Throughout my childhood, colouring with crayons has always been a favourite past time. My parents always encouraged me to explore my creativity.

I excelled in visual art throughout high school, and decided to make art my major upon going to Western University. I graduated Western in 2008 with a Bachelor of Arts degree, specializing in Visual Art. After university I interned at an art gallery in in my home town of Oakville, Ontario, and I realized that being an artist was still what I wanted to do, although I would go on to work in galleries for several more years. I eventually started a wholesale jewelry business, which lasted until 2018 when I pivoted and became a coach with a wellness company after completing a certificate in health coaching.

When the Covid-19 pandemic hit in 2020 I found painting a coping mechanism for my isolation. I started a 100 day painting challenge in 2021 and continued painting upon its completion.

ARTIST’S STATEMENT

This collection came to be during the Covid-19 pandemic as a coping mechanism. In 2020 I started experimenting with different patterns and repetition, which is something I’ve always enjoyed. Pattern is also very therapeutic, and during a tough time like the pandemic, painting in pattern helped with my mental health and gave me a sense of purpose.

The shapes are inspired by terrazzo floors that I’ve seen on trips to Italy with my mother. Each time I paint I think about Italy and the beautiful floors, landscapes, food, and people I have seen there.

I have a love for muted, natural tones and colours, so this is where the inspiration for the colour palette comes from. I enjoy mixing my own colours from their primary form to get the exact tone I am looking for, and what will compliment the other colours in the artwork. My process is usually to play with colours and shapes on paper first, and then once I am content I will move on to a larger wood support.