind and psyche after having been physically displaced, as she observes members of her community be un-housed and re-housed, either by choice or by circumstance. In the artist’s personal case, she is aware of her position of privilege as she seeks to move locations and displace herself as a form of empowerment and inspiration; whereas the same experience of displacement for those who have not elected to do so is disorienting, exhausting and draining.

Displacement is an exploration of the power behind intention, the divide between social classes and the way conversations about displacement either empower or oppress others based on their socio economic circumstances.

Acrylic, spray paint, ink on raw canvas.

44x56x1.50"

Sometimes we get a better understanding of knowing who we are by getting to know others. It’s in the positioning of ourselves and our circumstances compared to those around us that we can gain a better understanding of ourselves.

In Miami, I found myself floating in between two worlds - not fully belonging to either one, but absolutely being a part of both in some way

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The Miami collection of paintings inspired by Art Week in Miami explores themes of class division, and the palpable cultural differences that exist within one city (that ironically seems to have its own sense of cultural identity that seems highly influenced by the working class). This collection also explores the theme of art, and what is considered to be art according to the viewer (ie: graffiti vs. abstract art, landscape photography vs. landscape painting, photojournalism vs. portraiture).

Acrylic, ink on raw canvas.

42x48x1.50"

We are a different version of ourselves depending on who we’re interacting with - each person's personality can be so wildly versatile.

We play a different role in the lives of the people we know - we are parents, we are children, we are friends, we are lovers, we are teachers, we are students. We can be one or more of those things to one person, and yet we are all of those things at some time or another. But deep down, we each have a core sense of Self. The type of person you are when no one is watching, when there’s no judgement or need to perform. That is the person we must all come to love, because that identity is the only person we will truly be forever. If one of the roles you play with others is met with friction, just remember who you are - you are so much more than the one role you’re known for to someone else. You are you, in all your perfect imperfection.

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The Miami collection of paintings inspired by Art Week in Miami explores themes of class division, and the palpable cultural differences that exist within one city (that ironically seems to have its own sense of cultural identity that seems highly influenced by the working class). This collection also explores the theme of art, and what is considered to be art according to the viewer (ie: graffiti vs. abstract art, landscape photography vs. landscape painting, photojournalism vs. portraiture).

Acrylic, flashe, ink on canvas.

40x50x1.50"

A place for summer evening walks for ice cream, mid-day jaunts to the water. She’d watch the boats come in and out of the shore, walk the path, avoid the goose shit on the ground, sit on the grass and look at the shoreline. She’d dodge the skateboarders and the roller bladers speeding around the path. She’d bring books and beers and pens and papers and sunglasses and sweaters. A place for Wednesday evening, a place for Friday night. First dates. Swans. Sunsets. Running shoes. Baby ducks. Bees. Flowers. The sun dropping into the horizon. A place for telling her truths when she was used to hearing nothing but stories.

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The I Used To Hate This City collection embodies a celebration of self-empowerment, rage, persistence, triumph, perspective and resilience. It explores the evolution of the artist’s relationship with the City of Hamilton over the course of the past year as it shifted from Love, to Hate, back to Love again. These themes coincide with what the artist has experienced on her personal journey but also touch upon her observations of the City during recent times of gentrification, isolation and political change.

The paintings in this collection began as self-portraits that have since been covered with layers of paint, spray paint, coffee, and gold leaf to form abstracted depictions of Hamilton landmarks that are reminiscent of the new memories the artist has created in familiar places.

The idea that the artist's previous and new-found sense of identity is strongly tied to various landmarks for the worse or the better is a relevant aspect of this collection and a reminder that while our environment may feel static and permanent, our minds and hearts are in a constant state of change and growth.

Acrylic on birch wood board.

36x24"

Inspired by the poem Black Girl Fly by professor, playwright and author, Funmilola Fagbamila, this text-heavy piece is intended to resemble a word cloud, except every single word spoken by the poet and author is of equal importance, and after listening to this poem for the first time, the artist found every word hung in the air with intense poignancy.

The artist wanted to communicate this feeling to the viewer by capturing the entirety of this inspirational message intended to uplift young black girls in a way that communicates the rhythm and musicality in which Funmilola Fagbamila narrates it through a balance of varying words, typefaces and colours that work together in harmony.

The natural finish of the wood board is incorporated into this piece in an attempt to suggest that the message behind this poetry makes sense in its purest and natural form - why wouldn’t a young black girl feel capable of achieving the levels of success the author speaks about when it seems like such an obvious opportunity, and yet, the lack of equality and opportunities across marginalized and minority groups creates an additional barrier for BIPOC girls and women to overcome. It should be easy, equality should come as naturally as the words that flow from Funmilola Fagbamila's lips and land on the surface of this piece naturally and easily.

This piece serves as a reminder to all girls, especially young black girls, that she can, and she will, especially under the guidance and influence of powerful women like Funmilola Fagbamila reminding us all what we’re capable of.


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The VOICES (That’s What She Said) collection is a celebration of the way women have used their words and voices to empower themselves and others.

Spray paint on raw canvas.

36x40"

Inspired by the voice of Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and her words from the TedWomen’s stage in 2019 about how women will lead us to freedom, justice and peace, this piece makes a bold, unapologetic statement about how representation of women in professional roles is important.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was the first woman president of an African nation (Liberia) and continues to be a change-maker in her community - the ripple effect of her advocating for women to be included in positions of power has been celebrated world-wide.

This piece is the only one in the VOICES collection that highlights a single quote from an entire monologue, “Once the glass ceiling has been broken, it can never be put back together”, and has been communicated in large, bold, stencils on canvas in which letters from words spill from one line onto the next to encourage this sentence to be read aloud without pause.

The artist includes stencil imperfections and crooked edges as a reminder that moving forward and making changes is a clumsy and imperfect process that calls for transparency and resilience. Some letters appear upside down, crooked, overlapping with others…but despite these imperfections, the message is still received loud and clear.

The following quote from her speech struck the artists as particularly poignant: “I had my fair shares of criticism and toxicity. Nobody is perfect. But there's nothing more predictable than a strong woman who wants to change things, who's brave to speak out, who's bold in action…” Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s voice has reminded us all that with courage, persistence, and the dismissal of the ego, real change is possible.



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The VOICES (That’s What She Said) collection is a celebration of the way women have used their words and voices to empower themselves and others.

Acrylic, ink, spray paint, pencil on birch wood board.

16x20"

Inspired by the powerful words and live performance of Katie Makkai’s poem, Pretty, the artist created two pieces on wood panel drawing parallels between the medium’s solid exterior and the “hard truth” the author shares about women and physical appearances.

For this piece, Katie Makkai's entire poem was transcribed by hand in the artist’s penmanship as a way referencing how the same sentiments Makkai shares could easily have been her own thoughts one might find in the artist's journal. Makkai uses her voice in a compelling, theatrical way to address how at a young age she learned that the most important thing about herself was her appearance, and how her mother’s on-going efforts to doctor her appearance to make her more conventionally attractive left Katie wondering what her “real” face would have looked like.

The artist references the author’s aspirations for “physical perfection” by scribbling, re-writing, painting, crossing-out, hiding, revealing, highlighting and re-writing words from her poem to symbolize that despite the quest for perfection, a mess was made. There is a painful vulnerability in Makkai’s compelling delivery in which she admits that despite her mother having paid for physical adjustments to her daughter’s nose, teeth and overall appearance, an entanglement of emotions and overall sense of being "not-enough" remains; there's a deep feeling of being unwell despite having a flawless physical appearance.

The focal point of this piece remains the slightly obscured yet legible word “face” as the artist attempts to highlight that for many women, their most prioritized characteristic is the face (and their appearance in general) but there is little consideration given to the “messy” emotional impact that maintaining a perfect appearance that is intended to please others has on a woman’s psyche.



_____________________
The VOICES (That’s What She Said) collection is a celebration of the way women have used their words and voices to empower themselves and others.

Spray paint, ink, acrylic on raw canvas.

36x40"

Inspired by the voice and powerful words of Yesika Salgado, this piece is a celebration of the complicated and important relationship a woman has with herself. In reference to Salgado’s poem called Corazón Heals Herself, the prominent image of a large heart is the focal point of this piece. In other videos, Salgado explains that while the word corazón means heart in Spanish, it’s also a term of endearment meant to identify herself. This inspiring way of looking at oneself as one’s own heart prompted the artist to wonder what it would be like to imagine our own souls being directly linked to our most vital life-giving organ - the idea that we would cease to exist without our beating heart from a practical perspective but also that we may cease to love unless we're able to truly love ourselves.

Surrounded by the words “you” and “love”, the heart imagery in this piece is overwhelming, bold, bright and loud as the artist drives home the message that the viewer is his/her/their own love, and that the love we have for ourselves sets the pace at which we live our lives and dictates whether or not we’re able to receive love from others or able to give it freely.

The smaller images of heart-shaped grenades are copies of the artist’s early illustration work, Love Is A Battlefield, originally intended to represent the fear and danger that comes with giving one’s heart away, but has now been repurposed in this painting to represent how a lack of love for oneself is destructive.

This painting is a reminder to viewers that we are our greatest loves, and that the rejection and pain caused by others is unpleasant and unwanted, but at the end of the day, we walk through this life on our own, with our own hearts, and the way we speak to ourselves and show up for ourselves can be damaging or it can be expansive, empowering and joyful.

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The VOICES (That’s What She Said) collection is a celebration of the way women have used their words and voices to empower themselves and others.

Ink, acrylic, spray paint, graphite, pressed leaves, conte on canvas.

36x40"

She saw so clearly in the throws of pain.
The edges of anger so defined, obvious in its sharpness.

But now, the boundaries of peace are hazy and unclear, as if she’s laying in a bed of tropical fronds, unsure of where she begins and ends, enveloped in the sweet softness of safety.

She had no idea there was so much peace to be found in the shrugging of her shoulders, in the sweet release of ‘what if?’ and ‘so what?’

She has made a home in the uncertainty.




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The Mess Collection features a visual mapping of emotions, specifically the celebration of joy, surrender and peace that results from having endured the grieving process as depicted through abstract expressionism and florals.

Abstracted flower imagery along with the use of real pressed botanicals from the artist’s garden can be seen throughout this series as LaCaria explores the paradoxical symbolism behind flowers and how they’re exchanged at both time of celebration and mourning.

The floral elements draw parallels between the impermanence of seasons and life chapters, the ebb and flow of time and the ephemerality of emotions. The artist aims to evoke a nostalgia in the viewer by prompting the recollection of a memory in which flowers were present, for better or for worse.

LaCaria uses bold swatches of colour reminiscent of bouquets and garden beds along with heavy line work symbolic of the written words of eulogies, lost conversations and past self-talk. These expressive elements come together to communicate a visual mapping of the emotional cycles that accompany grief as one moves forward into a state of joy by paying respect to the past self that was left behind.

The resulting collection as a whole features compositions that embody a sense of ascension and levity as emotions appear to lighten and soften towards the upper parts of the canvas; or feature focal points of nothingness through the use of heavy negative space - an intentional commentary on the revelation that comes from the process of surrender, acceptance and the rebirth of the Self.

Flashe, spray paint, ink, colored pencil, pressed leaves on canvas.

36x40"

She whispers promises to HerSelf when she’s in the garden. Her quiet words fall gently onto the blooms as she turns the soil.

The breeze carries her intentions off to every corner of her oasis, and the “I love you’s” and the “I’ll never leave you’s” brush up against the leaves until they tumble down and come to rest on the earth.

She plucks the weeds of doubt, uses her whispers of love to silence the fears. There’s only room for hope to grow in the garden of her heart.


__________________
The Mess Collection features a visual mapping of emotions, specifically the celebration of joy, surrender and peace that results from having endured the grieving process as depicted through abstract expressionism and florals.

Abstracted flower imagery along with the use of real pressed botanicals from the artist’s garden can be seen throughout this series as LaCaria explores the paradoxical symbolism behind flowers and how they’re exchanged at both time of celebration and mourning.

The floral elements draw parallels between the impermanence of seasons and life chapters, the ebb and flow of time and the ephemerality of emotions. The artist aims to evoke a nostalgia in the viewer by prompting the recollection of a memory in which flowers were present, for better or for worse.

LaCaria uses bold swatches of colour reminiscent of bouquets and garden beds along with heavy line work symbolic of the written words of eulogies, lost conversations and past self-talk. These expressive elements come together to communicate a visual mapping of the emotional cycles that accompany grief as one moves forward into a state of joy by paying respect to the past self that was left behind.

The resulting collection as a whole features compositions that embody a sense of ascension and levity as emotions appear to lighten and soften towards the upper parts of the canvas; or feature focal points of nothingness through the use of heavy negative space - an intentional commentary on the revelation that comes from the process of surrender, acceptance and the rebirth of the Self.

Acrylic, ink and pastel on canvas.

40x44"

Seek Change - part of the From The Darkness Comes the Light collection
40" x 44"

The quantum physicist Max Planck said “When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” You may not always be responsible for the changes that come into your life, but you are responsible for changing your outlook and your perspective, because it is through your own perspective that you form your reality.

If you don’t like the way things are looking, change the way you look at them, and then, without a doubt, the things you’ve been looking at will have changed, as well. Change is good. Stagnation is sadness, it is heavy, it is death. Change is hopeful, healthy and beautiful. Seek the change you want to see in your life. You’re the only one who is capable of changing things for yourself, you’re the only one who can truly affect your own reality.

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The From The Darkness Comes The Light collection explores the intense feeling of levity that finally strikes after a heavy period of pain and suffering. These works are a reminder not to be afraid of the darkness. In order to release the pain that you’re feeling, you have to feel it. Pain is unpleasant, emotional and physical pain alike. We have associated pain as being a negative emotion, but what if we accepted emotional pain as just another feeling? Just like happiness and joy, it is merely a feeling, and it won’t last forever. This series serves as a reminder that sometimes the greatest joy follows times of intense pain.

Acrylic, ink, conte, gold leaf on canvas.

47.50x47.50"

Strength in Softness - part of From The Darkness Comes the Light collection
47.5" x 47.5"

May we learn to be strong by being soft. May we gain our strength from the courage it takes to let our guard down; by letting others in and showing vulnerability; by allowing fear to come pouring out so that healing can begin.

To be soft is to be without hard edges, without daggers, without swords or blades. Softness is gentle like the petals of a flower. Gentle like the downy carpet of a grassy field. Softness is always strong in its collective. One petal alone cannot guard the pollen of a flower, but many together form a barrier. One blade of grass is meaningless and insignificant, but many together make for a breathtaking surface of movement and colour that protects the Earth beneath it.

In numbers, softness is strong. And in this vein of thought, I invite you to collect all the soft parts of your heart, mind and soul and celebrate them for their collective strength. For me, these parts of myself come together to create a strong person - not an invincible person, but one who has become strong in her conviction and truth.

Your softness is your superpower: your ability to bend, break, crumble and come back again afterwards, tougher than before. Your softness makes for gentle hugs from strong arms, soft cushioning upon a courageous chest, gently rounded curves of the shoulders that have carried the burdens of others without hesitation.

Your softness IS your strength.

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The From The Darkness Comes The Light collection explores the intense feeling of levity that finally strikes after a heavy period of pain and suffering. These works are a reminder not to be afraid of the darkness. In order to release the pain that you’re feeling, you have to feel it. Pain is unpleasant, emotional and physical pain alike. We have associated pain as being a negative emotion, but what if we accepted emotional pain as just another feeling? Just like happiness and joy, it is merely a feeling, and it won’t last forever. This series serves as a reminder that sometimes the greatest joy follows times of intense pain.

Flashe, acrylic, coloured pencil on canvas.

32x32"

A Whole Meal - Love Letters (To My Exes) collection
32" x 32"

We each brought our pain to the table and ate it for dinner. We shared every bite: savoured the tender parts, cried over the grisly bits, and argued over who deserved more dessert.

You do, no you do.

It was sickeningly sweet. Sometimes a gift comes in the form of a person who shouldn’t stay. Sometimes a snack can be a whole meal.

*This painting was inspired by the song Don’t Let Go (Love) by En Vogue.

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This collection is a cheeky exploration of “love” and dating from the artist’s perspective as a confident, intellectual woman in her mid-30s. The artist playfully reflects on past romantic encounters to examine which were ruled by the heart vs. the mind. The heart is the true centre of human intelligence, not the brain. The heart is all-knowing, in its intuitive ability to discern when to push or pull, expand or retract. The brain’s tendency to overthink and overanalyze is not a sign of intelligence, but an anxious attempt to intellectualize emotions in order to avoid actually feeling them.

This playful collection explores the themes of identity, attachment, moments of clarity and cathexis that are prevalent in the search for love. The artist aspires to be vulnerable in exposing the various ways she has celebrated or abandoned parts of herSelf in her past relationships and encounters, and the feelings of triumph, shame, growth and sadness that have been part of her journey in dating.

The short excerpts that inspired the works in this collection were taken from the artist’s personal journal and paintings were created with specific songs in mind.

Acrylic, flashe, ink on canvas.

40x50"

Could Have Been - Love Letters (To My Exes) collection
40" x 50"

I can’t help but think of what could have been. We could have been great. We could have rewritten the stories our broken hearts held onto. We could have been the ones to make it. I wonder if he thinks of me as the one who got away. Is he the one who got away from me? To think of him as “getting away” means at some point he was mine to keep, but he never was. I will always think of him and what could have been. I will always wonder if he thinks of me.

*This painting was inspired by the song Grow Old With Me by Tom Odell

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This collection is a cheeky exploration of “love” and dating from the artist’s perspective as a confident, intellectual woman in her mid-30s. The artist playfully reflects on past romantic encounters to examine which were ruled by the heart vs. the mind. The heart is the true centre of human intelligence, not the brain. The heart is all-knowing, in its intuitive ability to discern when to push or pull, expand or retract. The brain’s tendency to overthink and overanalyze is not a sign of intelligence, but an anxious attempt to intellectualize emotions in order to avoid actually feeling them.

This playful collection explores the themes of identity, attachment, moments of clarity and cathexis that are prevalent in the search for love. The artist aspires to be vulnerable in exposing the various ways she has celebrated or abandoned parts of herSelf in her past relationships and encounters, and the feelings of triumph, shame, growth and sadness that have been part of her journey in dating.

The short excerpts that inspired the works in this collection were taken from the artist’s personal journal and paintings were created with specific songs in mind.

Acrylic, ink, coloured pencil on canvas.

40x50"

Conquests - part of the Love Letters (To My Exes) collection

My pain. My plans. My hopes. My regrets. My shortcomings. My triumphs. My conquests. My heart. My mind. My head. My body. My turn. My time. Get on board or get out of my way. My choice.

*This painting was inspired by the song Look Who's Crying Now by Jessie Murph
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This collection is a cheeky exploration of “love” and dating from the artist’s perspective as a confident, intellectual woman in her mid-30s. The artist playfully reflects on past romantic encounters to examine which were ruled by the heart vs. the mind. The heart is the true centre of human intelligence, not the brain. The heart is all-knowing, in its intuitive ability to discern when to push or pull, expand or retract. The brain’s tendency to overthink and overanalyze is not a sign of intelligence, but an anxious attempt to intellectualize emotions in order to avoid actually feeling them.

This playful collection explores the themes of identity, attachment, moments of clarity and cathexis that are prevalent in the search for love. The artist aspires to be vulnerable in exposing the various ways she has celebrated or abandoned parts of herSelf in her past relationships and encounters, and the feelings of triumph, shame, growth and sadness that have been part of her journey in dating.

The short excerpts that inspired the works in this collection were taken from the artist’s personal journal and paintings were created with specific songs in mind.

Acrylic, spray paint, coloured pencil on raw canvas.

36x40"

It's On You 36" x 40" (part of the Hold Collection)

"It’s on you to make it happen. Hold tight to the parts of yourself that believe in you. Hold onto the parts of yourself that need you the most. Hold onto the dream, the goals, the joy, the peace, the love, the happiness. Let the pain go. It’s on you, now. You’re the only one who can truly decide what is worth carrying."

The Hold collection is inspired by the concept of baskets - vessels that were designed to hold and carry items only of a certain size…not everything was meant to be carried. Grains of sand, water, soil, beads, pebbles, leaves, berries… still slip through the cracks. The baskets are meant to hold onto what truly matters, and release whatever doesn’t. The cracks are there to let whatever shouldn’t be contained slip away. The history of basket making has been lost - the basket couldn’t even hold onto its own story. This collection explores the paradox that exists in the moments of time when letting go is essential in order to be able to carry on with what matters. Not everything or everyone was meant to be kept.

Mixed media on raw canvas.

50x70"

Says Who? 50" x 70" (part of the Hold Collection)

"You can’t put that there. You can’t do it that way. You can’t build it like this. That isn’t supposed to happen that way. You aren’t doing it right. It’s too big. You’re too small. It’s too weird. It’s too slow. She did it better. He hates it. She says it’s ugly. He stopped watching.

It’s actually incredible. It’s better than that. It’s worth more. She’s impressed. He loves it. It’s just perfect as it is. It’s not supposed to be pretty. He gets it. She doesn’t care. "



The Hold collection is inspired by the concept of baskets - vessels that were designed to hold and carry items only of a certain size…not everything was meant to be carried. Grains of sand, water, soil, beads, pebbles, leaves, berries… still slip through the cracks. The baskets are meant to hold onto what truly matters, and release whatever doesn’t. The cracks are there to let whatever shouldn’t be contained slip away. The history of basket making has been lost - the basket couldn’t even hold onto its own story. This collection explores the paradox that exists in the moments of time when letting go is essential in order to be able to carry on with what matters. Not everything or everyone was meant to be kept.

Flashe, acrylic, spray paint, coloured pencil on raw canvas.

40x60"

Fortitude 40" x 60" (part of the Mirror Collection)

"To see good in others is to see good in yourself.
To see strength in others is to recognize strength in yourself.
To see pain in others is to honour the pain your own heart holds.
To see fragility in others is to make peace with your own vulnerability.

To embody Fortitude, is to be at ease with the exhaustion that comes from being resilient.

One final homage to the Mirror collection is this painting that celebrates the strength and fragility of the people who make up the city of Hamilton. The strong and powerful, the meek and fragile, the wealthy and the working class. The communities who work together, the groups who clash. The tall rises with glass windows that look down on the steel mills and paved roads that support them. A reminder that glass can be cracked, fractured and chipped, and yet, still remain intact; a reminder that steel can be bent, warped and dented, but it cannot be broken."


The Mirror collection is an exploration of who people are according to themselves vs. who people appear to be to others, and whether these two "identities" are actually one in the same or entirely different personas. The artist asks the question of whether or not one's sense of Self can exist without the context of who she is according to other people.

The reflection one sees of themselves in a mirror is an inverted image of what others see - a mirror, the tool we use to view ourselves, is not even an accurate depiction of what we look like to others.

The mirror is an unreliable source of reflection but it's ironically used daily to ensure "we look our best" or "look like ourselves" before facing other people. The artist is exploring the concepts of truth and perception as it relates to the Self, and whether or not the identities people claim as their own are naturally formed and inherited at birth or fabricated and curated over the years as a result of life experiences and the influence of other people.

The artist used personal items including clothing, shoes and cosmetics to create these pieces, focusing on the juxtaposition between line work and fluid forms to express the tension between the varying degrees of masculine and feminine energies the artist has identified in herSelf.

Flashe, acrylic, pastel, charcoal on canvas.

46x46"

32-25-34
46" x 46" (part of the Mirror Collection)

"Inspired by the quote by Abraham Hicks: "there’s nothing to prove, just life to live," this painting title notes the artist's body measurements as way of commenting on how the least important thing about her or anyone else is one's body size, and yet it remains at the forefront of conversations for women."



The Mirror collection is an exploration of who people are according to themselves vs. who people appear to be to others, and whether these two "identities" are actually one in the same or entirely different personas. The artist asks the question of whether or not one's sense of Self can exist without the context of who she is according to other people.

The reflection one sees of themselves in a mirror is an inverted image of what others see - a mirror, the tool we use to view ourselves, is not even an accurate depiction of what we look like to others.

The mirror is an unreliable source of reflection but it's ironically used daily to ensure "we look our best" or "look like ourselves" before facing other people. The artist is exploring the concepts of truth and perception as it relates to the Self, and whether or not the identities people claim as their own are naturally formed and inherited at birth or fabricated and curated over the years as a result of life experiences and the influence of other people.

The artist used personal items including clothing, shoes and cosmetics to create these pieces, focusing on the juxtaposition between line work and fluid forms to express the tension between the varying degrees of masculine and feminine energies the artist has identified in herSelf.

Ink, acrylic, colored pencil, spray paint, pressed leaves on canvas.

36x40"

Homecoming 36" x 40" (part of the Mess Collection)

"She used to be friends with pain. It took up residence in her heart, left signs of its visits in her eyes. The day she asked it to leave, it begged to stay, both of them comfortable in each others’ presence. It loved the home she’d built in her soft heart.

Pain’s visits were bittersweet in their frustrating familiarity; its presence better than the vacancy it left behind. One day she made friends with peace, and she finally learned what it feels like to come home to HerSelf."



The Mess Collection features a visual mapping of emotions, specifically the celebration of joy, surrender and peace that results from having endured the grieving process as depicted through abstract expressionism and florals.

Abstracted flower imagery along with the use of real pressed botanicals from the artist’s garden can be seen throughout this series as LaCaria explores the paradoxical symbolism behind flowers and how they’re exchanged at both time of celebration and mourning.

The floral elements draw parallels between the impermanence of seasons and life chapters, the ebb and flow of time and the ephemerality of emotions. The artist aims to evoke a nostalgia in the viewer by prompting the recollection of a memory in which flowers were present, for better or for worse.

LaCaria uses bold swatches of colour reminiscent of bouquets and garden beds along with heavy line work symbolic of the written words of eulogies, lost conversations and past self-talk. These expressive elements come together to communicate a visual mapping of the emotional cycles that accompany grief as one moves forward into a state of joy by paying respect to the past self that was left behind.

The resulting collection as a whole features compositions that embody a sense of ascension and levity as emotions appear to lighten and soften towards the upper parts of the canvas; or feature focal points of nothingness through the use of heavy negative space - an intentional commentary on the revelation that comes from the process of surrender, acceptance and the rebirth of the Self.

Flashe, acrylic, ink, spray paint on raw canvas.

36x40"

Good Start 36" x 40" (part of the Mess Collection)

"To blame the rain in a storm is as silly as banishing love because it accompanied the hurt.

She punished love because it walked in tandem with pain, not realizing that in doing so, she had wished a lifetime of numbness upon her worthy, yearning heart."


The Mess Collection features a visual mapping of emotions, specifically the celebration of joy, surrender and peace that results from having endured the grieving process as depicted through abstract expressionism and florals.

Abstracted flower imagery along with the use of real pressed botanicals from the artist’s garden can be seen throughout this series as LaCaria explores the paradoxical symbolism behind flowers and how they’re exchanged at both time of celebration and mourning.

The floral elements draw parallels between the impermanence of seasons and life chapters, the ebb and flow of time and the ephemerality of emotions. The artist aims to evoke a nostalgia in the viewer by prompting the recollection of a memory in which flowers were present, for better or for worse.

LaCaria uses bold swatches of colour reminiscent of bouquets and garden beds along with heavy line work symbolic of the written words of eulogies, lost conversations and past self-talk. These expressive elements come together to communicate a visual mapping of the emotional cycles that accompany grief as one moves forward into a state of joy by paying respect to the past self that was left behind.

The resulting collection as a whole features compositions that embody a sense of ascension and levity as emotions appear to lighten and soften towards the upper parts of the canvas; or feature focal points of nothingness through the use of heavy negative space - an intentional commentary on the revelation that comes from the process of surrender, acceptance and the rebirth of the Self.

Acrylic, ink, pressed leaves on raw canvas.

36x40"

Enouement 36" x 40" (part of the Mess Collection)

"She picked the flowers from the garden of her heart and shared them with everyone.

She picked the weeds and told them they were beautiful too, after all, what are weeds but flowers no one wants to love? She saw the magnificence in their prickly stems, their fluffy heads, their thick, velvety leaves. She admired their persistence, their resilience.

There is room for everything in the garden of her heart."



The Mess Collection features a visual mapping of emotions, specifically the celebration of joy, surrender and peace that results from having endured the grieving process as depicted through abstract expressionism and florals.

Abstracted flower imagery along with the use of real pressed botanicals from the artist’s garden can be seen throughout this series as LaCaria explores the paradoxical symbolism behind flowers and how they’re exchanged at both time of celebration and mourning.

The floral elements draw parallels between the impermanence of seasons and life chapters, the ebb and flow of time and the ephemerality of emotions. The artist aims to evoke a nostalgia in the viewer by prompting the recrecollection of a memory in which flowers were present, for better or for worse.

LaCaria uses bold swatches of colour reminiscent of bouquets and garden beds along with heavy line work symbolic of the written words of eulogies, lost conversations and past self-talk. These expressive elements come together to communicate a visual mapping of the emotional cycles that accompany grief as one moves forward into a state of joy by paying respect to the past self that was left behind.

The resulting collection as a whole features compositions that embody a sense of ascension and levity as emotions appear to lighten and soften towards the upper parts of the canvas; or feature focal points of nothingness through the use of heavy negative space - an intentional commentary on the revelation that comes from the process of surrender, acceptance and the rebirth of the Self.

Pressed flowers, flashe, coloured pencil, spray paint on raw canvas.

48x48"

Offbeat 48 "x 48" (part of the Mess Collection 2024)

"She threw a funeral for her past life and invited her Old Self as the guest of honour. She decorated the walls with the whispers, the moans, the screams, the pleas for peace that sat with her night after night.

She thanked her loneliness for keeping her company on the worst nights. Her grief is sacred, it reminds her she’s lucky to have felt it all, in all its imperfect perfection, in all its miserable beauty."


The Mess Collection features a visual mapping of emotions, specifically the celebration of joy, surrender and peace that results from having endured the grieving process as depicted through abstract expressionism and florals.

Abstracted flower imagery along with the use of real pressed botanicals from the artist’s garden can be seen throughout this series as LaCaria explores the paradoxical symbolism behind flowers and how they’re exchanged at both time of celebration and mourning.

The floral elements draw parallels between the impermanence of seasons and life chapters, the ebb and flow of time and the ephemerality of emotions. The artist aims to evoke a nostalgia in the viewer by prompting the recrecollection of a memory in which flowers were present, for better or for worse.

LaCaria uses bold swatches of colour reminiscent of bouquets and garden beds along with heavy line work symbolic of the written words of eulogies, lost conversations and past self-talk. These expressive elements come together to communicate a visual mapping of the emotional cycles that accompany grief as one moves forward into a state of joy by paying respect to the past self that was left behind.

The resulting collection as a whole features compositions that embody a sense of ascension and levity as emotions appear to lighten and soften towards the upper parts of the canvas; or feature focal points of nothingness through the use of heavy negative space - an intentional commentary on the revelation that comes from the process of surrender, acceptance and the rebirth of the Self.

Flashe, acrylic, spray paint on canvas.

48x30"

I don’t have any regrets. But I would never do us again.

*This painting was inspired by the song Smug Fuckface by Laura Jane Grace*

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The Love Letters (To My Exes) collection is a cheeky exploration of “love” and dating from the artist’s perspective as a confident, intellectual woman in her mid-30s. The artist playfully reflects on past romantic encounters to examine which were ruled by the heart vs. the mind. The heart is the true centre of human intelligence, not the brain. The heart is all-knowing, in its intuitive ability to discern when to push or pull, expand or retract. The brain’s tendency to overthink and overanalyze is not a sign of intelligence, but an anxious attempt to intellectualize emotions in order to avoid actually feeling them.

This playful collection explores the themes of identity, attachment, moments of clarity and cathexis that are prevalent in the search for love. The artist aspires to be vulnerable in exposing the various ways she has celebrated or abandoned parts of herSelf in her past relationships and encounters, and the feelings of triumph, shame, growth and sadness that have been part of her journey in dating.

The short excerpts that inspired the works in this collection were taken from the artist’s personal journal and paintings were created with specific songs in mind.

Flashe, acrylic, pencil, poppy seeds on canvas.

46x58"

All talk. No walk.
All talk. No rock.
Words are beautiful, the way they come together to suggest the most wonderful sentiments. Barf. The way they can be persuasive, manipulative, weaponized.

Words are spoken, they are written, they are exchanged, they are shouted, they are whispered, they are safe, they are threatening. But they’re all just words. Keep them to yourself, they sound better in your own mind. Spare me.


*This painting was inspired by the song Cutthroat by Imagine Dragons*

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The Love Letters (To My Exes) collection is a cheeky exploration of “love” and dating from the artist’s perspective as a confident, intellectual woman in her mid-30s. The artist playfully reflects on past romantic encounters to examine which were ruled by the heart vs. the mind. The heart is the true centre of human intelligence, not the brain. The heart is all-knowing, in its intuitive ability to discern when to push or pull, expand or retract. The brain’s tendency to overthink and overanalyze is not a sign of intelligence, but an anxious attempt to intellectualize emotions in order to avoid actually feeling them.

This playful collection explores the themes of identity, attachment, moments of clarity and cathexis that are prevalent in the search for love. The artist aspires to be vulnerable in exposing the various ways she has celebrated or abandoned parts of herSelf in her past relationships and encounters, and the feelings of triumph, shame, growth and sadness that have been part of her journey in dating.

The short excerpts that inspired the works in this collection were taken from the artist’s personal journal and paintings were created with specific songs in mind.

Acrylic, flashe, ink, coloured pencil on canvas.

32x46"

A wave of hatred flooded my body on the day he told me the truth.
And I clung to it. The hatred protected me. Sheltered me.
Kept me safe, until it was too heavy to carry.

Hate was never meant to be a part of my heart, mind, or my body.

I worked up the courage to let the hate go, accepting that it might make room for the love I once held for him to rush back in.

Instead, when I asked the hatred to leave, it took the love I had for him with it. And the most beautiful, brightest light of clarity filled the void instead. I didn’t know I had so much space for freedom. I had forgotten that I am sovereign. I am truly free.

*This painting was inspired by the song Gorgeous by X Ambassadors*

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The Love Letters (To My Exes) collection is a cheeky exploration of “love” and dating from the artist’s perspective as a confident, intellectual woman in her mid-30s. The artist playfully reflects on past romantic encounters to examine which were ruled by the heart vs. the mind. The heart is the true centre of human intelligence, not the brain. The heart is all-knowing, in its intuitive ability to discern when to push or pull, expand or retract. The brain’s tendency to overthink and overanalyze is not a sign of intelligence, but an anxious attempt to intellectualize emotions in order to avoid actually feeling them.

This playful collection explores the themes of identity, attachment, moments of clarity and cathexis that are prevalent in the search for love. The artist aspires to be vulnerable in exposing the various ways she has celebrated or abandoned parts of herSelf in her past relationships and encounters, and the feelings of triumph, shame, growth and sadness that have been part of her journey in dating.

The short excerpts that inspired the works in this collection were taken from the artist’s personal journal and paintings were created with specific songs in mind.

Acrylic, coloured pencil on canvas.

36x40"

I sing love songs to myself. They used to make me sad because I thought I was alone. But I’m not. I’m just by myself. I am with myself. On my own. I don’t know how I got from there to here, but now I sing all the love songs to myself. In the mirror. In the car. On a walk. In the grocery store. I hum along, I belt it out. And they can’t haunt me anymore. I have fallen in love with myself and it had nothing to do with anyone else. Now all those songs remind me of me. And no one else.

*This painting was inspired by the song Love It If We Made It by The 1975.*
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The Love Letters (To My Exes) collection is a cheeky exploration of “love” and dating from the artist’s perspective as a confident, intellectual woman in her mid-30s. The artist playfully reflects on past romantic encounters to examine which were ruled by the heart vs. the mind. The heart is the true centre of human intelligence, not the brain. The heart is all-knowing, in its intuitive ability to discern when to push or pull, expand or retract. The brain’s tendency to overthink and overanalyze is not a sign of intelligence, but an anxious attempt to intellectualize emotions in order to avoid actually feeling them.

This playful collection explores the themes of identity, attachment, moments of clarity and cathexis that are prevalent in the search for love. The artist aspires to be vulnerable in exposing the various ways she has celebrated or abandoned parts of herSelf in her past relationships and encounters, and the feelings of triumph, shame, growth and sadness that have been part of her journey in dating.

The short excerpts that inspired the works in this collection were taken from the artist’s personal journal and paintings were created with specific songs in mind.

Acrylic, flashe, colored pencil on canvas.

54x54"

From left to right, and back again. Try, fail, succeed, repeat. Tedious and slow until momentum builds. The first weft is simply a line. The second weft is the beginning of a pattern. The third weft is a trend. Repeat repeat repeat. Persistence. The warp ties it all together. Skill.

The patience behind repetition can be the difference between a crazy-making or a meditative practice. Without the persistence, the skill is pointless. Without the warp, the weft is simply a bunch of lines going in circles.

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The Hold collection is inspired by the concept of baskets - vessels that were designed to hold and carry items only of a certain size…not everything was meant to be carried. Grains of sand, water, soil, beads, pebbles, leaves, berries… still slip through the cracks. The baskets are meant to hold onto what truly matters, and release whatever doesn’t. The cracks are there to let whatever shouldn’t be contained slip away. The history of basket making has been lost - the basket couldn’t even hold onto its own story. This collection explores the paradox that exists in the moments of time when letting go is essential in order to be able to carry on with what matters. Not everything or everyone was meant to be kept.